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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[03:15] If you’ve got a client who maybe doesn’t understand their target audience, as in they think they know their target audience, but they don’t understand their motivations, how do you deal with that?

[04:05] It’s about being as tactful as you possibly can as you guide your client and really make suggestions. It could be something you lead for them and all it takes is asking questions.

[05:44] Testing is always a great way to say, “Hey, I see where you’re coming from, but I think it’d be really great to test this because this could really change the direction and we could get more hard and fast data to make these decisions.”

[06:20] The fundamentals of copywriting: don’t forget to mention the benefit. If we really lean into this audience and understand what they’re thinking, that’s only going to lead to more sales in the long run.

[06:47] You need to do market research with the client. You need to have the client on board with that—and don’t want to spend your time doing it if they’re not onboard.

[09:09] Clients are humans and sometimes they have to learn hard lessons and they have to learn those hard lessons the hard way. Definitely guide and make suggestions, but at the end of the day, it’s their final decision.

[09:44] If you follow up a month after a project and, if the results aren’t what they wanted, it’s a perfect time to re-pitch them. It’s a great way to continue working with them.

[11:53]  With websites, you can do small tests so it’s less dramatic. For example, “what if we test this headline versus this headline?” After that, maybe we’re testing the call to action copy. Test piece by piece so you can really tell which things are influencing the actions people are taking on the page.

[13:06] Microsoft has a tool Clarity where you can enter whatever URL you want to look at, and it shows a heat map. This can show you what people are and aren’t spending time reading or otherwise looking at when looking at a page.

[13:40] You can just start to have some information and data that you can recommend very pinpointed tests that might move things in the right direction.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“When’s the last time we had the opportunity to get on the call with some of our clients and really hear what they have to say.” -Nicki

“Asking questions about what they want, what they need, what they fear, what’s gotten their way, what’s been frustrating, what would life look like if everything were fixed in whatever this arena is. But certainly if you see an opportunity, don’t hesitate to say something.” – Nicki

“When in doubt, suggest testing, depending what copy you’re writing. ” – Kate

“If you wanna do market research, I would absolutely do it with the client’s buy-in because you’re gonna wanna talk to people who have purchased from the client. You’re gonna wanna talk to people who have opted not to purchase from the client.”

“People who are aware of the client but haven’t even yet had the opportunity to purchase from the client, that can be a little bit trickier. ” – Nicki

” At the end of the day, I think you’re putting your best foot forward, right? You’re kind of trying to gently nudge them in the right direction if they ultimately are like, we don’t wanna go in that direction.”

“You can bring it up again certainly as new projects come up and what not and still continue to try to kind of fight the good fight, but at the end of the day, clients are gonna do what they wanna do.” – Kate

Mentioned on This Episode

• What’s a Copy Test?
• Ep. 56: What is a Copywriting Test and Should You Do One?

Related Links

• Why You Need to A/B Testing
• The Most Important Piece of Email Copy
• Top 3 Biggest Email Mistakes Copywriters Make

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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

The post Episode BONUS – Laser Coaching: How to (Respectfully) Disagree with a Copywriting Client appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[03:11]  You have to like writing, because lemme tell you, there’s a lot of writing in a copywriting career. It’s not all writing, there’s a lot of editing as well, a lot of thinking and brainstorming.

[09:34] Being willing to roll with things, being open to other points of view, as a copywriter you’ll come in and you’ll make recommendations.

[10:18]  The more you’re able to be flexible in dealing with people and how you deal with people, the more success you will have.

[13:00] I would imagine if you’re not hustling, there’s someone else that is more than willing to hustle and do the work. You have to get the job done no matter what. You cannot miss a deadline.

[22:15] Clients don’t automatically know how to evaluate copy. They don’t know how you as a copywriter know that you have structured things in a certain way to affect the target audience in a certain way.

