Some beginning copywriters have asked for my opinion about offering potential clients a "free assessment" that consists of a free review of a marketing piece along with suggestions for improvement.

First let me say that the idea is not a bad one, and in fact it used to be a somewhat common tactic for opening the door.

But in the last five or six years, I've seen its power slip considerably.

In the world of business, there are two dynamics that are constantly in motion, and they are...
1) A problem for which a solution must be found (owned by the client), and
2) The solution to that problem (owned by the service provider).

It's the degree to which you can solve that problem for that client that will determine how easy (or hard) it is to capture the work and land the client.

What is the single most important thing you must know about landing a high quality client?

In a word, it's EMPATHY. And my copywriting colleagues should know this, because understanding the pains, frustrations, desires, wants, needs, and goals and aspirations of your target audience is the key to higher response rates, more orders...and yes, better clients.

This month I'll answer a question posed by Cynthia B. who is returning to copywriting after a long absence. She wants to know:

How important it is to have an agency quality website?

The answer is that it is very important to have a high quality website IF you are prospecting other than locally.

When you prospect locally, the client can meet you personally.

Personal Branding 101: How to make the right branding decisions for your new business

Inevitably, at some point for freelancers who target corporate decision-makers, the question comes up:

"Should I create a company name?"

And usually, the answer is "no"...but the answer is not always "no."

Here's the logic:

When you are an individual who provides a service.

By following some of the following tips, you can increase the response rate of your advertising. It can be tough to advertise and make a profit. You know you have to advertise if you want to grow, but what else can you say in an ad besides how cheap your services are?

Most ads are based on low price. Using a competitive price is a good way to gain attention.

But how do you write this powerful copy (words which will sell your product), if you are not a copywriter?

Here are some basic guidelines:

Communicate directly to your readers, by writing as if you were talking to them. Correct grammar is not the most important issue - being understood is.

Don't be frightened to use large headings that are witty and eye-catching - newspapers and magazines make good research places for getting to grips with powerful headings.

Within this article on copywriting demand, we will look at how much work there is out there for someone who wants to do freelance copywriting as well as the demand for copywriters as a profession.

Copywriting demand will always be strong. Demand will always be strong whether the economy is strong or weak.

In past decades, it was easy to get away with a strong product and some marketing.

If you are a good writer, you should be able to pick up copywriting. The key behind copywriting is that you must understand that you're writing in a different style and to a different audience. A good quote that will be used to start this article comes from the book The Copywriter's Handbook, A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Copy that Sells. "A copywriter is a sales person behind a typewriter.

Copywriting can be a very lucrative field and is for many writers out there today. Within this article today, we'll focus on how you can make copywriting a strong field for you so that you have million-dollar copywriting.

The first key and developing million-dollar copywriting is to make sure that you have the right skills for the job. Many people will focus on copywriting as a potentially lucrative field but do not have the necessary experience or expertise for this area.