Two new “advance notice” signups grabbed a couple spots in May’s Solo Copy Empire enrollment today, but they both had a special request that I had never heard before.
Both of them are married women, and they kindly and politely requested that we are never on solo, 1:1 calls together alone.
It was nothing personal.
Knowing human nature and the fact that I’m a dude on the internet that they have never met personally, they wanted a little bit of insurance against any temptations that might pop up.
I could be a weirdo who turns on his camera and isn’t wearing pants or something.
(I’m not, and never will be, THAT guy. Let’s just get that on the record here.)
I’m happy to oblige with their requests with zero judgment.
So they signed up.
I’m thrilled to have them, and happy to work however they’re going to be comfortable.
Their concerns are not unfounded
Zoom horror stories are all over the place. You don’t even have to look for them.
One pervert at CNN was busted just straight-up jerking off while on a call with his video on.
I know a goo-roo who helps everybody build personal brands (insert eye roll) and he openly admits that he shows up on 1:1 Zoom calls shirtless because “busting through assumptions and expectations” and whatever else to explain such weird and off-putting behavior.
So… even if I did take it personally that these ladies don’t trust me, it seriously has nothing to do with me or anything I’ve said or done.
People get burned by past experiences or are affected by what they observe.
It’s grounded in reality.
And just because I think they SHOULD trust me doesn’t mean they should. They have to, and that’s on me to make sure they have a path to do so.
This is why clients aren’t hiring you
When you struggle to sign up clients, you are tempted to fiddle with a bunch of knobs on your Client-Getting Machine that don’t actually do anything, like:
- Better writing samples
- More appealing offers
- More detailed personalization
These are all tactics. Sometimes they work. More often than not, they don’t.
That’s because none of them address the core reason why they’re not buying from you:
Clients don’t trust that you will give them what they want.
Here’s what they want:
- Copy that they don’t have to edit a whole lot.
- Copy delivered when they need it.
- A copywriter they don’t have to babysit.
- Someone they like working with.
Every piece of communication you have with a potential client needs to paint the picture that you’ll deliver a Client Experience that will blow all others away.
They’ll have more time and make more money.
Their concerns are not personal. They’ve just been burned repeatedly by writers in the past who were overpriced, didn’t deliver on time, or were giant headaches to work with.
I know because clients tell me all the time.
How I ensure a client trusts me
First, I have a conversation with my potential client. Always.
It might be email-only if they are really busy. Sometimes on Zoom. Whatever they prefer.
Next, I negotiate rates to be beneficial for everybody – enough to be worth my while, but not too much that they’ll resent paying me (contrast that with every goo-roo who says you need to price yourself at the top of the market for “credibility” or something).
Finally, in all correspondence, I respect their time and situation. I treat them as though they have better things to do than talk with a copywriter who wants work.
I’m to the point, I insert a little personality, and I stick to the conversation.
This strategy has not failed me in 16 years of being a freelance copywriter.
Awareness -> Trust -> Sales.
Those two ladies who are now in Solo Copy Empire? I’m going to 100% deliver on the trust that I’ve built with them.
On THEIR terms.
Because their trust is important to me… not just the SALE.
How can you build trust with your potential clients?