[30:07] The concept of patience and persistence. It’s gonna be rare that you get your first draft and it’s perfect. Even just as you’re writing, it’s gonna take some time to come up with the right words and there is a lot of editing involved in copywriting.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“In order to be a copywriter, you need to get the training to add on to that natural ability to write because there are techniques and skills that you will add on to that natural ability. But that natural affinity for writing is a really important place to start” – Nicki

“My next favorite trait is resilience. Because you might love to write, you might then love some of what you’re writing. When you are facing that feedback that feels like it could be personal or it was just not. But you have that kind of ability to say, it’s gonna improve me as a writer, and it’s gonna improve the final product.” – Kate

“You’re the copywriting expert in the room, but you’re not the copywriting expert in the world. So there’s an element of needing to own the fact that you know what you’re doing and you have a lot of value to provide, but at the same time, being open to the fact that you don’t know everything.” – Nicki

” When you’re sitting down with a group of people in the office. You are all working together. You are collaborating to create the best piece possible. It’s at least 50% editing. You write your copy, you look at it from your target audience viewpoint, and you make your change, you make your tweaks. It’s not an instant process.” – Nicki

Mentioned on this Episode

• 11 Traits of the Most Successful Copywriters

Related Links

• What Does it Take to Become a Copywriter?
• Confused About Where to Start Your Copywriting Career? This One’s For You

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

Previous Episode

The post Summer Rewind: Ep 15. Traits of the Most Successful Copywriters appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[03:45] All of a sudden something sparked and I was like ‘I love this! This is so fun!’ and it was an amazing experience to come from something you love and then feeling heartbroken and then finding something that fit the lifestyle that I needed and be fulfilling and earn great money and have flexibility so yeah I don’t regret it, I loved every minute and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[05:45] When I finished the program, I got my first job and the first job paid off the whole class and I was like oh okay there is actual work out here so I started doing the things, started pitching people and literally had the income that I wanted in the first month or two.

[06:09] The most shocking thing for me was how much work there was out there. There is a lot of work out there and so I had more work than I actually wanted or could do.

[9:08] It was really just about pitching and being brave enough to do that. And I feel like I’ve learned so much and even though this was kind of a stepping stone for me and it’s a side hustle that I’m doing, it translates to so many things and it bettered my career, it just enriched the career that I have now.

[14:10] I think it’s so easy for us to forget to re-pitch our current or past clients when it really is the easiest. People who already love you, who already love what you do and know that you do a fantastic job. It was just about networking. And then once I got my pool of clients and I kept just re-pitching them and it just got way easier.

[17:15]  I made the timeline, I literally had a calendar out where I said I’m gonna do this unit and this unit on this day. And then, I scheduled the breaks in there ’cause I am kind of an all or nothing person. And actually after the first couple units, it’s not as intimidating.

[20:03] The more you write you get better at it. Whether you’re starting from ground zero or you’ve been doing it for many years, we’re all still learning. We’re all trying to get better and everything else. I can appreciate somebody else’s copy just as much now as I did back then.

[21:49] If you’re on the fence or if you’re struggling or if you’re even in a slump of where you feel you can’t get through the course or you don’t have enough work, I would tell you there’s just no substitute for hustle. You go out there and you hustle until you kind of get a breakthrough. And that’s what I would tell them. But, get the course.

Must-Hear Takeaways

 “So because I have repeat customers, it’s a lot easier. So that way, I know hey I’ve got a day here that I’m slow and I could do some copy work then I would go and pitch those people and be like ‘hey I’ve got some time’ and I think getting those repeat customers is really important when you’re trying to balance both because then you’re not out trying to fish for the work and you just know you have your pool of people that you can pitch over and over again so that helps with the balancing and then sometimes they call me like ‘hey I’ve got work, can you do this?’ And then it’s neat where I can say yes or no where I have time or I don’t.” Audrey

“And like I said, I had way more work than I even wanted to which blew my mind. I was like this could be a full time gig, I could hire an assistant. There is definitely work out there so I would say if you’re on the fence just go ahead and do it. Because literally it was the first job I got paid off the course. And there’s very few things I feel like in life where you take a plunge and it pays off with so much and it was so worth it for me. I’ve never had something pay off that quickly.” Audrey

“I felt very prepared after the course too. I just did the program, I did the thing exactly the way you said and it prepared me perfectly. It was great. Actually, now you’re the benchmark for any other class I take.” Audrey

“The community is great. I couldn’t have done it without the community. It’s fun. You get to know people on the Facebook group and it’s always fun to see other people’s progress and their wins and their success stories and I would dive into that.” Audrey

Mentioned on This Episode

• Ep. 5: Why Choosing a Copywriting Niche is Terrible Advice
• Ep. 84: When to Break the Copywriting Niche Rule

Related Links

• Too Afraid to Pitch? Business Owners WANT Your Copywriting Pitches
• The Simplest Way to Start Finding Copywriting Clients
• Find Copywriting Clients by Networking in the Right Places
• Land Copywriting Clients With These 35 Tips
• The Three Steps to Career Change
• Value-Based Pitches, English-Language Nuances, and About Pages

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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

The post Episode 192 : This Part-Time Copywriter is Too Busy to Have a Portfolio – Audrey’s Story appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

TUNE IN: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!

