After spending 35 minutes on the phone with a potential client, I walked away with a comment from Steve Slaunwhite confirmed. The size of a business matters. Why? Because hiring a B2B writer is an investment, and it can seem costly.
Should you be hiring a B2B writer?
The woman I was speaking with was a sole proprietor, who reached out within seconds of receiving my proposal on Upwork. Past experience had shown me that sole proprietors tend to be too small to recognize the power of investing in a B2B writer. They may even be afraid of growth. However, I chose to thoroughly assess her current website because she had invited me to do so.
Invitations do suggest a potential client has reviewed my profile, so I expect some familiarity with my qualifications and my rates. My profile clearly stated my hourly rate is $180.00, even though I prefer to quote work by the project.
When I suggested it would take two to three hours to familiarize myself with her business and write her brochure, the hourly rate I used to charge three years ago came up. Why couldn’t I charge my old rate? That was in her budget. $360 wasn’t.
“I have invested in training that has quadrupled the value of hiring me. I believe that makes me worth a higher rate today.” (More on that in a moment.)
It wasn’t enough for her website evaluation to be spot on.
I had already proven in my proposal how I could transform her website content. Her first words to me confirmed she resonated with my assessment. So what held her back? Many things.
Our conversation revealed her perception she could do what I do if she took the time to do it. Maybe she could. However, she hadn’t done it, or I would have praised her for her content.
Because she thought she was capable of doing the job, but just needed someone else to do it cheaply, she devalued my potential services. She felt whatever investment I had made didn’t compare to her investments into her training, so why should she pay me any more than I used to charge? Training is just something you do to ‘stay certified.’
In such situations, I always say the customer is right. Hiring a B2B writer should complement the business owner’s goals, not become a contest over who writes better marketing content.
What is a Realistic B2B Marketing Budget?
Even when a client understands the value, the typical B2B writer’s fees often exceed a small business owner’s marketing budget. Typical B2B writer’s fees are significant. A 8.5 x 11 bi– or tri– fold costs from $250 – 750.00. A one-sided sell sheet costs from $500 – 750.
Most business owners have no idea these are typical B2B writer fees!
Unfortunately, not every writer who charges these fees knows what they are doing. They don’t take the time to get to know the customer. They fail to write the marketing piece to match the position within the buying cycle and desired outcome. It gives those who are trained an obstacle to overcome.
So even though my proposed rate fell within the range other professional B2B writers charge for a 8.5 x 11 brochure, I needed another element—proof—to demonstrate my value.
I know you need proof of my B2B writing skill.
Even with Upwork, there’s always an element of fear when you are hiring a B2B writer. On Upwork, you’re asked to trust someone you’ve never met or worked with before. Nor do you have a direct recommendation from someone you’ve worked with before. I get that. It’s one reason I’ve worked hard to build a 100% success rating.
My Upwork client’s testimonials help. Yet, they just aren’t the same as word of mouth. Rarely are they as detailed as a letter of recommendation. Most of the time clients say little more than, “Great to work with.” I realize this isn’t enough when you’re hiring a B2B writer.
You need examples of what I’ve done. You want statistics to show how my content performed. I’m working on that!
You may need more than an guarantee as well.
Eliminating your fears through effective proof is my job. That’s why I share more than samples of my work. I spend significant time sharing strategies with you for supercharging your marketing content. It’s why I get it right or work for free.
Even before I took B2B writer’s training, I had only refunded one client in 10 years—$25.00 for a cover letter. I’ve always stood behind my work, ready to refund 100% if I’ve totally missed the mark.
Most of the time, a rewrite from a new angle does the trick. Three times negotiating a reduction in my fees proved the best route.
- A fisherman just didn’t resonate with my wording. I get that. I’m not into fishing. (Should have known better.)
- I accepted a subcontract on website content that just didn’t fit my skill set. (Learning lesson!) I went on to work with the same website design company for several years.
- I just didn’t capture my client’s intent, so a test blog just didn’t work. However, he liked most of what I’d done, so we agreed to a 50% reduction in fee. He wanted to hire me for additional work. I opted out primarily because he couldn’t decide what market he wanted to focus on. Fear of choosing the wrong audience and failing rendered his directions too indecisive to follow.
For 10 years, without any B2B training, I had a good success record both on Upwork and off. However, I wasn’t content to continue learning by trial and mistake—especially after that last 50% reduction in pay. I began looking for answers and found them with AWAI*.
I can’t say I’ll never make mistakes. However, I have experience I didn’t possess then.
Can you afford the investment?
Even if my potential client had been a good fit, she wasn’t in the right place for hiring a B2B writer. She just didn’t have the cash flow.
Her attitude of, “I know how to do everything you’ve recommended,” also placed her where the investment had less value.§ This may be true for you. You may only need someone to show you where you need to invest your efforts.
However if you serve other businesses, and you are serious about growing your business, then hiring a B2B writer could be the wisest investment your company makes. It could transform your messaging so you find leads in more places and close more sales.
You won’t find me recommending you do everything at once if that’s beyond your budget. Instead, I strategize the most effective spending plan.
For example, you might not need an email campaign yet. Some of your website content could be sufficient for now. What we’ll do is focus on those areas where your B2B content is weakest. This enables you to experience benefits at a sustainable rate. After all, it’s good for me if my work helps you grow your business.
Click HERE for an example of the strategy I used with one client to upgrade a three-postcard direct mail campaign into a stronger lead-nurturing opportunity.
While I work with most of my clients independently, you may also work with me through Upwork. This is a secure platform that protects both of us. Check out my profile HERE and look into how Upwork works for employers. (P.S., I will charge you the same fees if you choose the security of Upwork, even though I lose 20% of the first $500 I earn through the platform.)
* American Writers and Artists Inc.
§ I revisited this prospect’s website five months later. My evaluation remains the same. Either she didn’t find the time to reposition her website content, or she didn’t see the value of taking a new approach after all.