by Chip Tudor | Sep 30, 2009 | Blog
Customer service is important. And in a highly competitive environment characterized by a slow economy, it is paramount to survival. Customers know this and can abuse their power. Tell me what you think about this story:
I was writing website content for a customer. I had already significantly reduced my fee just to land the project and was near the end of it. Up to now, everything had gone fine and the customer was happy with my work. I had written copy about a particular service and the customer wanted to give it a greater presence by highlighting it in a separate page. She asked me to re-interview the subject matter expert in order to create more content for the new page. I did so and in a timely manner. Unfortunately, the subject matter expert did not provide much new information to work with so I had to rework the existing content and do my best to creatively expand the content in order to get a page worth of text.
I submitted it to the client for review and revision, but none came. I waited and followed up, and still, no response. I had finished everything else on the project and was only waiting for this final approval in order to close it out. I sent an e-mail asking if it would be okay to invoice, but still received no reply. I admit, I was growing frustrated. So I finally sent the invoice anyway. That may have been a mistake. Again, I waited and then sent another e-mail asking when I could expect payment. Nothing. So I finally re-sent the invoice, politely asked about payment and copied the e-mail to her boss. That probably was a mistake for sure. But it got a response.
She apologized for not getting back to me, citing vacation and other things that had put her behind. Then said her only issue with the copy I had created for the new page was that it was mostly copy and paste of existing content and did not have much new information. I was therefore to adjust my invoice accordingly and she would process payment.
Well, duh! I’m not Houdini. If my source doesn’t have anything new to add, it’s a bit hard to create copy from thin air. But I never had an opportunity to discuss any of that with her or address the content since she never responded. And what does “adjust my invoice accordingly” mean? I cut it to half of what we had agreed on for that page and re-sent it with an apology and an explanation that I had done the best I could with what I had to work with. I guess it was acceptable. I was paid promptly. Have a similar story or an opinion? Let’s hear it.
by Chip Tudor | Sep 6, 2009 | Blog
Writing comedy church skits was a fulfilling ministry for me. My professional work was freelance copywriting, but I also enjoyed writing skits for my local church in a volunteer capacity.
Writing comedy church skits
Many of the comedy church skits I’ve written were used as part of the church worship service to illustrate or support a particular theme or sermon. But there are also scripts for children’s church and youth events.
There are also several longer comedy dramas written for seasonal church services and events.
Are you looking for a humorous script for your church?
You can purchase the scripts from my website for a nominal, one-time fee.
About Chip Tudor:
by Chip Tudor | Mar 27, 2009 | Blog
As a freelance copywriter, the writing part of an assignment is only one aspect of your business. You also have to market yourself to land the job and collect payment when it’s complete. Attention to customer service is the glue that holds everything together and facilitates a smooth, trouble-free process. Here are 3 tips to make sure your customer service is exceptional.
Communicate clearly
Making assumptions is a recipe for disaster. It is probably the main cause of miscommunication and the subsequent problems between you and a client. You assume they know your price only includes 3 drafts. They assume your price includes as many drafts as needed to complete the job. If this is not communicated clearly in advance and a 4th draft is necessary, it presents an awkward moment.
Some writers use a contract. This is the ultimate method of communication and form of legal protection. It’s also an administrative headache that slows down the process. I’ve managed to survive without it. I do however, write a paragraph that outlines the scope of the project along with my quoted price and send it by e-mail before I begin. And I ask the client to respond back their acceptance. I keep both a printed hard copy and store the e-mail electronically.
Establish a deadline
Some clients already have a deadline in mind. Some don’t. But every freelance writer I know is used to working by deadlines. If your client doesn’t give you a deadline, set one yourself. It keeps you focused and productive. It suggests to the client that you take an industrious, business-like approach to your work. And it discourages you from indulging in other distractions that are not so productive like socializing on Facebook or over indulging in NCAA March madness basketball games.
Follow-up Promptly
Clients may set a deadline for you and then procrastinate themselves. You sacrifice sleep to make the deadline and then the copy ends up at the bottom of a pile on their desk. Irritating, I know, but it happens. So if I haven’t heard anything yet, I follow-up with a client after a few days by asking them for feedback on the copy I sent. If they are procrastinating, this prods them into action. But be gracious and understanding in how you communicate with them (even though you’re grinding your teeth). The more comfortable they feel with you, the more likely they are to offer more work. You can always drop them as a client later once you have others you like better.