A Sneak Peek at the Episode

[03:30] It’s really important for people to remember that as much as you may love your full-time job, or as much as you may feel comfortable there, or you may have put in many years there, you may be very loyal to the company. When a company exists, its primary purpose is to continue to exist. And if things get crazy, companies are made up of people, of course, but a company as a physical entity, if they can’t continue to prosper and thrive, then everybody loses their jobs.

[08:50] We teach this in the academy is constantly pitching. There’s more likelihood that more things are coming. And so you have this consistent process. When you’re freelance, really taking those actions is what’s gonna help you get over that feeling of not feeling safe. That’s what’s gonna create your safety.

[10:09] If you want to be a professional freelancer and you wanna be successful at it, you need a system.

[10:37] If you’re busy, then maybe scale back the pitching that you’re doing.

[12:42] I’m gonna get an annual pay bump to cover for inflation, or I’m gonna get an annual raise, quite frankly, which isn’t necessarily a guarantee versus when you’re setting your own rates and you can bump up your work, you do have that control.

Must-Hear Takeaways

“There you offer yourself benefits. I think that’s a great point that don’t go into freelancing without having a plan for it and without having a plan for everything and without educating yourself.

 But at the same time, don’t discount the idea of freelancing without understanding it and without understanding how plenty of people are doing it effectively. And they don’t worry about dry spells or they don’t worry about paying for insurance that they don’t, it’s perfectly a successful way to exist and to earn a living.” – Nicki

“Well, if you have a full-time copy earning job, you can still take freelance clients, but it doesn’t have to be like a full side hustle. You can take a client every once in a while. 

But the nice thing about having a little bit of freelancing is that you can scale it up if things go south at the company, but you can also scale it up if you wanna get out of that company.” – Nicki

“So it’s this idea of reframing, instead of having your eggs in one basket and an employer, you are spreading it among all of your different clients. And if one of those clients doesn’t wanna work with you again, or it’s a one-off project, you still have all of these other balls in play versus if you lose your full-time job, you go from all of the income to none of it very quickly versus even if I lost  a really big client of mine, I would still have a very good income.” – Kate

Mentioned on this Episode

• The Illusion of Safety: Freelance vs. Full-Time Copywriting

Related Links

• Listen: Why Freelancing in a Recession is Wildly Effective
• The New Truth of Today’s Working World
• How to Avoid a Work Dry Spell
• Is It Better to Be an On-Staff Copywriter or a Freelance Copywriter?

Tell us what you love about the podcast and what you hope to hear next! When you do, you can get access to an exclusive bonus recording featuring five wildly successful entrepreneurs who share what they do (and don’t!) look for when hiring copywriters. You do not want to miss it! 

Get all the details on how to get your recording here »

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.

Previous Episode

The post Summer Rewind: Ep. 23 Freelance vs. Full-Time Copywriting (a.k.a. the Illusion of Safety Episode) appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

Courtney, a mom, copywriter, and Comprehensive Copywriting Academy student, was working seven days a week at one point to make ends meet. Shifting into copywriting has allowed Courtney not only to make nearly five figures each month but to focus on what matters most: her family.

As Courtney said in this conversation, “I really adopted this mindset of ‘If they can do it, I can do it.’ I would go through the Facebook group and look for people’s testimonials and their stories of success and things that the’ve done. I’m like, ‘Okay. I can do it! If they can do it, I can do it! I adopted that mantra wholeheartedly and it really has paid off.”

If copywriting is something you want to do, you CAN do it, too. There’s more than enough work to go around.

Either you start taking small actions today and a year from now you’re that much closer (or potentially already surpassing!) your goal. Or you’ve just spent another year wondering where you could take your life.

Isn’t it time to make a change and take control of your life?

Haven’t started with the free training yet? Check it out.

Check out more videos from moms!

