A potential client contacts you. He wants a quote on writing a press release. You’re excited about the opportunity, so you quickly put together a quotation and email it to him right away.
Okay so far.
But in the quotation, you describe the work you propose to do on the project as: “Writing a 2-page press release for a new product. Fee: $1,000.”
Big mistake.
Why? Because you’re not just a writer. You’re also an interviewer, researcher, creative concepter, content strategist, information packager, editor, and more.
And you MUST make sure your prospective client knows this.
It’s unfortunate, but some clients don’t realize that writing is damn hard work and encompasses many activities that don’t necessarily involve tapping away on the keyboard. That’s why it’s important to explain in your quotation all the things you’ll be doing for the client on the project.
My favorite way to do this is by listing all the project tasks as a series of bullets. For a press release writing job, for example, your list might look like this …
EXAMPLE:
To help you develop a successful press release, my services will include:
- Studying the background information on the new product.
- Interviewing you and other contacts in your company to develop the key messages and story.
- Reviewing the target publications to ensure the press release is written in a similar style and tone.
- Structuring the press release so it adheres to the latest best practices and has the best chance of gaining media attention.
- Writing the press release and delivering it to you in the correct format so it can be submitted immediately to a media release service.
- Promptly handling any revisions you might request.
My fee for all of the above work will be $1,000.
You have to admit that the bullet list above is more compelling than simply saying to the client, “I’ll write you a press release for a thousands bucks.” After a client reads a list like the one above, they’re thinking, “Wow. This writer really brings a lot to this project. And she’s obviously an expert at press release writing. The $1,000 fee is a deal for all the work she’ll be doing for us!”
And this is exactly what you want your potential client to think, so you can get the job at your price.
Use this bullet list strategy in all your quotations and proposals. If you do, you’ll win more projects, more often — and at higher rates.
