Business History Books » Business Consultant » Direct marketing consultancy for "small business." Promising idea or bad?
Direct marketing consultancy for "small business." Promising idea or bad?
Question:
As the owner of a small business (and a second one soon to be launched), I find the discussion in this thread amazing. Perhaps I am different from other small businesses, but I recognize the *NEED* for high quality marketing consulting. I have been having a very difficult time finding a qualified individual to work with me. The consulting companies around here have blown me off – they don’t understand that I am happy to pay someone $2k – $3k to design and write DM pieces & graphic arts as long as they are qualified. My only requirement is that they be able to demonstrate their skill (via providing previous work examples), and have some kind of satisfaction guarantee (ie if the piece doesn’t pull a minimum of 0.5%, free re-write, etc). I have yet to find anyone willing to put their money where their mouth is. How it is marketing consultants can get away with this but the rest of us can’t is something I can’t explain. It ranks up there with politicians making laws for us but exempting themselves. At any rate, from my perspective of life as a small, sole-prop biz just getting off the ground, I think there *IS* a huge market out there waiting to be tapped. The key to the door is the tried and true "Satisfaction Guaranteed". Until then you might get the same effect & save alot of money by simply poking yourself in the ribs with a fork. Daniel Chase,
Response:
Daniel, A highly qualified and experienced DM consultant won’t–or shouldn’t– get out of bed for a $2-3,000 project, let alone giving response guarantees. The problem consultants have with many small business entrepreneurs is that the latter often nickel-and-dime consultants and other suppliers to death with endless price discussions, hand-wringing sessions. indecisiveness, over-the-shoulder second guessing and other non-productive behavior involving low-budget, one-shot projects. But if you offer (DM) consultants the opportunity of an ongoing relationship which will involve your total marketing programs and budget–including testing to find the right lists/offer/copy–then I believe your experience with them will be more positive. And a deal to "co-maker", with some portion of the fee based on performance can also be negotiated in this situation. Jay Curry MSP Associates Amsterdam Amsterdam
:As the owner of a small business (and a second one soon to be launched), I :find :the discussion in this thread amazing. : 
erhaps I am different from other small businesses, but I recognize the :*NEED* for high quality marketing consulting. I have been having a very :difficult time finding a qualified individual to work with me. The :consulting companies around here have blown me off – they don’t understand :that I am happy to pay someone $2k – $3k to design and write DM pieces & :graphic arts as long as they are qualified. My only requirement is that :they be able to demonstrate their skill (via providing previous work :examples), and have some kind of satisfaction guarantee (ie if the piece :doesn’t pull a minimum of 0.5%, free re-write, etc). I have yet to find :anyone willing to put their money where their mouth is. How it is :marketing consultants can get away with this but the rest of us can’t is :something I can’t explain. It ranks up there with politicians making laws :for us but exempting themselves. : :At any rate, from my perspective of life as a small, sole-prop biz just :getting off the ground, I think there *IS* a huge market out there waiting :to be tapped. The key to the door is the tried and true "Satisfaction :Guaranteed". Until then you might get the same effect & save alot of :money by simply poking yourself in the ribs with a fork. : 
aniel Chase,
Response:
erhaps I am different from other small businesses, but I recognize the :*NEED* for high quality marketing consulting. I have been having a very :difficult time finding a qualified individual to work with me. The :consulting companies around here have blown me off – they don’t understand :that I am happy to pay someone $2k – $3k to design and write DM pieces & :graphic arts as long as they are qualified. My only requirement is that :they be able to demonstrate their skill (via providing previous work :examples), and have some kind of satisfaction guarantee (ie if the piece :doesn’t pull a minimum of 0.5%, free re-write, etc). I have yet to find :anyone willing to put their money where their mouth is. How it is :marketing consultants can get away with this but the rest of us can’t is :something I can’t explain. It ranks up there with politicians making laws :for us but exempting themselves. Bingo! I’ve just tried to contract a lady that touted herself as a marketing consultant specializing in women markets. She wouldn’t take any responsability for her advices! So, no deal! Jorge The opinions expressed here are from my employer (-:
Response:
>As the owner of a small business (and a second one soon to be launched), I >find the discussion in this thread amazing.
Daniel: You should have been around here August-September as a similar thread drew passionate discussion. >Perhaps I am different from other small businesses, but I recognize the >*NEED* for high quality marketing consulting. I have been having a very >difficult time finding a qualified individual to work with me.
