Posted by: Clayton Makepeace
March 31, 2008
Issue #385

How to Attract Killer Clients Who Will Pay You The Money You Deserve

My Six-Step Campaign to Get Your Phone
Ringing Off the Hook with New Clients

Finding clients who'll pay you millions of dollars is NOT impossible.

You just …

1. Start with small fish …
2. Live like a pauper for years …
3. Write your butt off every day of your life …
4. Create a legendary winner or two.

Do these four things, and I guarantee great clients will pursue you, huge advances in hand.

… Eventually.

Or, you could do it the smart way …

New copywriters write me all the time, asking how to get a high-paying gig. A desperate few just want to know how to get any assignment.

Sometimes I have to resist the urge to leap through the computer screen at them. I want to grab 'em by the shoulders, shake 'em till their eyes rattle and shout, "Hey - wake up - you're one of the chosen few: You're a COPYWRITER!

"You've been blessed with the gift of persuasion: The single greatest super-power on the planet. Compared to you, Batman and Wonder Woman are wimps!

"You are a modern-day Obi-Wan, master of the Jedi Mind Trick.

"You are (tatataDAAA) PERSUASION PERSON!!!

"Mere mortals fall helpless, wallets in hand, before your considerable persuasive powers.

"Great clients are mere mortals, too … so go ahead - persuade them to hire you!"

YOU are the most exciting product
you will ever write for!

Throughout my 35-year career, I've been asked to write copy to sell investment conferences and water heaters … golf magazines and exotic pastries … investment diamonds and buttless pants … holy land tours and sex tapes … rare coins and junk furniture … tons of books and newsletters on finance, investing and health - and once, an entire company.

The single best product I ever promoted?

Clayton Friggin' Makepeace!

I don't have to do it these days, of course - my name and past successes are well-known and I turn down far more assignments than I could ever accept.

But there was a time when I was a virtual unknown, struggling to make ends meet. I had my chops, of course - I had written some strong promotions for small-ish clients on the West Coast - but I couldn't even get the big boys to answer the phone.

What did I do?

I sat down at my trusty old IBM Selectric typewriter (the state-of-the-art writing implement in 1979) and wrote a sales promotion - about myself!

I mentally put Clayton on the desk just as if he was any other product, and I pulled out all the stops.

Then, I used that copy in a 6-STEP CAMPAIGN designed to make all the best clients call me.

How'd it work? Like a charm. Within a week, my phone was ringing off the hook, and I was schmoozing with the big boys.

Within two weeks, the advances began rolling in.

And a few months later, a major mailer offered me a six figure retainer PLUS 5% of his gross sales, PLUS perks out the wazoo to take him on exclusively.

Attract The Clients Who'll Make You Rich!

I'm not THAT old.

I still remember the days when I was trying to break into this business, hungry to put everything I'd learned to work for a real client.

And I remember when I was a pretty successful "B" writer whose fondest dream was to fill my schedule with "A" clients.

Both times, I did the only thing that made sense to me. I mounted an intensive sales promotion for yours truly.

Here's how I did it and how you can do it too …

Step #1:
Pick your targets carefully

First, I created a mailing list of 400 prospective clients.

Since I was focusing on self-help publishers, I picked all the biggest companies - firms I already knew about - Phillips, KCI, Agora, Boardroom, The Ruff Times and others and used the Oxbridge Directory of Newsletters to select the rest.

Now with the advent of the Internet, this research is even easier …

If I knew the name of the person in the organization who hired writers, I included that in each address on my list. If I didn't, I called 100 organizations per week and said, "I need to send a letter to the person there responsible for creating your direct mail promotions. Could you please tell me who that is?"

Step #2:
Get their attention

I wrote a short, one-page personalized letter saying that next Tuesday, May 15, would be a Red Letter Day.

The FedEx guy was going to deliver a very important package to him/her - a package that would bring a big bump in sales and profits. And I asked my prospect to take a quick look at it, saying that it could be the most profitable few minutes he'd spent reading in years. (You may want to do this with an e-mail - it should work even better!)

