Sometimes when you’re new, you might be nervous that your clients can tell that you’re inexperienced. In this episode, Nicki and Kate dig into how self-doubt might creep into client interactions and other red flags that make it obvious that you’re a newbie—like mixing content and copy to being paid by the word.
You’ll leave this episode with the tools to always put your best foot forward with prospective clients.
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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[2:15] Sometimes when you are new you may not be as confident about yourself and your copywriting skills. That’s okay! That even happens to veteran copywriters. But you have to be careful when it comes to letting your insecurities show, as those may mark you as an inexperienced copywriter.
[4:00] The first red flag you may be “waving” is mixing copy and content! You need to demonstrate that you know these are two different things and have two different skill sets.
[7:20] It’s your job to tell potential clients why they should hire you, but not why copy is important. They are already evaluating you to be their copywriter, they have made the decision that copywriting is important for their business.
[13:30] You want to come across as the professional that you are, and an important way to show that is your portfolio website! You don’t necessary need it to start pitching but it’s important to show you are professional and to show case your skills!
[16:30] When it comes to rates there are a few different mistakes that can put up red flags and mark you as inexperienced! Charging by the word and undervaluing yourself are just a few of the red flags!
[23:45] Following up is so important! You are not bothering clients, you are professional and are running a business. They expect you to communicate with them.
[26:10] You need to ask the right questions and lead the conversation with clients so you have the information you need to create good copy, and a sign of an experienced copywriter.
Must-Hear Takeaways
As with every episode, we highly encourage you to listen to the entire conversation! But here are a few of the highlights:
“You are not the most important person on your portfolio site, which I know sounds so crazy but the purpose of your portfolio site is not for you to talk about what you love and what you’re passionate about. The purpose of your portfolio site is to convey to a potential client, what you can do for them and how you can benefit their business.” – Nicki
“It doesn’t mark you as a newbie to say, “hey, excuse me, you said this term, I just wanted to clarify what you mean by that.’ That doesn’t mark you as a newbie. What marks you as a newbie is if you don’t ask that question and then you’re unable to produce the copy that you need to produce because you felt uncomfortable speaking up in the initial conversation.” – Kate
Mentioned in this Episode
Episode 3: What’s the Difference Between Copy and Content?
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About the Build Your Business Podcast
Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.
Whether you want to land an on-staff job, freelance full-time and work from wherever you want, or make extra money with a side hustle, the best place to start learning is right here.
See Previous Episode
Ep. 132: Using Copywriting to Build a Second Business – Karen’s Story
Last Updated on September 12, 2023