• Raising a Family and Building a Copywriting Business—Peta’s Story
• Building a Copywriting Business as a Mom with Kate K., Dorothy & Jen
• From Financial Professional to Copywriter—Chaundell’s Story

Check out more student videos!

• This American Living in Cyprus Tells Us How She Makes 6 Figures as a Copywriter
• Her Goal Was to Replace Her Teaching Income in 5 Months. She Did it in 6 Weeks.
• See what more students have to say about the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy
• Watch the CCA Student Stories playlist on YouTube

The post Copywriting Lets This Mom Live Life on Her Own Terms appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

Rules can often feel constricting, but when it comes to our businesses, that’s what helps us stay on track. They’re what we need when we’re wearing our CEO hats. So, today, we’re going to come up with your copywriting business rules so you can make decisions faster (and that are in line with how you want to run your business).

You can also think of copywriting business rules as boundaries.

The idea is to come up with your boundaries now and then, as situations arise where you need to enforce them, you can follow your plan versus wasting time trying to make a decision.

Here are three rules you need to create today if you don’t have them already.

1. Have a “No Lower Than” Number

You likely have your copywriting rates in mind or at least know you need to come up with your pricing. (Comprehensive Copywriting Academy students, you have an entire course on how to price your copywriting services in the CCA!)

But what a lot of copywriters don’t have is a “no lower than” number.

This number is the number that you will not do work for less than. As in, “My regular rate is $75/hour. But if I really want the work to build my portfolio or believe in the company’s cause, I’m willing to work for $60/hour, but no lower.”

You, of course, have your price in mind and price your project based on your regular rates. This “no lower than” number is for when a client comes back and says, “That’s not in our budget, but we can do $X.”

This number is what makes it easy to say “no” and walk away from a client when they can’t meet your rates. You need to set this now—before you’re in a situation where a client can’t meet your rate.

Your “no lower than” number may also simply be your full rate! That’s fine, too. As long as you know when you’re going to say “no.”

Too often, copywriters don’t have this number in mind. And this isn’t just new copywriters! Even pros—particularly ones who are used to thrilling prospective clients—can have a hard time turning down work.

But, while we all know there are plenty of other clients willing to pay our rates, the act of saying “no” is hard. This number makes it easier for you to have your line in the sand.

So, what’s your “no lower than” number?

2. Set Rules for Your OOO Time

This is really several rules within one rule. When it comes to copywriting, we didn’t get into it to work 80 hours a week, seven days a week with minimal vacation time.

So, you need to set your OOO boundaries. These may include rules like:

• I do not check email over the weekend. (Remove work email from your phone if it’s easier for you to enforce this!)
• I take a minimum of four weeks of vacation each year. (Block those weeks at the beginning of the year so you don’t forget! Even if you have to shift them a bit, they’re a nice reminder as you’re booking out work that certain weeks are off-limits.)
• I do not work Fridays after 2 p.m.
• I use Monday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. to focus on building my own business—not client work.
• I only take meetings Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• I take all federal holidays. (It’s important to know that some of your clients may work holidays that you plan to take off, such as Veterans Day in the U.S. But that doesn’t mean you need to work on them.)

If you set, and enforce, your own boundaries, your clients will respect them. If you don’t, clients will push for more. And more. Not because they’re bad people, but because you’re responding to them on the weekend or you’re saying “yes” to anything they ask. They don’t know that you may be jumping through hoops to accommodate them!

Also, your clients don’t need to know about your rules. For example, if a client asks, can you jump on a call this Wednesday at 1 p.m.? You may simply write back, “That time doesn’t work for me, but I can do any time on Tuesday or Thursday from 11 to 3.”

3. Have a Plan to Celebrate Your Wins

All too often, we set goals, we meet those goals, and then we continue to move the goalposts so we never stop to celebrate the wins.

Just as we didn’t get into copywriting to write 80 hours/week, we didn’t get into copywriting to not stop and enjoy our lives. In fact, stopping to enjoy life is the exact reason many of us became copywriters!

Here are just a few examples of copywriting business rules you might create to celebrate wins:

• When I land a new client, I will treat myself to a dinner out.
• When I hit my income goal for the month, I will stop taking on new projects that month and begin booking out the following month.
• When I hit $X (insert your income goal!), I’ll plan my next vacation.
• When I get great feedback from a client, I’ll take a moment to go grab a coffee and take a break from my work to celebrate a job well done.

