Why can’t I get clients?
Your writing is poignant. Your spelling is perfect, and your grammar is impeccable. You’re talented, creative, and worthwhile, so why aren’t you getting any callbacks from clients? What separates you from more successful copywriters? The answer could be simpler than you think: confidence.
Your confidence in your writing abilities can have an enormous impact on the level of success you experience as a writer.
How does confidence make a difference?
It’s cliché and overused, but it’s true:
“If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will, either.”
So how is this applicable to your writing career? Well, for starters, let’s talk about your self-identification. When you introduce yourself to others, what title do you use? Do you call yourself a writer, or do you claim to be an “aspiring” writer or someone who writes “on the side?” Many writers fall into this trap. They feel as if they can’t call themselves a writer until they write a book or reach some other widely-accepted milestone, but this simply isn’t true. You are whatever you say you are, and you can’t actually become a writer until you start calling yourself one.
If you start acting like the writer you are (or want to be), things will start to improve. For one, you could find that you’re attracting more clients right off the bat. Clients don’t want to hire someone who doesn’t have confidence in their own abilities. It doesn’t matter how great your writing samples are; if you give the client any reason to believe that you doubt yourself, they’ll start to doubt you as well.
For many new copywriters, this means that you’ll have to reevaluate your rates. It sounds counterintuitive (which is why so many new writers struggle with it), but sometimes increasing your rates can actually land you more clients. Many companies have specific budgets for copywriting services, and if your rates much lower than their budget, they’re going to get suspicious. Oftentimes, businesses believe that if your rates are that low, it must be because you lack talent.
This isn’t always true, of course. Maybe you’re talented but are just starting out, so you don’t feel confident charging very much just yet. Or maybe you’re a stay-at-home mom who produces great copy but doesn’t charge much because she doesn’t actually need the money. It doesn’t matter. If your rates are dirt cheap, many valuable clients won’t be able to see anything in your writing other than a disaster waiting to happen. So if you know that you charge well below average and you’re struggling to attract clients, you need to find a way boost your confidence so that you can also boost your rates.
How do I boost my confidence as a writer?
There are many possibilities, but ultimately, you’ll have to find what works for you. Here are some ideas that could help:
- Join professional organizations.
- Frequent online writing forums.
- If you’re talented but lack experience, understand that most clients won’t know you’re inexperienced unless you tell them.
- Research other writers’ rates.
- Ask for client feedback.
- Practice more.
- Understand that losing a client isn’t the end of the world.
- Learn how to handle situations in which your copy isn’t well-received (working with the client to correct the mistake rather than hiding your head in shame, etc.).
Confidence can make an enormous difference in the way you feel about your work and in the way that you are received by others. If you lack this confidence, then it’s time to work towards making a change. In all likelihood, your career as a writer will improve as a result.
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