How NOT to Land Copywriting Clients ?? 3 Mistakes to Avoid

Want to know how NOT to land copywriting clients? Yeah … me neither. I think we'd all much rather just focus on what TO do to land clients instead, and chances are you've already heard a whole lot of this:

• "You need a website."
• "You need a portfolio."
• "You need an email outreach script."
• "You need a profile on Upwork or Fiverr."

Don't get me wrong. All of those things can be effective ways to land clients. But there's something else freelance copywriters need to be aware of too. What NOT to do.?

The truth is, you could be checking all the boxes and doing all of the things on the DO side of the list and still be making mistakes that could cost you clients.

In this article, I'm going to reveal three mistakes that can trip you up and cost you copywriting projects. Keep ready to learn how NOT to land copywriting clients.

Why the NOT is Important

The other day I was cleaning my house, and it was time for me to dust. I know, I know. How fun, right? But fun or not fun, it had to be done, so I grabbed my microfiber dust cloth and went to work.

Now, I did EVERYTHING right. I emptied shelves, swiped down all the surfaces, dusted picture frames, and shook the dust cloth often. Yet the next day when I was walking past the desk in my office, something caught my eye.

There was a fine layer of dust already collecting. Oh, the frustration! Couldn't it even last ONE day? It looked like I hadn’t even dusted!

There's nothing more frustrating than feeling like you spent time and energy on something for no reason. ESPECIALLY when you did everything RIGHT!

Then I realized what the problem was. I had forgotten to pay attention to the things I SHOULDN’T do after dusting. Like leave the windows open and let the Iowa dirt and dust blow back in.

The same thing can happen if you don't pay attention to the most common mistakes freelance copywriters make when it comes to doing discovery calls and landing clients.

Three main mistakes can plague freelance copywriters and keep them from getting more YESES from prospective clients. One BEFORE, one DURING, and one AFTER the discovery call. Grab a notebook and pen – you’re going to want to write these down!?

Mistake #1: Not researching the client before the call.

The discovery call is booked. You added it to your calendar and you even set a reminder so there’s no way you’ll be late. Sure enough, when the day rolls around, you’re right on time.

That’s great, but it’s not enough to just make sure that you're in the right place and the right time for the call. If you didn't research the prospective client before hopping on the call, you just committed mistake number one before the call even started.

Look, prospective clients are BUSY. They don't want to spend half the discovery call introducing themselves and going over basics that you could have learned by doing a simple online search. Honor the time they've taken to get on a call with you by bringing yourself up to speed on who they are and what their business is all about beforehand.

One way you can do this is by having a pre-call questionnaire for them to fill out when they book. A pre-call questionnaire gives you the chance to get some basic information about what their business does, what types of copywriting services they're interested in, and who they serve.

I use an automated scheduler that requires them to go through a pre-call questionnaire before their booking is confirmed. If a subscription to an automated scheduler is not in the budget, you can create a free Google form and ask them to fill it out by sending them a link with the call confirmation email.

I also recommend doing a little bit of your own research by doing a Google search, checking out their website, or visiting their social media profiles and business pages on LinkedIn and Facebook.?

When you show up prepared to jump right into the conversation of how your services can meet the needs they have, it leaves a favorable impression.?It shows the prospective client that not only did you come ready to talk turkey, but you cared enough about them and their business to do the behind-the-scenes work before meeting with them.

Mistake #2: Listening to respond instead of listening to learn.

Now let's talk about mistake number two. This one takes place DURING the call, and it's listening to respond instead of listening to learn.

Have you ever been talking to somebody and you can tell they can't wait for their turn to talk? You probably walked away from that conversation wondering if they even caught a word you said.

When that happens, you can be sure the person was listening to respond instead of listening to learn. When you listen to respond, you're already thinking about what you're going to say the next time it's your turn to talk.

It sounds like listening to respond is selfish, but most of the time I believe it doesn't happen because you just like to hear the sound of your voice. I think it has a lot more to do with wanting to make a good impression. We want so much to show we're a good fit that our minds are going a mile a minute trying to come up with just the right thing to say.?

It's okay and completely normal to be nervous. But don't let your nerves get in the way of really listening to what the client is saying to you. Make sure you listen to learn more about their business and their copy needs.

The prospective client should leave the call knowing you heard them. So how do you accomplish that? One way you can do this is by repeating what they said back to them.?

Now, I’m not saying you should repeat every single line. You’re not an echo. Just do a quick recap of the things you talked about at the end of the call. Let them know that you heard what they had to say and that you understand where they're coming from.

Another way you can show that you're listening to learn is by asking questions. You're there to talk about a need that they have. They’re on the call with you right now because they WANT you to be part of the solution, and they'll welcome your questions.

You want to end the call with a good understanding of what the prospective client needs in terms of copy. If you're so busy thinking about what you're going to say next, you may come away from the call without all the information you need to send out a thoughtful, strategic proposal. The last thing you want is for them to open up a proposal and think “Wow, did they even hear a word I said?”

Mistake #3: Not following up.

The third mistake takes place AFTER the discovery call, and it’s completely, 100% avoidable. Don't forget to follow up!

One of my clients is a real estate agent known throughout the U.S. as someone who sells luxury properties. But when he first got started, he could barely get anyone to talk to him. How do you go from being unknown to being THE person people want to sell their mansions through??

I’ll tell you in his exact words – “Follow up until they buy or somebody dies.” I don't know if I would go that far, but there's something to be said about following up, at least until you hear a yes or no.?

There’s something you need to understand. Hearing back about the proposal you just sent over is extremely high on your list of priorities, but it responding to your proposal probably doesn't rank quite as high for the prospective client.

Running a large business with a lot of irons in the fire and dealing with multiple problems at the same time, their timeline might not be as quick as yours when it comes to responding.?

Unfortunately, that can cause you to think the prospective client doesn't want to work with you, but that's an unfounded assumption. Don't assume it's a no if you don't hear from them right away. Follow up.

Following up doesn't have to be complicated. Checking in weekly with a polite, friendly email is a great way to stay top of mind, and it also shows you’re persistent and responsible. Unless you're sending them messages all hours of the night and the day every single day, you’re not bothering them. Keep following up until you get a yes or a no.

Conclusion

Avoiding these three mistakes doesn't take much time, and it's well worth the effort. With just one research step before, one listening step during, and regular follow-ups after, you can increase your client close rate considerably.

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