Welcome to THE WELL-FED E-PUB!

Serving up food for thought and tasty tips for the prospering writer. Come

on in, sit anywhere and bring your appetite!

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VOLUME 6, ISSUE 5 – MAY 2007

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WANT TO BE FEATURED IN THE 2008 EDITION OF “THE WELL-FED WRITER”?

Details in Dessert and at http://www.wellfedwriter.com/helpwanted.shtml.

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“THE WELL-FED SELF-PUBLISHER”: www.wellfedsp.com

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ATTN: ATLANTA! UPCOMING TALKS: COMM’L WRITING & SELF-PUBLISHING

GEORGIA WRITERS SPRING FESTIVAL – Saturday, May 5, 2007

Details in Dessert and at http://www.wellfedsp.com/TWFSPevents.html. 

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MISSED JANUARY’S TELECLASS? “Thriving as a Freelance Commercial Writer”

38-PAGE instant download just $12! www.wellfedwriter.com/jan07tstranscript.shtml.

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NEW: WHITE PAPER INDUSTRY SURVEY (50% OFF FOR EPUB SUBSCRIBERS!)

Discover the latest trends in this lucrative writing niche from WP guru Michael Stelzner. Details: http://www.whitepapersource.com/cmd.php?af=348539.

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I. APPETIZER: IS COLD-CALLING DEAD?

Not so Fast, Says Results of BusinessWeek.com Survey 

II. CRISP “FIELD” GREENS: WHAT CAN YOU TRADE WRITING FOR?

Bartering Pays Off for Organizationally-Challenged Toronto FLCW

III. MAIN COURSE: 21 YEARS OLD AND ON HIS WAY! 

NY FLCW Doesn’t Let Age Stand in His Way of His Writing Dream

IV. DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and Tips

April’s “Dentist-Hires-Writer-During-Visit” Story Uncovers New Untapped Arena! 

TIP: Two Sources for Low-Cost, Hassle-Free, Thank-You Cards Sent FOR You!

V. COFFEE, MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS

- Want to Be Featured in the 2008 Edition of “The Well-Fed Writer”? 

- ATTN: ATLANTA! Upcoming Talks on Commercial Writing & Self-Publishing

- NEW: White Paper Industry Survey (Half-Price for EPUB Subscribers!)

- MISSED JANUARY’S TELECLASS? Full 38-PAGE e-Transcript – Just $12!

- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get 2 Bonuses (no charge!)

- Well-Fed E-Pub Needs All Courses!

- How Can My Mentoring Service Serve You?

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APPETIZER: IS COLD CALLING DEAD?

Not so Fast, Says Results of BusinessWeek.com Survey 

It’s no secret that I’ve always been a fan of cold calling for launching a new copywriting business or revitalizing an existing one. Done well and correctly, it doesn’t have to be daunting or sleazy. And a recent article backs that up. Had an interesting link sent to me by a reader (I forget to write down who it was, so apologies for not thanking you here) to a March 6, 2007, BusinessWeek.com story by Karen Klein entitled, “Is Cold Calling Really Dead?” A survey of 700+ service business owners revealed some interesting stuff. Hoping the answer to the title is yes? Sorry. Apparently, the reports of the premature demise of our beloved practice of cold prospecting are greatly exaggerated.

Here are a few germane Q&As from the piece: 

[W]E'VE HEARD A LOT OF EXPERTS RECENTLY DECLARE THAT THE PRACTICE OF COLD CALLING IS DEAD. YOUR SURVEY SEEMS TO CONTRADICT THAT.

That's right because cold calling works, if it's done right. The survey results showed that the top three ways companies generated quality new leads over the past two years were referrals from clients or partners (22%), general referrals (16%), and cold calling or telephone prospecting (13%). That means that, after referrals, doing direct marketing over the phone is the second-best method for generating new business. By the way, this wasn't a multiple-choice question, so we didn't list various methods of lead-generation. We just left the question open-ended and asked people to fill in the blanks. What CEOs find is that referrals are all-important. But referrals are simply not sufficient these days to grow your business. If you sit around waiting for your telephone to ring with new business inquiries, your company is going to tread water and eventually sink. You have to actively go out and recruit new business if you want to succeed.

WHY DO YOU THINK COLD CALLING HAS BEEN NEGATED AS A SALES STRATEGY IN RECENT YEARS?

Because nobody wants to be a cheesy sales person. People who have call reluctance can make up reasons why it doesn't work. But there's definitely still a place for direct marketing, with mailers, telephone contacts, or e-mail. And there's a way to do it that isn't cheesy, doesn't rely on a long, boring script, and doesn't demand money up front.

For instance, you call a prospect and invite her to a small gathering of local CEOs interested in talking about new operations strategies. Or you send out a mailer letting your targets know that you will be speaking at an upcoming event about a topic that would benefit their firm's bottom line. Your sales staff calls up local decision-makers to share the results of a new white paper you're releasing that will be of interest to them. People take you up on value-based offers that make your firm and its value very apparent to them.

There were a lot more goodies in the piece, so check out the full article at:

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/mar2007/sb20070306_143154.htm

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II. CRISP “FIELD” GREENS: WHAT CAN YOU TRADE WRITING FOR?