Step #3:
Deliver the goods

I created a second, short letter to go out with my samples. I introduced myself, gave a short recitation of my accomplishments … said that in two weeks, I'd be filling my writing schedule for the second half of the year … that I had some intriguing ideas for boosting his revenues and response … and asked the prospect to take a look at the enclosed material and call me to discuss it.

I told him I'd be waiting for his call, otherwise, if hadn't heard from him by a certain date, I'd give him a ring.

Step #4:
Get your spiel down pat

I spent time thinking about exactly what I would say if anyone responded:

• I would answer the phone on the third ring - not too eager, not too lethargic.
• I would be polite, friendly, and excited that they had called. I would compliment him on the stuff I'd seen coming from his organization.
• I knew exactly what I would say if they asked, "How much do you charge?" (depends on the product and the promotion - we can discuss that later).
• I knew precisely what I wanted the next step to be - to schedule a call a few days later to discuss potential projects.
• And I knew that I'd ask the prospect to send me a "Care Package" - samples of his best promotions, premiums, issues of his newsletter, etc. - that I could study in the meantime.

Step #5:
Mail 100 introductory letters and
100 sample kits each week

Timing was crucial. I mailed 100 introductory letters each Monday, so my prospects would get them before the samples arrived.

And also on each Monday, I would overnight 100 sample kits so the prospects who'd received my Introductory Letter the week before would get my samples exactly when my Introductory Letter said they would - on Tuesday.

I waited by the phone: I didn't expect anyone to call. Surprisingly, a few did call.

Some politely told me they had all the writers they needed at the time. I'd say, "Cool! Maybe we'll have a chance to work together some other time."

Some said they liked what they saw and wanted to know more - in which case, I told them a little about myself, asked what they were looking for, requested the Care Package, and scheduled a call to discuss it all with them in a few days.

Step #6:
Make your follow-up calls RELIGIOUSLY

I set aside at least one full day each week to bang the phones, calling all the prospects who should have called me the week before, but didn't.

I started with the prospects I knew were the biggest mailers and worked my way down. If the person was unavailable, I left a voice message:

"Hey, Bob, it's Clayton Makepeace. I sent you some samples of my work last week and promised to give you a call about them. I've got some ideas to boost your response and can't wait to share them with you. Give me a call?" I left my number, and said I'd be in all afternoon.

If they answered, I said, "Hey, Bob, it's Clayton Makepeace. I sent you some samples of my work last week and promised to give you a call about them. Did you have time to take a look at them?" - and things progressed naturally from there.

Every penny I've earned since
can be traced to this simple campaign

Scrupulously following this plan filled my schedule with new clients. It also made my name a recognizable one at the companies I wanted to work for - a fact that paid dividends in later years.

Some of the companies that responded created key turning points in my career, enabling me to hit grand slams that made mine a "household name" in this industry and that earned me millions.

IMPORTANT …

1. Everything you write to sell yourself reflects upon your ability to sell the client's product. Take time to make sure each communication is also a sample of your copywriting skill. Pull out all the stops.
2. Never let them see you sweat. Coming off like you're desperate for work only makes you look … well desperate. Clients assume that if you were any good, you'd already be booked solid. So be ready with a reason why you have gaps in your schedule.

Maybe it's September, and you're making your reservations for the first six months of next year. Maybe you've seen the client's mail piece and are so convinced you can do better, you're willing to clear your busy schedule.

Whether you're just starting your career or already going great guns, you can earn more LOTS MORE than you do now!

Put my six-step campaign to work for you and you’ll be on your way to a six (even) seven figure income as a copywriter in no time.

Hope this helps …

Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often,

Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE™

Looking for resources related to this article? Try some of these.

Looking for more of Clayton's articles? Check these out.

Looking for past issues of The Total Package? Click here for our archives.