These are just a few examples. Come up with rules that fit with your goals and your preferred ways of celebrating!

Once you have your rules in place, pin them to your desktop, print them out and put them on the wall in front of you, or otherwise have them readily accessible.

You want to remind yourself to enforce your own rules (and keep them simple enough that you can easily do so).

And these rules, unlike others, are not made to be broken. Of course, if a client needs to meet at a certain time outside your normal availability and it’s a one-time thing, great. But be very careful that it doesn’t turn into a habit of letting your rules slide.

Keep them in place, and you’ll be a much happier copywriter and business owner!

Your Turn!

What are your copywriting business rules that help you keep your business (and sanity) on track? Tell us in the comments below!

The post What Are Your Copywriting Business Rules? appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

As a Comprehensive Copywriting Academy student, Mike knew he had a lot to offer prospective clients and didn’t let his years of experience get in the way of applying for senior copywriting roles that interested him. And, spoiler: He landed one of those roles! You’re going to want to hear all the super valuable advice he has to offer about finding and landing copywriting jobs!

Note: Due to technical difficulties, this episode of the podcast is audio-only.

As a reminder, Mike isn’t an outlier. He took the steps he needed to take to get copywriting training and then find and land clients. And he started with the same free training that all 10,000+ of our students have started with!

Haven’t started with the free training yet? Check it out.

Check out more student stories!

• 1 Year to a Senior Copywriter Promotion – Kelsey’s Story
• This American Living in Cyprus Tells Us How She Makes 6 Figures as a Copywriter
• Her Goal Was to Replace Her Teaching Income in 5 Months. She Did it in 6 Weeks.
• See what more students have to say about the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy
• Watch the CCA Student Stories playlist on YouTube

The post This Brand-New Copywriter Landed a Senior Copywriting Role appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

Often, we’re faced with several open doors…but we self-sabotage and get in our own way. When we have an an opportunity (or several opportunities!), it’s all too easy to not take action toward it, whether because we don’t know how, we’re fearful of doing so or some combination of the two.

Whatever the reason, it’s easy for us to spiral into negative thinking. We start to believe our thoughts—even if they’re not based in any fact—and it can derail us from achieving success (not to mention derail us from other non-copywriting goals like building meaningful relationships).

Our Book Pick

If you’re looking for not only ways you can shift these thoughts and behaviors but also how to make those mindset and behavior changes stick, then you’re going to love this book pick: Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior by Mark Goulston and Philip Goldberg.

The book explains why we self-sabotage ourselves in the first place before going over easy-to-implement steps that allow you to transform forty (yes, 40!) self-defeating behaviors. It turns out, we’re really good at getting in our own way!

While there are dozens of behaviors, several—procrastination, anger, self-pity, quitting too soon, and inaction—are common behaviors that rear their head when we try to learn something new as adults.

Goulston, who has 20 years of psychiatric clinical practice, shares tactics that have helped his patients overcome pain, fear, and confusion.

What You’ll Learn

The book may not reveal any new surprises, but it will likely provide you a new take and ways to approach these self-sabotaging behaviors. At the very least, it will remind you not to beat yourself up when you catch yourself doing these behaviors, but rather remind you that you have the power to adjust your mindset and your response.

Each of the 40 behaviors is discussed in only a couple of pages, making it less overwhelming to read, as you can pinpoint behaviors you know you need to fix first. But the others are worth reading as you may not even realize some of the ways you’re getting in your own way!

Each behavior includes anecdotes that help bring them to life (and make the content relatable).

So, ready to turn those negative voices in your head off? (Or at least lower their volume?) Let’s do this.

More Books for Copywriters

• Books Every Copywriter Must Read
• More Books Every Copywriter Should Read
• Books Copywriters Will Enjoy
• Books by Copywriters
• Business Books for Copywriters

Books for Copywriters to Improve Skills

• Learning to Effectively Communicate as a Copywriter
• Find Your Why
• Amp Up Your Persistence
• How To Collaborate More Effectively
• Job-Seeker Advice
• Break Through Self-Imposed Roadblocks to Realize Your Full Potential
• Stay Focused Year-Round

Your Turn

What’s your #1 self sabotaging behavior you want to work on and what’s your plan to work on it? Share in the comments below!

*P.S. This page contains affiliate links.