Is the NEED for a marketing consultant or for a *direct* marketing consultant? >The consulting companies around here have blown me off – they don’t understand >that I am happy to pay someone $2k – $3k to design and write DM pieces & >graphic arts as long as they are qualified.
Would you tell us what business you are in and what new business you will be starting. Would you (honestly) have been willing to spend $3k when you started your first business? >My only requirement is that they be able to demonstrate their skill (via providing >previous work examples), and have some kind of satisfaction guarantee >(ie if the piece doesn’t pull a minimum of 0.5%, free re-write, etc).
Those offering a satisfaction guarantee are few, but they are out there. These types are not necessarily lacking experience and less qualified, These are the ones that in a previous life were responsible for a SBU – profit and loss center in which senior management *expects* delivery -15% increase based on the analysis and experience of the SBU manager. These are the ones that truly understand and practice customer/client marketing, in that, if the client is successful because of the marketing consultant, chances of the client continuing to out source the company’s marketing to the marketing consultant are increased. The motive is long term relationship rather than short term. That is not to say that some clients will only out source once for whatever reason but if the consultant contributes to the client’s success, why ruin a good thing. This same type of consultant will also at a point see that the client is ready to add an internal marketing department and will say so. The ones with a *satisfaction guarantee* also NEED total openness from the client and control, which is something that clients are unwilling to give thus why then should the consultant offer a *satisfaction guarantee*? The ones that are unwilling to give a *satisfaction guarantee*, are usually pompous, greedy, and lack confidence in their ability. Sure they, as any consultant offer example work (DM) and references but the attitude seems to be *take it or leave it* Will this type be of service to you and become a good long term relationship? Not likely. As I’ve said, the type of consultant you are looking for is rare but out there. It’s similar to finding one’s significant other; sometimes a person gets lucky without looking too far, most of the time, a person has to look high and mighty. On the other hand, here’s something to think about. When you hire someone, you do so on assessing a person as to the interview, experience, education and references. You don’t ask for a *satisfaction guarantee* do you? Yet that person is being employed to obtain results and contribute to the company’s success, and will cost more than the $3K. >I have yet to find anyone willing to put their money where their mouth is. >How it is marketing consultants can get away with this but the rest of us can’t is >something I can’t explain. It ranks up there with politicians making laws >for us but exempting themselves.
Ouch! Rather than politicians, a consultant is similar to a lawyer. If a *good* consultant, based on experience and knowledge views your product as viable, he/she will take the challenge, turning it into a winner. A *good* consultant is very concerned with his/her *wins and losses*. A *bad* consultant is only concerned with lining his/her pockets and saying; "Next" Another point, a person with education, experience, and knowledge that decides to become a consultant knows that consulting is not something where you place an ad and is bought from off the shelf. There is a great deal of time and energy to generating business, establishing contact, nurturing the process, weeks sometimes months of work before a prospect becomes a client. Given this, why would a consultant spend all the time and energy to obtain a small business client paying $3k, when the same time and energy can be used to obtain five and six figure clients? David Ogilvy said something like this: "If I’m going to get into advertising and work hard to generate business, I might as well go after the big companies." >At any rate, from my perspective of life as a small, sole-prop biz just >getting off the ground, I think there *IS* a huge market out there waiting >to be tapped. The key to the door is the tried and true "Satisfaction >Guaranteed".
