Stop kissing frogs. Start attracting your ideal clients.

You have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince. Or so they say.

But is this really the case in business?

Do you have to put up with less than desirable prospects in the hope some of them will turn into your dream clients?

Prospects who want you to jump through hoops to win their business.

Prospects who expect you to work for free or for ‘exposure’.

Prospects who ask for a proposal then disappear without a trace.

Prospects who try and haggle you down on price.

Prospects who talk to you like you’re a piece of shit.

No, you don’t.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

You don’t have to snog slimy amphibians to attract the clients you want. You just need to improve your marketing message.

Do you like Pi?a Coladas?

Are you familiar with Escape (The Pi?a Colada Song) by Rupert Holmes?

The lyrics tell the story of a guy who spots a letter in the personal columns of the paper:

“If you like pi?a coladas

And gettin’ caught in the rain

If you’re not into yoga

If you have half a brain

If you like makin’ love at midnight

In the dunes on the cape

Then I’m the love that you’ve looked for

Write to me and escape.”

Let’s ignore the fact the writer of the letter turns out to be the guy’s wife and focus on the copywriting lesson instead.

The writer of the letter is very specific about what she is looking for and what she wants the reader to do.

And it works. Our singer reads the letter, it resonates, and he is inspired to respond.

That’s what your sales copy should be like.

It should resonate with the reader – make them feel like you are speaking directly to them. And it should inspire them to take action.

If your marketing is generic, it’s like putting a dating profile online saying: “I’m looking for anyone with a pulse.”

You might get a few responses, but they probably won’t be the kind of responses you want. And instead of attracting your Prince Charming, you’ll just be attracting frogs.

Don’t just play the numbers game…

Imagine you’re in a nightclub, and you ask every person in there if they fancy some sexy time back at your place.

You don’t know who is single, whether they are into men, women or both, whether they have any interest in hooking up or whether they are even compatible. You’re just playing the numbers on the off chance you’ll get lucky.

This is the equivalent of sending out generic messages or emails to anyone and everyone along the lines of:?“Hey – I didn’t bother researching you or your business, but I want you to book a call with me so I can try and sell you stuff.”

Err. No thanks.

But hey – maybe someone will be up for it.

And a bit like in my nightclub analogy, you might get lucky.

But what happens when you get them ‘back to your place’? What happens if you’re not compatible? What if they’re into some weird kinky shit that just doesn’t float your boat? It could end up being a disappointing and unfulfilling experience for both of you.

That’s why I prefer to steer clear of the spray and pray approach and woo my suitors instead.

How?

By sharing content written specifically for the kind of people I want to do business with. By writing about the specific problems my ideal prospects are experiencing right now. And by writing sales copy that shows them I am their perfect match.

It’s a much better approach, and the resulting relationships are far more satisfying for everyone involved.

Make your prospective clients feel special – show them you understand them and care about their needs. Don’t make them feel like they’re going to be just another notch on your sales tracker.

Filter out the frogs…

It’s ok to tailor your marketing to the people you want to attract. It might put a few people off, but that’s good – we’re trying to reduce the amount of frog-snogging, remember?

Good marketing is just as much about repelling the wrong people as attracting the right people.

You don’t want to attract a load of clients you don’t like or spend your days working on projects you don’t enjoy. And if you get your marketing messages right, you don’t have to. You can attract the work you want at the prices you want to charge.

I’m in a fortunate position where I can be selective about who I work with. But it’s not because I’m rolling in cash or anything. It’s because my marketing attracts the right people. And that means if the wrong people do happen to get in touch, I can politely decline their advances.

I can help you get into that position too with my book - The Freelance Fairytale: How to create your happy ever after. ?

But be warned – I’m not selling magic beans. The stuff I teach in the book will only work if you make the changes.

Are you ready to end the frog-snogging and start attracting the clients you want?

Get your copy of The Freelance Fairytale here.

Fancy a date?

If you need help with anything content or copy related, book a 90 minute consultation with me. I can help you generate ideas, plan a strategy or teach you some copywriting techniques.?

This article was originally posted on the?Make Your Copy Count blog.