Comments on: THIS Is What Clients Want. Are You Delivering It? http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/this-is-what-clients-want-are-you-delivering-it Income-boosting resources for commercial writers Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:48:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Just Interesting Stuff - Resource Tuesday Roundup http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/this-is-what-clients-want-are-you-delivering-it/comment-page-1#comment-1366 Just Interesting Stuff - Resource Tuesday Roundup Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:02:54 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=38#comment-1366 [...] attitude we all need to keep our clients happy and get new ones through referral in a post titled THIS Is What Clients Want. Are You Delivering It? Thanks for the reminder [...]

]]> By: peter http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/this-is-what-clients-want-are-you-delivering-it/comment-page-1#comment-1351 peter Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:43:33 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=38#comment-1351 Steve, thanks for sharing the story. Obviously, you turned his head, which means he's not always used to such good follow-through. Speaking of clients not being used to things, thanks Amanda for underscoring the importance of listening. It's such an easy thing to do, but so hard for many. Hey, I'm selfish: I don't want to spend any more time working on a project than I have to, and if I listen carefully, I'll get it right the first time AND get hired again. Yet, that eludes many freelancers who just KNOW what the client wants. For them, like the old joke reminds, there are just two modes of communication: Talking and Waiting to Talk.;) And they pay for that... PB Steve, thanks for sharing the story. Obviously, you turned his head, which means he’s not always used to such good follow-through. Speaking of clients not being used to things, thanks Amanda for underscoring the importance of listening. It’s such an easy thing to do, but so hard for many. Hey, I’m selfish: I don’t want to spend any more time working on a project than I have to, and if I listen carefully, I’ll get it right the first time AND get hired again. Yet, that eludes many freelancers who just KNOW what the client wants. For them, like the old joke reminds, there are just two modes of communication: Talking and Waiting to Talk.;) And they pay for that…

PB

]]> By: Amanda L. Sage http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/this-is-what-clients-want-are-you-delivering-it/comment-page-1#comment-1350 Amanda L. Sage Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:16:12 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=38#comment-1350 Peter nailed one thing definitely on the head: listening. I can't tell you how many clients/colleagues have told me that they have had horrible experiences with writers (and publicists, and designers, and web designers) who didn't listen to them and never delivered a good product because of it. It's absolutely vital! Peter nailed one thing definitely on the head: listening. I can’t tell you how many clients/colleagues have told me that they have had horrible experiences with writers (and publicists, and designers, and web designers) who didn’t listen to them and never delivered a good product because of it. It’s absolutely vital!

]]> By: Steve Rainwater http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/this-is-what-clients-want-are-you-delivering-it/comment-page-1#comment-1340 Steve Rainwater Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:06:08 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=38#comment-1340 Hi Peter, I just finished up a project that involved one of my long time clients completing a technical article for a trade publication. The publication had contacted my client requesting the article. The only actual writing I did was the original concepting of the article, a high level outline of how it would / should flow, and some response to editor queries on the final edited draft. My main work was to coordinate work between two company executives writing the article, a photographer, and two editors in the magazine. When we submitted our final copy and photos to the publication, I received an e-mail from the President of my client company thanking me for "finishing" the project. Since he is not one to dole out compliments lightly or frequently, I read between the lines "thanks for keeping an eye on this project and making sure I did not have to worry about it getting done well, and on time." slr Hi Peter,

I just finished up a project that involved one of my long time clients completing a technical article for a trade publication. The publication had contacted my client requesting the article. The only actual writing I did was the original concepting of the article, a high level outline of how it would / should flow, and some response to editor queries on the final edited draft. My main work was to coordinate work between two company executives writing the article, a photographer, and two editors in the magazine. When we submitted our final copy and photos to the publication, I received an e-mail from the President of my client company thanking me for “finishing” the project. Since he is not one to dole out compliments lightly or frequently, I read between the lines “thanks for keeping an eye on this project and making sure I did not have to worry about it getting done well, and on time.”

slr

]]> By: *Aspiring Writers Want to Know* http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/this-is-what-clients-want-are-you-delivering-it/comment-page-1#comment-1338 *Aspiring Writers Want to Know* Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:28:32 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=38#comment-1338 Did she mention why she needed so quickly? Did she mention why she needed so quickly?