No question, small business is so important, not merely from an economic standpoint but also from the point that the most innovations come from small businesses. It *IS* a huge market, an opportunity waiting to happen and there will be efficient means to meeting the demands of this market in the future. It’s just too bad nothing has really been done about it. A final note, during my college years, a few of us, needing serious *party* money, started consulting on a *no cure, no pay* Everyone paid. We moved up to *cheap* pricing; $500-$2,000 and offered satisfaction guarantees, partly because we had little experience but also because we all believed in building relationships and truly *wanting* to *help* our clients. The point of this is, if you are having such a hard time finding someone, look to your nearest university’s school of business, place a notice on the b-school’s bulletin board, check or place an ad (cheap) in the school paper. You may surprise yourself at the talent you’ll find and who knows, a student that does the DM work you seek may end up becoming your employee. — ROI Marketing www.nijenrode.nl/mbmm/roimarketing An association for marketing consultants, a service and directory for business
Response:
Jay, Your response only confirms what it is I am saying about "marketing consultants" – they think they have the answers to all of the problems of business, but do not take their own advice. What is worse, they don’t expect to play by the same set of rules by which the rest of us have to play. In all candor, I cannot think of any business owner who can reasonably expect to succeed in business if he or she doesn’t want to accept the burden of dealing with indecisive, ‘nickel-and-diming’ customers, bad debts, or those who would second guess advice given? How many attorneys or physicians do we know that are exempt from this or the fiscal responsibility for bad advice? What Divine directive exempts "marketing consultants" from dealing with the same lot in life handed to the rest of us? Now I will grant that the large & established "marketing consultants" can afford to be picky with their clients. But so too can any established business. My only point is that I repeatedly hear would be "consultants" blaming their customers for the consultant’s failure. Such is the mark of one of a few possible situations: (1) The marketer lacks the ability to *actually* market as evidenced by the failure to penetrate an incredibly vast market, (2) The individual has no problem with professional hypocrisy – he or she is willing to preach the rules of the game but not live by them, or (3) The individual is slothful and unwilling to work hard for his or her own business. In which case, why would I think that individual will work hard for me? Blaming the customer for the inability to succeed is like a craftsman who blames his poor quality on his tools – it makes no sense. Poor craftsmanship is the result of a poor craftsman, not the tools. If the rest of us succeed by putting our money where our mouth is by providing guarantees,"marketing consultants" should as well. Until that time, would-be marketing consultants will not be able to penetrate the small business market – to the harm of both the consultant and small business. Daniel Chase, Newport, RI aniel, : :A highly qualified and experienced DM consultant won’t–or shouldn’t– get 
ut of bed for a $2-3,000 project, let alone giving response guarantees. : :The problem consultants have with many small business entrepreneurs is that :the latter often nickel-and-dime consultants and other suppliers to :death with endless price discussions, hand-wringing sessions. indecisiveness, ver-the-shoulder second guessing and other non-productive behavior involving :low-budget, one-shot projects. : :But if you offer (DM) consultants the opportunity of an ongoing relationship :which will involve your total marketing programs and budget–including testing :to find the right lists/offer/copy–then I believe your experience with them :will be more positive. And a deal to "co-maker", with some :portion of the fee based on performance can also be negotiated in this :situation. : :Jay Curry :MSP Associates :Amsterdam :Amsterdam
Response:
Daniel, Your reaction to my posting is focused on the first paragraphs, and not the last, which I will repeat here: "But if you (Small business entrepreneurs) offer (DM) consultants the opportunity of an ongoing relationship >:which will involve your total marketing programs and budget–including testing >:to find the right lists/offer/copy–then I believe your experience with them >:will be more positive. And a deal to "co-maker", with some >:portion of the fee based on performance can also be negotiated in this situation." All consulting clients–multi-nationals and one-man bands–should expect 100% commitment and quality from their suppliers. And poorly executed work should and will be done over again. But the fact is that small businesses are simply not real users of normal management consultants due to lack of time and money budgets. That is why we have "franchised" the national Small Business Institute to inforrm, train and consult small businesses about our proprietary methodologies. I don’t know what your business it. But if you discovered that a market segment which ordered your product/services consistently cost you more money then you made, you would probably avoid doing business in that segment. Jay Curry MSP Associates Amsterdam
