Business History Books » Business Consultant » A Poor Craftsman blames….
A Poor Craftsman blames….
Question:
Hi Daniel, F.For my first company, I hired a highly regarded copywriter. I spent :$5,000 to get a 0.25% response rate. I then wrote copy myself and :received a 0.5% response. Yes, like every marketing professional the copywriter has to learn from you about your company, product and market. If you stint on this, or the copywriter does not probe, or worse, you refuse to answer the copywriter’s questions, the mailing is a shot in the dark and so hit and miss. A bad writer who knows about the potential customer and offer etc, will out perform a good one who does not. :will guarantee to beat 0.5% by an amount proportionate to their cost? :I would be an absolute fool to spend money with no downside risk :protection. It’s a team effort. So the copywriter should be willing to help out the client, whatever. You take a them and us tone. Consulting is also a bit like computing – garbarge in, garbarge out. You misexplain something outide the copywriter’s experience that he can’t read up on, it will come up in your literature! :Once again: The rest of us in business are required to put our money :where our mouths are. Why don’t "marketing consultants"? If all you are after is a rewrite in the face of disaster, there is some subtext we are all missing here. I’ve sent you some email to find out! John John Block Creative, marketing aware work which Freelance Copywriter talks rather than blandly bores, actively promotes your product, International and aims to be the best Welcomes Dollar and Sterling. in your market sector.
Response:
>…like every marketing professional the copywriter has to learn from you >about your company, product and market. If you stint on this, or the >copywriter does not probe, or worse, you refuse to answer the copywriter’s >questions, the mailing is a shot in the dark and so hit and miss. >A bad writer who knows about the potential customer and offer etc, will >out perform a good one who does not.
— Depends on how bad the copywriter really is <g>. Seriously, I’ve had parallel copywriting experiences to John’s in this regard — and agree that limited information rarely leads to effective copy. I’ve found the actual job of writing consumes a small portion of the time in a copywriting project. By far, the most time consuming (and important) part of a writing job is *research*. Getting back to the business owner’s copy pulling better than the hired gun’s: I’m not all that surprised about it either. Two of the most important qualities in any advertisement or promotion are *empathy* and *passion*. You must communicate that you truly care about your customers and, as a result, you can do great things for them with your product or service (i.e. make life simpler, easier, more rewarding, less painful, more beautiful, etc.). A business owner who really cares about and nurtures his/her customers and fervently believes in what he/she is doing, can write outstanding copy. What they lack in technical copywriting skills is often made up by the ability to telegraph their empathy and passion. vrurbach (at) optran.com OOOOO OOOOO OOOOOO OOOOO OOO OO OO Victor R. Urbach OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OOO OO Optran Corporation OO OO OOOOO OO OOOO OOOOOOO OO OO OO Direct Response Marketing OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OOO http://www.optran.com OOOOO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO
Response:
Daniel, Congratulations. Your mailing achieved 99.5% non response vs. 99.75% non-response from the marketing pro. Shame on both of you for wasting those dead trees. Seriously, though, I think there are enough answers in this thread to let you know that most (direct) marketing consultants have been burned by business people who want guarantees and then make some changes in copy, lists or procedures which kills results. And there is a flip side: some entrepreneurs offer the consultant a performance fee every time the successful mailing is used and generates results. Quite often, after sending two checks to the consultant for successful remailings, the entrepreneur then calls his lawyer to get out of the deal. Finally, no direct marketing pro–on the payroll or as consultant–should make any promises or commitments without doing a test. Jay Curry MSP Associates Amsterdam
: :> Apart from previous work done by a skilled marketeer..how will you judge :>their effectiveness. :> What do you have to experience from them in order for you to be convinced :>that they can perform to the level they claim. : :I don’t compare them to a SKILLED marketeer, but an UNSKILLED one 
actually two). : :For my first company, I hired a highly regarded copywriter. I spent :$5,000 to get a 0.25% response rate. I then wrote copy myself and :received a 0.5% response. Both mailings were large enough to be :statistically valid on a 90% confidence level, and both were properly :segmented for a valid test. (BTW, some asked me if I would *really* have :spent money on a marketing consultant for my first business. The answer :is "not only would I, but I did"). : :Thus my point: If I can get a 0.5% response, and have ZERO experience in :copywriting, and this is DOUBLE what a person with 17 years experience :has, why in the WORLD would I ever hire another consultant unless he or :she will guarantee to beat 0.5% by an amount proportionate to their cost? :I would be an absolute fool to spend money with no downside risk :protection. : :Two days ago, I received a call from a "marketing consultant" who had :received my name from someone on this group. She was a very professional :sounding individual, and I gladly received her call. After she made her :presentation, I explained that I need to know what type of guarantees she :provides given that I can get 0.5% myself. She immediately responded :with something to the effect of "Well Mr. Chase, there are no guarantees :in life, and direct marketing is no exception…" I interrupted her and :pointed out that almost every business owner I know has to provide some :level of customer satisfaction guarantee. She bristled at this and said, :"well, this is not a product, it’s a service..blah, blah, blah". I then :told her that my accountant, attorney, and physician provide services and :should they be found to be providing inadequate service they could be held :financially responsible for providing incorrect advice, and as such :provide a guarantee. By this time the poor lady was getting pretty upset :and said "Mr. Chase, last time I checked mutual funds don’t provide any :guarantees". "Yes, you are right", I replied, "however one can protect :themselves from bad investment advice by choosing a no-load mutual fund". :At this point, she gave up and told me to have a nice day. She lost a :good sale simply because she could not market herself and overcome :legitimate objections. : :If marketing consultants want to increase their business (and the rest of 