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8 Comments »

1. Comment by Dave Meholovitch — March 31, 2008 @ 1:35 pm

   Thanks Clayton. Very good advice. I spent 20 years in the broadcast business, radio. I learned to write sixty second copy. It toke me quite awhile to write my book. But I am glad I did. I enjoy your nononsense newsletters, always full of great stuff.

2. Comment by Carolyn Permentier — March 31, 2008 @ 2:18 pm

   Excellent.

   Just excellent advice for newbies and us
   oldies, alike!    

   You rock, Clayton!

   Carolyn
   The KickAss Copywriter

3. Comment by David Foley — March 31, 2008 @ 2:48 pm

   Clayton,

   Great content, as always.  And, the discussion forum adds even more value (not to mention more content that can fuel future e-mails).

   Now a question: Would Step # 2 really work better as an e-mail today?  With so many e-mails circulating in cyberspace and so much spam, isn’t it likely that an unknown address (which this would be, given that the relationship has barely begun) would be shuffled off to the spam folder.

   It seems to me that this step is too important to risk it.  As well, as a traditional letter, one has the opportunity to stand out on the desk – isn’t that why your EasyWriters Marketing Club comes in an oversize bright orange envelope … and to throw in a business card … and perhaps some other curiousity. 

   Just wondering. 

   Cheers! 

   David 

4. Comment by NancyR — March 31, 2008 @ 2:54 pm

   Clayto, Thank You, Thank You! I am almost to the point of fishing for clients, this is great advice! Thank You!
   Nancy R

5. Comment by David Foley — March 31, 2008 @ 3:05 pm

   Clayton,

   This really belongs in the "partnering" blog, but since it relates to prospecting, I thought I’d share this real, live, developing story.

   My wife and I are having a real customer-service problem with a fractional ownership resort where we happily spend a month each year.  We’ve been discussing the problem with our on-island representative by e-mail and recently she offered up a "solution".  While it’s not really a solution as far as my wife and I are concerned, it may be the only practical way to go.

   So, at 1:11PM today, I wrote an e-mail stating this.  And, I also proposed that the company might want to consider a special website…and, natch, I offered to write it with some of my fee paid on a performance basis.

   Now, since our rep copied both the resort manager and the COO of the whole shebang company in Mexico, I replied to everyone.

   At 3:40PM today, the COO replied (to everyone) expressing interest in my idea, saying he would be happy to consider my qualifications (YIKES!) and experience (DOUBLE YIKES!) and that "pay for performance was the best bet".

   Now, we are a long way from a deal, but at least I have the ears and eyes of the COO.  E-mail worked in this case, although I am certain because of our customer-service issue. 

   But, if I failed to make the website suggestion, it wouln’t be on the radar now. My lesson learned – a well-thought idea should always be presented.

   Cheers

   David

6. Comment by Harun Bahri — March 31, 2008 @ 3:29 pm

   Clayton, I remember this original post very well.

   If anyone is wondering whether or not this technique works … I’m living proof it does because I used a slight variation of this technique (I didn’t make phone calls) to land the only job I’d ever consider pushing my own businesses to the back-burner for…

   And that’s working for Clayton himself.
   So thanks for telling me how to get hired by you big guy!

7. Comment by Kristin Andrews — March 31, 2008 @ 4:51 pm

   Well Clayton, I’m one of those people you’re speaking to today.   I have only hooked small fish and needed to fill the rest of my plate with whatever work I could get.   But I DEFINITELY want to be a full time Copywriter!   

   I’ll get working on my ‘knock your socks off’ promotion and see if I can get bumped up out of the poverty level!   Here I go!!!

   Thanks Clayton!

   Kristin

8. Comment by Increase Sales Coach — April 5, 2008 @ 5:50 pm

   What you did would work for any service professional with a little adaptation.  You showed them what you could do first, suggested thoughtful recommendations leaving no doubt in their minds about there "reason why" for contacting you or taking your call.