: :Jay, : :Your response only confirms what it is I am saying about "marketing :consultants" – they think they have the answers to all of the problems of :business, but do not take their own advice. What is worse, they don’t :expect to play by the same set of rules by which the rest of us have to :play. : :In all candor, I cannot think of any business owner who can reasonably :expect to succeed in business if he or she doesn’t want to accept the :burden of dealing with indecisive, ‘nickel-and-diming’ customers, bad :debts, or those who would second guess advice given? How many attorneys r physicians do we know that are exempt from this or the fiscal :responsibility for bad advice? What Divine directive exempts "marketing :consultants" from dealing with the same lot in life handed to the rest of :us? Now I will grant that the large & established "marketing consultants" :can afford to be picky with their clients. But so too can any established :business. : :My only point is that I repeatedly hear would be "consultants" blaming :their customers for the consultant’s failure. Such is the mark of one of :a few possible situations: (1) The marketer lacks the ability to :*actually* market as evidenced by the failure to penetrate an incredibly :vast market, (2) The individual has no problem with professional hypocrisy :- he or she is willing to preach the rules of the game but not live by :them, or (3) The individual is slothful and unwilling to work hard for his r her own business. In which case, why would I think that individual :will work hard for me? : :Blaming the customer for the inability to succeed is like a craftsman who :blames his poor quality on his tools – it makes no sense. Poor :craftsmanship is the result of a poor craftsman, not the tools. If the :rest of us succeed by putting our money where our mouth is by providing :guarantees,"marketing consultants" should as well. Until that time, :would-be marketing consultants will not be able to penetrate the small :business market – to the harm of both the consultant and small business. : aniel Chase, :Newport, RI
Response:
You get the sale, Mr. Curry. I have found that many small business owners, understandably short on capital and already risking their fortunes, stop understanding business risk when it comes to marketing, seeking guaranteed results on the cheap. And they stop understanding what other small businesses (consultants) need to keep the doors open. In a cooperative spirit, I have gladly suggested more than one alternative to try: a different letter or headline to test, a different offer to try. The result: give an inch, take a mile. Endless, endless haggling. One client has already asked for — and gotten — four schedules, three estimates, and something like twenty hours of free advice on a $4,000 project! After trying to capture market share by offering great service at a great price, I’m currently planning to hang up the shingle and go back in-house. Guarantees? Maybe of the type you suggest, JC, where I’m more deeply involved in the client’s marketing plans. But I can write great copy, and watch the client insist on mailing to a dirty, useless list he got for next to nothing. I can significantly cut production, lettershop and postage costs — only to see the budget break because the client’s nephew/commercial artist changed to stock at the last minute. Or I’ll put together a great, efficient direct mail plan, and despite all my warnings of offers to help, the client will delay fulfillment for months. I keep focusing on small businesses because I’m a softie: I believe in new things, and I love helping growing companies succeed (which I can do with my eyes closed, often enough). Not a good reason to pick a market, I’ve learned. : Daniel, : A highly qualified and experienced DM consultant won’t–or shouldn’t–get : out of bed for a $2-3,000 project, let alone giving response guarantees. : The problem consultants have with many small business entrepreneurs is that : the latter often nickel-and-dime consultants and other suppliers to : death with endless price discussions, hand-wringing sessions. indecisiveness, : over-the-shoulder second guessing and other non-productive behavior involving : low-budget, one-shot projects. : But if you offer (DM) consultants the opportunity of an ongoing relationship : which will involve your total marketing programs and budget–including testing : to find the right lists/offer/copy–then I believe your experience with them : will be more positive.SNIP :> As the owner of a small business (and a second one soon to be launched), :> I find the discussion in this thread amazing. :> My only requirement is that :> they be able to demonstrate their skill (via providing previous work :> examples), and have some kind of satisfaction guarantee (ie if the piece :> doesn’t pull a minimum of 0.5%, free re-write, etc). I have yet to find :> anyone willing to put their money where their mouth is :> SNIP The key to the door is the tried and true "Satisfaction :> Guaranteed".
Response:
:The result: give an inch, take a mile. Endless, endless haggling. One :client has already asked for — and gotten — four schedules, three :estimates, and something like twenty hours of free advice on a $4,000 :project! After trying to capture market share by offering great service at :a great price, I’m currently planning to hang up the shingle and go back :in-house. I fully agree. You SHOULD hang up the shingle and go back to the relative safety as an employee. What you are complaining about is every day life for those of us in business for ourselves. If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Furthermore, don’t presume yourself to be a maker of chefs. Should you ever decide (or are forced to) put your shingle back out again, consider retaining a consultant to help you design and execute a marketing plan for your marketing company. A less expensive "first step" would be to join a local Rotary Club and mingle with those of us who are forced to deal with business reality on a daily basis. Should you find that you don’t like reality, professional help of a different specialty might be in order. In the meantime, my free advice is to not tell folks "in-house" that the customers were the result of your failure. They will probably be polite when you tell them, but will be snickering over your sorry excuses at the water fountain.
Response:
>Of course, it is not possible that arrogant, pompous small business owners >already think they know everything and shouldn’t have to pay their bills.
Sadly a lot of them do think and act like this, but I’ll tell you what – they ain’t going to be around for long ! Times are changing, and these Second Wave attitudes have to change too. >Thank you for confirming my choice to leave this business, and take a job >at a large company where I will produce more profit for my employer in one >month than most small businesses will see in a lifetime.