urs), they need to come down off of their high perch and critically :evaluate their own marketing abilities (or lack thereof). If a marketing :consultant can’t effectively market their own product, why should we think :they can market ours? : :Once again: The rest of us in business are required to put our money :where our mouths are. Why don’t "marketing consultants"? Apparently :most of them would rather preach the rules than live by them. This is to :the detriment of both and kills what should be a mutually beneficial :relationship. : 
aniel Chase, :Newport RI
Response:
Very well said! Unfortunately most buyers are not a "streetwise" as you and are easy bait. You also have a lot _of you know what_ for writing the copy yourself and getting that increase in response. Had you not, you might still be paying $5k a pop for a .25% increase! GOOD JOB — Rick Davis ROLLER WAREHOUSE http://www.rollerwarehouse.com 800-772-2502 818-348-3282 818-348-3281 FAX Monday- Friday 8:00am to 6:00pm (PST) : If marketing consultants want to increase their business (and the rest of : ours), they need to come down off of their high perch and critically : evaluate their own marketing abilities (or lack thereof). If a marketing : consultant can’t effectively market their own product, why should we think : they can market ours? : Once again: The rest of us in business are required to put our money : where our mouths are. Why don’t "marketing consultants"? Apparently : most of them would rather preach the rules than live by them. This is to : the detriment of both and kills what should be a mutually beneficial : relationship. : Daniel Chase, : Newport RI
Response:
I agree with you. Whenever I am approached by a marketing company or any other service company (advertising, etc.), I tell them up front that, if I can be persuaded to employ them, they will be hired solely on a performance basis — all costs are to be borne by them, and they will be paid only from profits due directly to their work. I have no problem or quibble from that from any company agreeing that they are capable, professional, and can do the job. We all make money, and the costs are minimal. Anyone who can’t, or won’t, or hasn’t the financial strength or self-confidence to work that way is of no interest to my company. — Rick O’Keefe, Tampa FL
Response:
> Apart from previous work done by a skilled marketeer..how will you judge >their effectiveness. > What do you have to experience from them in order for you to be convinced >that they can perform to the level they claim.
I don’t compare them to a SKILLED marketeer, but an UNSKILLED one (actually two). For my first company, I hired a highly regarded copywriter. I spent $5,000 to get a 0.25% response rate. I then wrote copy myself and received a 0.5% response. Both mailings were large enough to be statistically valid on a 90% confidence level, and both were properly segmented for a valid test. (BTW, some asked me if I would *really* have spent money on a marketing consultant for my first business. The answer is "not only would I, but I did"). Thus my point: If I can get a 0.5% response, and have ZERO experience in copywriting, and this is DOUBLE what a person with 17 years experience has, why in the WORLD would I ever hire another consultant unless he or she will guarantee to beat 0.5% by an amount proportionate to their cost? I would be an absolute fool to spend money with no downside risk protection. Two days ago, I received a call from a "marketing consultant" who had received my name from someone on this group. She was a very professional sounding individual, and I gladly received her call. After she made her presentation, I explained that I need to know what type of guarantees she provides given that I can get 0.5% myself. She immediately responded with something to the effect of "Well Mr. Chase, there are no guarantees in life, and direct marketing is no exception…" I interrupted her and pointed out that almost every business owner I know has to provide some level of customer satisfaction guarantee. She bristled at this and said, "well, this is not a product, it’s a service..blah, blah, blah". I then told her that my accountant, attorney, and physician provide services and should they be found to be providing inadequate service they could be held financially responsible for providing incorrect advice, and as such provide a guarantee. By this time the poor lady was getting pretty upset and said "Mr. Chase, last time I checked mutual funds don’t provide any guarantees". "Yes, you are right", I replied, "however one can protect themselves from bad investment advice by choosing a no-load mutual fund". At this point, she gave up and told me to have a nice day. She lost a good sale simply because she could not market herself and overcome legitimate objections. If marketing consultants want to increase their business (and the rest of ours), they need to come down off of their high perch and critically evaluate their own marketing abilities (or lack thereof). If a marketing consultant can’t effectively market their own product, why should we think they can market ours? Once again: The rest of us in business are required to put our money where our mouths are. Why don’t "marketing consultants"? Apparently most of them would rather preach the rules than live by them. This is to the detriment of both and kills what should be a mutually beneficial relationship. Daniel Chase, Newport RI