]]> By: Caitlin http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/this-is-what-clients-want-are-you-delivering-it/comment-page-1#comment-1337 Caitlin Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:31:05 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=38#comment-1337 Hi Peter - I was the hero and they did love me, for a while. That editor continued to send me work, but when there was a shake-up at the company, the new managing editor got rid of all the contractors and hired a new set. So being the hero is great, but sometimes there are editors who just don't care. - Caitlin Hi Peter -

I was the hero and they did love me, for a while. That editor continued to send me work, but when there was a shake-up at the company, the new managing editor got rid of all the contractors and hired a new set. So being the hero is great, but sometimes there are editors who just don’t care.

- Caitlin

]]> By: peter http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/this-is-what-clients-want-are-you-delivering-it/comment-page-1#comment-1336 peter Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:40:37 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=38#comment-1336 So, did they love you? Were you the hero? What kind of positive fallout came from it? PB So, did they love you? Were you the hero? What kind of positive fallout came from it?

PB

]]> By: Caitlin http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/this-is-what-clients-want-are-you-delivering-it/comment-page-1#comment-1335 Caitlin Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:16:10 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=38#comment-1335 Sadly I'm too new to the FLCW world to have one "IT" moment, so I'm going to draw from my freelance journalism days. One afternoon at four p.m., an editor called me in a panic, as one of his other writers had bailed on him. It was for another story in the TV department, which I frequently wrote content for. I was able to turn the article around and have it in my editor's inbox by 9 a.m. the next day. Sadly I’m too new to the FLCW world to have one “IT” moment, so I’m going to draw from my freelance journalism days. One afternoon at four p.m., an editor called me in a panic, as one of his other writers had bailed on him. It was for another story in the TV department, which I frequently wrote content for. I was able to turn the article around and have it in my editor’s inbox by 9 a.m. the next day.

]]> By: Star http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/this-is-what-clients-want-are-you-delivering-it/comment-page-1#comment-1334 Star Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:34:53 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=38#comment-1334 Er...good job! Don't we all give our best advice and fill in blanks (the vaunted copywriter mind reading)? Still, sometimes clients still know what they don't want when they see it...Or maybe that's just me. Sounds like a successful project, though. Er…good job! Don’t we all give our best advice and fill in blanks (the vaunted copywriter mind reading)? Still, sometimes clients still know what they don’t want when they see it…Or maybe that’s just me. Sounds like a successful project, though.

]]> By: peter http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/this-is-what-clients-want-are-you-delivering-it/comment-page-1#comment-1332 peter Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:25:08 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=38#comment-1332 A sales sheet is like a brochure in many ways in that it "builds a case" about a particular product or service, but does it on one page (either one- or two-sided). The main difference is that a sales sheet usually focuses on ONE product, as opposed to a brochure, which is more likely to describe a company or some other larger entity. For instance, a building materials company might do a capabilities brochure, which describes who they are and what they do, along with a top-line overview of their product line, and then they might have a bunch of sales sheets, each one showcasing a particular product. You might create a larger brochure with a flap in the back and into it might go various sales sheets, depending on the prospect you're marketing to and what their stated needs are. To see a few samples of sales sheets, visit my <a href="http://www.writeinc.biz/WriteIncPortfolio.htm" rel="nofollow">portfolio</a> and click on "Tri-fold Brochures/Sales Sheets." PB A sales sheet is like a brochure in many ways in that it “builds a case” about a particular product or service, but does it on one page (either one- or two-sided). The main difference is that a sales sheet usually focuses on ONE product, as opposed to a brochure, which is more likely to describe a company or some other larger entity. For instance, a building materials company might do a capabilities brochure, which describes who they are and what they do, along with a top-line overview of their product line, and then they might have a bunch of sales sheets, each one showcasing a particular product. You might create a larger brochure with a flap in the back and into it might go various sales sheets, depending on the prospect you’re marketing to and what their stated needs are.

To see a few samples of sales sheets, visit my portfolio and click on “Tri-fold Brochures/Sales Sheets.”

PB

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