As a small businessman, I’ve got to take issue with this. 1. It’s not you that’s producing the profit – it’s the infrastructure built up by the company (which was once a small business) which provides you with the opportunity. Are you risking anything i.e. your house, personal wealth etc. ? No. 2. The profits you produce don’t "belong" to you, thet belong to the shareholders. Have fun now. Alasdair McGill Aim Perth "Pioneers of the Third Wave"
Response:
: Jay, : Your response only confirms what it is I am saying about "marketing : consultants" : : My only point is that I repeatedly hear would be "consultants" blaming : their customers for the consultant’s failure. Such is the mark of one of : a few possible situations: (1) The marketer lacks the ability to : *actually* market as evidenced by the failure to penetrate an incredibly : vast market, (2) The individual has no problem with professional hypocrisy : – he or she is willing to preach the rules of the game but not live by : them, or (3) The individual is slothful and unwilling to work hard for his : or her own business. SNIP Of course, it is not possible that arrogant, pompous small business owners already think they know everything and shouldn’t have to pay their bills. Thank you for confirming my choice to leave this business, and take a job at a large company where I will produce more profit for my employer in one month than most small businesses will see in a lifetime.
Response:
: Snip :> Those offering a satisfaction guarantee are few, but they are out there. These :> types are not necessarily lacking experience and less qualified, These are the :> ones that in a previous life were responsible for a SBU – profit and loss center :> in which senior management *expects* delivery -15% increase based on the :> analysis and experience of the SBU manager. :SNIP :> The ones that are unwilling to give a *satisfaction guarantee*, are usually :> pompous, greedy, and lack confidence in their ability. Sure they, as any :> consultant offer example work (DM) and references but the attitude seems to be :> *take it or leave it* Will this type be of service to you and become a good long :> term relationship? Not likely. : :SNIP :While much of your message has merit, I find these comments irresponsible. :Small business owners who are new to direct marketing are likely to come :away with completely erroneous ideas. Direct mail agencies do NOT offer :guarantees. Period. (Get out the phone book if you don’t believe me, and :make some calls.) Akakan or rather Steve: No where did I stated I was discussing in the context of *direct* marketing consultants. Although the thread you started states "Direct marketing", Daniel was talking about needing a marketing consultant for some DM work and my comments were with regard to marketing consultants rather than specifically to direct marketing consultants. :Occassionally, a consultant may take a structured fee, but this is relatively rare. :Contingency rates are often tied to a tight client partnership, if not an outright equity stake. For *a consultant* to take a structured fee is rare as are *consultants* offering *satisfaction guarantees* – contingency rates, and that was what I said. :It may be remunerative for a consultant who takes contingency payments to :flame the 98% who do not, but it is hardly honest. Was I flaming? I used the word *usually*. Sorry if you interpreted it to mean 98% <g> I should have said *you may find*, just as in any profession. :Many people who had P/L responsibility in-house would never dream f offering a guarantee to a client, partly because they have very little :control over the client’s marketing plans. To repeat what I said: :> The ones with a *satisfaction guarantee* also NEED total openness from the :> client and control, which is something that clients are unwilling to give thus :> why then should the consultant offer a *satisfaction guarantee*? :In addition, having had P/L responsibility most of my professional life, :I can tell you that I would seldom stake my performance review on one :promotion without plenty of preliminary research, testing, and analysis. To repeat what I said: :> … These are the ones that in a previous life were responsible for a SBU :> - profit and loss center in which senior management *expects* delivery :> -15% increase based on the analysis and experience of the SBU manager. :That hardly makes me "pompous, greedy, and lack[ing] confidence in …. ability." Didn’t mean to imply that *you* were. You may have started this thread but my comments were not directed at you. :Larger clients I have worked with — who are not amateurs, but rather as experienced :as I am, and who rigorously track the bottom results of every promotion :– have yet to ever question my ability. If that’s the case, why have you decided to take a position with a large company and ditch the idea (posted 2 weeks ago) of becoming an independent direct marketing consultant? You were thinking of the small and medium-sized businesses, why not target large businesses as you have in past? In addition, having been a marketing VP with a huge network, you should be able to do very nicely. There are consultants that can *promise* a client "xx increase in market share", "xx increase in revenue", "xx increase in net profit" and that was what I was making aware to Daniel… that they are out there.. be it marketing, management or other consultants. And in order to have one of them work with a client, the client as I said must give control to the consultant. A small business finds who he/she wants to work with, but the consultant also has the choice. A good dialogue as to what the client expects and what the consultant can deliver, given the necessary freedom, control and management can go a long way. If more communication took place, we wouldn’t have small businesses (as Daniel) and consultants blaming each other. — ROI Marketing www.nijenrode.nl/mbmm/roimarketing An association for marketing consultants, a service and directory for business
