You may have heard me say that I only verrrrrry occasionally take on freelance clients.
(Supporting students in the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy is my #1 job!)
So, when I tell you this one was too good to pass up you know it’s goooood.
On this episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, I’m telling you all about it.
And I’ll be honest: even after 20+ years in copywriting, I still felt those new-client nerves creep in.
New people (including working with an on-staff copywriter!), new systems, new brand voice…the nerves are natural.
That’s why I wanted to take you behind-the-scenes. From copy test (YUP!) to onboarding to the little ways I make sure I’m showing up at my best, I’m sharing it all.
If you’re on the path to landing your first client or you’ve just landed your so-many-clients-you’ve-lost-count client, I think you’ll find this one especially valuable.
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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[01:00] We’re going to dig into my experiences with my newest freelance client. I don’t usually make a lot of time for taking freelance clients. but this opportunity came up and I thought, I wanna write for this client.
[03:06] I’m not generally out there looking for new clients, pitching for new clients. You should be if you’re working full-time as a copywriter.
[03:51] I absolutely know who this person is. I took courses from her more than a decade ago. I would love to know what goes on in her business and I would love to be a part of that.
[06:41] A paid copy test is an opportunity to dig into a brand and do the work first. Get a sense of how I work and the writing that I can do. Can I write to their brand voice? it gives the client confidence, and the copywriter confidence too.
[09:15] A copy test actually for me at least takes the pressure down a little bit with you. So getting your foot in the door with a small project is actually a really great way. It might be kind of their substitute for a copy test to make sure that you are a good fit.
[13:07] I respect this client. A woman that I’ve been following online for many years and I’m very impressed by, so that kind of amped up the pressure a little bit. The feeling of being a little bit nervous. Pressure about working with a new client that I don’t think that ever disappears.
[20:15] Our first call was the timeline of what’s going on, what’s going on for the next couple of months, what the projects are, what the dates are, and the events that are coming up.
[20:56] They have onboarding documents about the brand voice, how they use their project management system. They have some dialed in processes.
[28:22] Anytime that someone gives you a contract, read it through very carefully. Make sure that you understand everything. It’s very unlikely that as a freelancer you would need an attorney to look at a contract.
[33:28] Establish your own processes for re keeping information handy. For example, doc of terms this client uses, tone guide, style guide, and things they’ve told me and I don’t want them to have to tell me again because that is a bad look. Just have a system to start that works for you.
[36:34] Take notes on the feedback. We will probably never get to the point, not never, but where we get no feedback.
[38:30] It takes time to learn a brand voice. It takes time to learn their systems, and that’s totally fine. Clients understand that. With a new client, you need to be at your freshest. because we all want to continue to get better the more we work with them.
[39:50] You need to know when your best time of day is and set that time aside for your new clients and make sure that you are fresh for it. Be extra aware of your energy and your creativity. That’s when you really need to be dialed in and let your creativity and strategy work with each other at their very, very best.
[45:38] Make it clear what your standard turnaround time needs to be. You just wanna communicate that to your clients. Make sure that you and your client are clear on what that looks like.
[46:20] It’s also really gratifying how much they value the copy and how careful they are about how much thought they put into it. But it’s really has been a pleasure to stretch myself into a totally different brand voice and to collaborate with all of these people. I can see how much it’s valued at a very successful company.
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:
“A copy test is an opportunity for you to vet out whether this is something you wanna move forward with or not.” – Kate
“You don’t get over the fear before taking the action. You get that confidence by taking the action.” – Kate
“Always frame questions as the benefit to them. Hey, I just wanna make sure this is as streamlined as possible. Come with suggestions here.” – Kate
“I want to get better as I go. And the only way to get better as I go is to listen to the feedback.” – Nicki
“Set yourself up for success by setting aside those best hours, especially for a new client.” – Nicki
“For the companies that understand that messaging matters, they take it seriously.” – Nicki
“It all gets easier and smoother the more clients you start taking and the more that you build your experience and you build your career.” – Nicki
Mentioned in the Episode
- How To Set Up Your Schedule When Working from Home
- Ep. 56: What is a Copywriting Test and Should You Do One?
- How to Make Time for Freelance Work
Related Links
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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.