The post Book Pick: How to Get Out of Your Own Way and Achieve Copywriting Success appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

As copywriters, we do a lot of work on our own. After all, the actual writing of copy is a fairly solitary job. But often, we need to collaborate. With designers, yes, but also with project managers, marketing managers, and other key stakeholders within an organization.

The Importance of Collaboration

This is true whether you work in an ad agency or on an in-house team. Even as a freelancer, you may not consider the people you work with your “colleagues” in the traditional sense, but while you’re working for a given client, their team becomes your colleagues.

Now, this may sound obvious, but it’s crucial to act professionally as a freelancer. You’d be shocked by how many freelancers, copywriters or otherwise, don’t. Those are the folks that churn through clients, never landing a repeat project and consistently wondering what they’re doing wrong. But it’s not hard to stand out and ensure you’re providing the professional service your clients expect.

That’s where Tell Me More: How to Ask the Right Questions and Get the Most Out of Your Employees by Michael Sherlock comes in.

Our Book Pick

Another book for your copywriting toolbox, Tell Me More helps you change the way you approach collboration.

Sherlock is a sales communications strategist and global sales leadership expert. In this book (the first in her Shock Your Potential series), she takes you through her “Listen, Learn, and Lead” framework.

First, you’ll learn to embrace active listening. Then, using the information gained during this active listening, you’ll learn how to unpack any issue, as well as how to follow up and follow through.

Tell Me More is unique in that, unlike other leadership books, this one is told through the eyes of a fictional character. The story makes it easier to process concepts versus reading dry “how-to” instructions that make it hard to understand how they work in action. With this book, you’re taken through a real scenario to see how it all works.

While it’s aimed at those who have direct reports, the information in the book is still applicable to copywriters in any situation:

• Developing positive relationships? Check.
• Turning negative situations into positive with honest and direct communication? Check.
• Developing leadership qualities like humility, fairness, and empathy? Check, check, check!

Developing strong partnerships with designers from the first conversation is crucial. You want to have a partnership that ensures you can work together towards a common goal versus letting small annoyances start to fester.

These skills can also improve your relationships with clients. Comprehensive Copywriting Academy students know, clients want to work with a partner. Rather than sit back and wait for clients to just hand you work, how can you help them reach their goals? What solutions do you see that would make their lives (and by extension yours) easier?

This is a must read if you have your sights set on a copy manager or lead copywriter role within an organization, or if you plan to take your business to the next level by starting an agency or outsourcing work (such as hiring a virtual assistant).

Bonus: Listen to Michael’s Podcast

If you’re a podcast fan (and we hope you are; take a listen to the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast), then you may love Michael Sherlock’s Shock Your Potential podcast. Each month has a theme and includes episodes that will help you grow both personally and professionally. Take a listen wherever you listen to your podcasts!

More Books for Copywriters

• Books Every Copywriter Must Read
• More Books Every Copywriter Should Read
• Books Copywriters Will Enjoy
• Books by Copywriters
• Business Books for Copywriters

Books for Copywriters to Improve Skills

• Find Your Why
• Amp Up Your Persistence
• How To Collaborate More Effectively
• Job-Seeker Advice
• Break Through Self-Imposed Roadblocks to Realize Your Full Potential
• Shift Negative Mindset
• Stay Focused Year-Round

Your Turn

What are your tips for collaborating more effectively and building strong relationships with your colleagues and clients? Tell us in the comments below!

*P.S. This page contains affiliate links.

The post Book Pick: How Copywriters Can Collaborate More Effectively appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.

By Kate Kosydar

In my copywriting career, I have a few challenges you may be able to relate to. I have a busy family (four kids!), a spouse who travels for work (gone for two overnights as I write this!), and an anxiety disorder (always unpredictable!). In short, I often feel overwhelmed and undermotivated. And yet, I have to be productive when I’m unmotivated or else I won’t have a thriving career.

Even though I use block scheduling in my business, some days it’s really hard for me to stick to my routine, particularly when working from home. Any number of factors might disrupt my carefully crafted work plan:

• Low energy because I slept poorly
• A sick kid home from school (or worse, home for days because their whole class is quarantined)
• A project is taking longer than I expected because of unrelated stressors

No matter what *your* specific challenges are, I know we all struggle with motivation and productivity sometimes. And there are VERY few acceptable excuses for missing deadlines. So, instead of spinning your wheels, consider setting a Pomodoro timer.