Bartering Pays Off for Organizationally-Challenged Toronto FLCW

Got this cool piece on being resourceful from Toronto FLCW Elizabeth Cockle from Toronto, Ontario, (info@ecwriting.com, www.ecwriting.com) about bartering some writing for some professional organizing expertise. Barter is a wonderful win-win tool for those on a budget or a bit tight-fisted (most of us, right?).

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A few springs ago, I wrote a promotional article about Alex Fayle, a professional organizer (www.housetherapy.net). In exchange, Alex organized my home office. With papers and books getting out of hand, bartering made perfect sense. However, a clean office wasn’t the only benefit.

Halfway through the job, a local TV station called Alex about a spring cleaning feature. Less than two hours later, a TV crew showed up at my apartment. That evening the 6 o'clock news ran a "before" feature on how we were going to transform my living room/office in 24 hours. Alex and I worked into the night and most of the next day to meet the deadline. We filed, stacked, moved furniture, and threw out mountains of paper. The transformation was amazing!

I contacted virtually all my clients to let them know about my TV appearances. It was a great reason to get in touch with them. One client even thought of a project for me on the spot. Being on TV was also fun. I’m starting a media appearances list on my web site, so I can tell my clients when I’m in the media again.

Staying organized is a struggle and requires daily work (the paper never stops!), but I’m much more effective when my desk is clean. Organizing is a fast-growing field. If you need help getting organized, bartering with a professional organizer could help both of your businesses.

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III. MAIN COURSE: 21 YEARS OLD AND ON HIS WAY! 

NY FLCW Doesn’t Let Age Stand in His Way of His Writing Dream

I’m always thrilled to get success stories from young people, so when Josh Geller, a 21-year old from Vestal, NY, (near Binghamton; josh@brainstormcopywriting.com, www.brainstormcopywriting.com) sent me this piece, it made my day. Sure, young people may have less experience, but don’t underestimate what you can still offer a business (AND your expenses are usually a LOT lower, making financial self-sufficiency that much easier to realize). No, not all clients you talk to will be as uninformed as some of his initial ones apparently were, but his point is well taken. That IS how it often goes. In any case, some good lessons for youngsters of ALL ages.   

I came across your books when I was 19 years old, struggling to find a practical application for my seemingly useless English degree. As I read, I became more and more convinced that I had finally found a way to make money while writing. However, doubts held me back, all related to my age and complete lack of business experience.

Well, in the last few months, I put together a web site and a basic online marketing campaign. In the last three weeks, I’ve gotten three clients and written a press release, advertorial and a bunch of web site copy. I put MIMIMAL effort into finding these people; it’s like they hunted me down and started throwing money at me. I had NOTHING in my portfolio, so I charged discounted rates. With their projects now up on my site, I’m confident enough to boost my rates to something a bit more respectable.

While I was scared out of my mind to talk to these fancy-shmancy business people on the phone (one client, an investment firm located in NYC, manages millions of dollars a day and here I am, a 21 year old student playing video games and eating sherbet in my underwear for most of the day), I quickly found it to be quite painless.

Sure, I didn’t really know what to say, but the clients were equally uninformed. They had never worked with a copywriter before and so didn’t really have any standards to compare me to. I do have some useful tips for beginners:

1. Mindset is crucial. Don’t assume people will disqualify you based on some trivial circumstances you’re blowing out of proportion in your own mind. View yourself as an asset to these companies. In most cases, they aren’t expecting the ABSOLUTE BEST WRITING on the market, but instead, are simply too busy to waste their time writing their own copy. You’re doing them a favor.

2. Get a website. In this digital age, there is no reason to limit yourself to working with local clients. Use your website and email to branch out. Having a web site with a portfolio and testimonials boosts your credibility. Think of it as an unpaid employee of your company, whose job it is to prospect and inform potential clients 24/7/365.

3. Don’t freak out about the phone. While I haven’t started cold calling yet, I’ve had phone meetings with several clients, and believe me, they were nerve-wracking at first. These people have been immersed in business for years and manage highly successful firms. My confidence was zero. Then, after a few calls, I realized they were actually nice, and I enjoyed talking with them. Treat clients in a friendly way, and your nerves won’t interfere with your calls. View it all as a learning process. As long as you learn SOMETHING from every interaction, you can only get better, and there’s no way to fail.

4. Study effective marketing material and practice writing. If you aren’t 100% confident in your skills, daily practice will change this. I collected all the junk mail my parents received. I looked at each one and tried to determine what tactics were being used and how effective they were. This helped me understand what I was doing and how I could do it better. Additionally, there is a veritable library of books about the technical aspects of copywriting that will teach you how to become a better writer.

Good luck to all! If a 21-year old student can do it, I'm sure anyone can. If anyone wants to ask me any questions, feel free to e-mail me!

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IV. DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and Tips

April’s “Dentist-Hires-Writer-During-Visit” Story Uncovers New Untapped Arena! 

TIP: Two Sources for Low-Cost, Hassle-Free, Thank-You Cards Sent FOR You!