When the job is complete and I’ve sent an invoice, I usually wait about 2 weeks and then ask about payment. Although 30 business days is standard, many clients will pay you sooner when you ask. And if not, the advanced notice encourages them to pay on time according to standard business practice. Consistent follow-up helps you keep the job moving (which you have to do to keep invoices moving) and clients often appreciate the fact that you help them stay on track too. By following up, you present yourself as a professional and demonstrate the fact that you care about completing an assignment to the customer’s satisfaction. And when you keep your end of the bargain, they are more likely to reciprocate.
ABOUT CHIP TUDOR
Chip Tudor is a freelance copywriter, published author, playwright and pastor. He publishes drama at www.chiptudor.com, books on Amazon.com, and articles on his blog.
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And I’ll send you my article: Exaggerate to Make Your Presentations Funny. You’ll learn how to punch up your presentations with humor.
by Chip Tudor | Mar 3, 2009 | Blog
Seo article writing–reaching the top search engine ranking is every marketer’s dream. But what’s the secret? And the answer is…it’s more of a grind. Here are some thoughts to help you in your effort.
Seo article writing–reaching the top search engine ranking. Getting started.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the internet buzz word of the day. It involves following certain practices in building websites and writing online articles that achieve the highest ranking in search engine results. In other words, when someone conducts a Google search and types in words related to your business or article, yours comes up on the first page. A daunting task when you consider there thousands of websites and articles competing for the top spot.
Is there any hope for you? Read on for the answer.
Seo article writing–reaching the top search engine ranking. Understanding the basics
Experts talk about two sides to search engine optimization. The first is technical. It involves algorithms, Meta tags and other back-end IT programming features that make your website friendly to search engines spiders. If you have a Word Press site, there’s a template you can follow that performs many of these program functions for you.
And the other side has to do with content writing. The goal here is to position certain keywords related to your business within your written content. And as you write, you intentionally include the keywords throughout the article.
Leverage online article directories to improve your results
Online article directories have already gained favorable traction with search engines. And you can gain high rankings by simply posting articles on them.
I wrote an seo article titled: Comedy copywriting—funny or not here I come and submitted it to several online article directories. My bio and website link appear at the bottom of the article so that a reader can follow it back to my site. The article must pass an editorial review before it’s listed on the directory. But a few days later I was notified by one directory that the article was online. And a few days later it appeared on a second directory.
But the real test was how well the article ranked on the search engines.
I typed the words “copywriter, humor” in a Google search. My article came up as #15 on page 2. Not bad. But when I searched for “copywriter, comedy” my jaw nearly hit the floor. The article was #1! I could hardly believe it. I kept repeating the search with the same results.
Therefore, you don’t have to be an IT program wizard or spend thousands of dollars to gain seo ranking success. Persistent, consistent effort following proven strategies can get you there.
ABOUT CHIP TUDOR
Chip Tudor is a freelance copywriter, published author, playwright and pastor. He publishes drama at www.chiptudor.com, books on Amazon.com, and articles on his blog.
by Chip Tudor | Feb 13, 2009 | Blog
In marketing my freelance copywriting business, I communicate regularly with clients and potential clients through various professional online networks, social media channels and e-mail. I’d rather meet with people over a cup of coffee. It would be much less complicated. Because it’s easy to misconstrue a text message. So I’m careful about how and what I write.
Most people I encounter respond in a professional manner. Some lean towards brusque and others friendly and personal. But there are always a few that respond in a vulgar, personal attack.
I just don’t get it.
What possible benefit do you gain by directing profane language towards another person who is merely trying to make an honest living? Maybe some perverted sense of superiority? Those of you schooled in psychoanalysis can play around with that idea. Although my immediate reaction is to angrily lash back, I know this is pointless. Whatever drives someone like that is deeper and darker than what any response I make will cure.
Those schooled in psychoanalysis are nodding their heads.
Instead, I ignore the vulgar, profane response and move on. Maybe I should be grateful. Would I really want to work with someone like that? Uh…no. And since they never sign their name, I take comfort in knowing they are cowards that hide behind anonymity. Their vulgar profanity, however, still stings. Words do that despite the old saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”
Therefore, I resolve to communicate in a forthright manner and to be as human and friendly as possible. Even offer words of encouragement. Times are discouraging enough. And we could all use a good word. Might as well start with me.
ABOUT CHIP TUDOR
Chip Tudor is a freelance copywriter, published author, playwright and pastor. He publishes drama at www.chiptudor.com, books on Amazon.com, and articles on his blog.
Join My E-mail List
And I’ll send you my article: Exaggerate to Make Your Presentations Funny. You’ll learn how to punch up your presentations with humor.