Bursts and Breaks to Help You Get Stuff Done

In essence, the Pomodoro Technique gives you the mental space to truly focus on the task at hand. You can use time to your advantage (instead of fighting against it) by setting a timer and committing to working distraction-free for that period.

And then you give your brain a short break before asking it to focus once more on the task at hand.

Generally speaking, the experts recommend working for 25 minutes, then taking a 3-minute break (that’s considered one session). Often, people find it useful to cycle through four Pomodoro sessions before taking a longer break.

The beauty of this method is that I can tailor it to my precise situation any time I need to be productive when I’m unmotivated. This is how I typically decide how to structure my focus sessions:

1. Calculate how many hours (or minutes!) I have to work.
2. Create my to-do list for that time frame.
3. Set my timer.
4. Get to work!

If I’m running really short on time, I sometimes choose a 15-minute focus session. Or if I pick up steam during a focus session, I might blow right through my break time. There are guidelines and recommendations, but ultimately it’s your business and you get to decide how to use your time.

But What Makes This Method Different Than Other Hacks?

As I mentioned before, the unpredictability of my life, energy level, and mental health means I have to develop a generous balance between discipline and flexibility. For me, block scheduling is too rigid and doesn’t always give me the grace I need. And of course, you’d find me reading novels on the couch every day if I decided what to work on based on what I “felt like” doing.

Pomodoro sessions give me firm boundaries to help me stay productive when I’m unmotivated. And at the same time, they allow me to define “productive” in a way that fits my day/energy/anxiety level.

Secondly, a focus session is long enough to make substantial progress *without* making the whole day feel like an interminable chore. (Do you know that feeling?)

And yes, sometimes I spend an entire focus period staring at a blinking cursor and/or whining about how much work I have to do. But I *never* spend my focus time doing any of the following:

• Scrolling social media
• Checking/refreshing my email inbox
• Playing Wordle
• Doing laundry/washing dishes/cleaning the litter boxes
• Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera…

Then when break time starts, I have a few things I know I can fit into those 3- to 5-minute blocks:

• Reading a few pages of a book
• Checking my notifications
• Meditating
• Taking a short walk in the sun
• Closing my eyes and thinking about how much I don’t want to start working again, but feeling grateful that at least I don’t have to work right this minute

(Some days are better than others, okay? You get me.)

The point is, the Pomodoro method means I don’t have to power through six hours of work at one time. I just have to do a 25-minute stint. And on the flip side, I don’t have to berate myself for literally getting nothing done all day. I can get a few focus sessions in so I’m taking care of my clients, while I’m also taking care of all the other people who need me (including myself).

What Tools Help Me Stay Productive When I’m Unmotivated?

I haven’t spent a dime on implementing the Pomodoro Technique in my life. However, it’s only fair to point out that the inventor of the Technique, Francesco Cirillo, wrote a book (The Pomodoro Technique: Do More and Have Fun with Time Management) and has Pomodoro trainings available.

If you want to dip your toe into the waters without investing money, here are some free Pomodoro tools you can explore in your business:

• A notebook + writing utensil + timer. This low-tech tool lets you track your to-do list and focus sessions anytime, anywhere! (Here are some other tool recommendations.)
• Pomofocus.io. This web app allows you to record your to-do list and will automatically track your focus sessions and breaks for you.
• When I updated my Windows recently, I realized the clock app has a focus timer included. I use this app when I have a random amount of time to work (rather than a 25-minute block). It automatically and evenly spaces my focus sessions based on the number of minutes I have available (which, honestly, varies daily).
• And of course, the App Store and Google Play have a kajillion options for you to choose from. You can download any one of these on your mobile device to up your productivity game.

Personally, I love how accessible Pomodoro is. I still have to put in the effort, but ultimately I’ve found that I’m able to produce exceptional copy that gets results for my clients—even when my day is not going according to plan.

Your Turn

What helps you stay productive when life happens? Will you test out the Pomodoro method? Let us know in the comments below!

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

About the Author

Kate Kosydar is a Comprehensive Copywriting Academy student, member of CCA Next Level, and a copywriting dynamo.

Hear her full journey to copywriting on the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast here.

You can see her copywriting portfolio (and hire her for your copywriting projects!) at KateKosydar.com.

The post Staying Productive When I’m Unmotivated: Pomodoro Technique appeared first on Filthy Rich Writer.