Last month, I shared a great story from MI FLCW Joseph Wright about landing work with his dentist WHILE on a visit there (http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine/April2007.html). Shortly after, Atlanta FLCW Mary McCauley-Stiff (maryms@5starwriting.com, www.5starwriting.com) sent me this. I’ve heard the dentist motto is “Drill ‘em, Fill ‘em, Bill ‘em!” Maybe, we’ll create our own: “Grill ‘em, Fill ‘em (the need, that is), Bill ‘em!”

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A comment on the dentist story below. I recently rewrote the copy for my dentist's website (he's also a former neighbor). He told me that since marketing is no longer taboo for dentists (as apparently it used to be), there are many in that profession with money to spend on marketing but no idea how to write! As another example of this, here's a company that creates websites just for dentists! http://www.tntdental.com/ Just another niche enterprising writers can apply themselves to.

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TIP: Two Sources for Low-Cost, Hassle-Free, Thank-You Cards Sent FOR You!

A few months back, I got a very cool thank-you card from a reader with my book cover artwork on the front. I commented on it, and she shared the 411. Later, another reader shared the scoop on a similar service that sends out cards for you according to your specs. I’m BIG on sending cards. Services like these make it easy to get in the habit.

Cheryl Beck (cbeck@wwnet.net) wrote me about www.sendoutcards.com, which “produces cards, on demand one at a time, for less than $2. You pick the card and

write text/include files all from your computer and the company prints, stamps and mails it. You can insert photo files as I did, as well as gift cards and checks too. You are also able to customize handwriting.

FL FLCW Kaluzniak (Donna@CopywritingSolutionsServices.com,

www.CopywritingSolutionsServices.com) contacted me about a similar service with  www.ItFeelsGoodToSendOutCards.com.

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V. COFFEE, MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS

- Want to Be Featured in the 2008 Edition of “The Well-Fed Writer”? 

- ATTN: ATLANTA! Upcoming Talks on Commercial Writing & Self-Publishing

- NEW: White Paper Industry Survey (Half-Price for EPUB Subscribers!)

- MISSED JANUARY’S TELECLASS? Full 38-PAGE e-Transcript – Just $12!

- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get 2 Bonuses (no charge)!

- Well-Fed E-Pub Needs All Courses!

- How Can My Mentoring Service Serve You?

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WANT TO BE FEATURED IN THE 2008 EDITION OF “THE WELL-FED WRITER”? 

Well, it’s past time to update TWFW, and I’m looking for submissions in a bunch of categories. If I select your story, it could appear in the upcoming edition of this industry “standard”! Check out the details at http://www.wellfedwriter.com/helpwanted.shtml.  

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ATTN: ATLANTA! Upcoming Talks on Commercial Writing & Self-Publishing

Interested in checking out commercial writing? Or perhaps self-publishing? I’ll be giving talks on both at the 11^th Annual Georgia Writers Spring Festival in Smyrna, GA, on Saturday, May 5. Details: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/SeminarDates.shtml.

P.S. Good friend Geri Taran, the former Executive Director of Georgia Writers (though still intimately involved) has a new and exciting webinar venture for writers of all stripes. Check it out at www.inthecompanyofwriters.com. 

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NEW! White Paper Industry Survey (HALF-PRICE FOR EPUB SUBSCRIBERS!)

Intrigued by the BIG money available in the growing white paper arena? Well, WP industry guru Michael Stelzner has made it easy to get the nitty-gritty on this lucrative writing direction with his latest industry survey. (Note: it’s the industry's only major study of white papers and, drawing on nearly 600 writers, it reveals a dramatic increase in the prices freelancers charge for white papers.) It's been a big hit at $49. BUT, he's offering it at 50% off to WFW readers. He’s also offering a great bundle on his hardcover book, ebook, shipping and the report for only $45 (a $134 value!). Check it all out at http://www.whitepapersource.com/cmd.php?af=348539.

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MISSED JANUARY’S TELECLASS? “Thriving as a Freelance Commercial Writer”

Score the full 38-PAGE e-Transcript of EVERY word! Just $12 as an instant download! Details at www.wellfedwriter.com/jan07tstranscript.shtml.

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AWAI COPYWRITING (& OTHER) COURSES: Register Here, Get 2 Extra Bonuses!

Six-Figure Copywriting, Graphic Design, Internet Writing, Fundraising, Health Market and more! TWO Bonus CDS: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/awai.shtml.

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WELL-FED E-PUB Needs ALL COURSES!

“GREENS” (200-300 words), MAIN COURSES (400-500; query first), TIPS (150-200) and SUCCESS STORIES (200-300) to peter@wellfedwriter.com.

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HOW CAN MY MENTORING SERVICE SERVE YOU?

For details and testimonials, visit www.wellfedwriter.com/Mentoring.shtml.

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NEW Subscribe/Unsubscribe feature. To Subscribe (YAY!), Unsubscribe (boo!) and/or update your address for the E-PUB, visit: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine.shtml.

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BIG THANKS!

THANKS again to Susan Cochran in Atlanta for her great editing/proofing prowess on the E-Pub. Need a good editor/proofreader? susan_cochran@mindspring.com, www.cochrancompany.com.