Response:
:>As the owner of a small business (and a second one soon to be launched), :>I find the discussion in this thread amazing. : Daniel: SNIP : Those offering a satisfaction guarantee are few, but they are out there. These : types are not necessarily lacking experience and less qualified, These are the : ones that in a previous life were responsible for a SBU – profit and loss center : in which senior management *expects* delivery -15% increase based on the : analysis and experience of the SBU manager. SNIP : The ones that are unwilling to give a *satisfaction guarantee*, are usually : pompous, greedy, and lack confidence in their ability. Sure they, as any : consultant offer example work (DM) and references but the attitude seems to be : *take it or leave it* Will this type be of service to you and become a good long : term relationship? Not likely. SNIP While much of your message has merit, I find these comments irresponsible. Small business owners who are new to direct marketing are likely to come away with completely erroneous ideas. Direct mail agencies do NOT offer guarantees. Period. (Get out the phone book if you don’t believe me, and make some calls.) Occassionally, a consultant may take a structured fee, but this is relatively rare. Contingency rates are often tied to a tight client partnership, if not an outright equity stake. It may be remunerative for a consultant who takes contingency payments to flame the 98% who do not, but it is hardly honest. Many people who had P/L responsibility in-house would never dream of offering a guarantee to a client, partly because they have very little control over the client’s marketing plans. In addition, having had P/L responsibility most of my professional life, I can tell you that I would seldom stake my performance review on one promotion without plenty of preliminary research, testing, and analysis. That hardly makes me "pompous, greedy, and lack[ing] confidence in …. ability." Larger clients I have worked with — who are not amateurs, but rather as experienced as I am, and who rigorously track the bottom results of every promotion — have yet to ever question my ability.
Response:
>Coming in late to this thread, it seems that some of the discussion around >"consultancy," specifically Daniel Chase’s need for some DM pieces, is >actually the work of a "vendor." Designing and writing DM pieces and >graphic arts is not "consulting." (imho).
It shouldn’t be, but it is! It’s a bit like being a political speechwriter, the client/candidate thinks they just want words, you discover there’s little policy or substance or stance and end up having to create it. You also find out the client does not know how to approach the market and you end up helping with avice on media, lists, postage and packaging, postal issues, printing, the four p’s. You even find yourself telling clients what ISP and telephone service to use! The frustrating angle to this is you can only charge for the creative and do everything else as a favour to the client because of the civil liability risk. Confusingly or clients, creatives are either a *creative consultant* or a *creative service*. The consultant will argue with the client if something is wrong, the creative serice just does what they are told, even if they know it is wrong. It hard for clients when they ask the copywriter to do something and get an argument, (obviously if they insist, it is done). The huge mistake is for clients to focus on getting materials *they* like and feel comfortable with rather than something which works. They don’t realise that we are trying to create *results*, not dinner party or chairman pleasers. >Separately, if the request is for "guaranteed" work, is the direction from >the client on business situation and market need equally "guaranteed?"
The client has the problem that they don’t know what is wanted, it is up to the copywriter to wheedle it out of them. Often real gems are deeply buried. Last week I read an ingredients label with a chemical dictionary in hand to discover the product benefit! 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:
Hi Tom, >willing to pay, and more importantly, would they pay. My experience has >taught me that although this target market of small business owners >seems to need my services the most, they are not likely to be willing to >pay for these services, least implement my suggestions.
They are used to doing everything themselves and it is a tough habit to break. >this as an ego that is easily bruised and unwilling to accept change. >Most small business owners will tell you, the service provider, that >tend to walk away with the knowledge that they will probably be out of >business within 5 years.
The ego is a big issue. A lot of clients mess up copy just through ego. They fail to see that interrupting one to one communication is the same as barging in on a sales pitch. I had one project where the free incentive was extremly valuable so I wrote "worth