Clever Undies!

I’m so pleased to have you reading again. Before you begin any piece of copy, you need to know what you are writing about. Today’s post is all about the creative brief or clever undies as I lovingly refer to it.

Now, in my case, I never send my clients a lengthy document and expect them to fill it out. That means work for the client. I promote becoming more time-rich in your business. I start the process with a phone call to the client and make sure I get all the answers I need to promote their business/service/product.

You will need to know:

• What is being written – a letter, an ad, a billboard, a website, a flyer
• What product/service is being advertised
• Who is being targeted (Target Market)
• What aspects of the product/service is being promoted
• Who are the competitors
• The key selling benefits
• Why they are different

You will need to learn more, but I find that as I chat, the client naturally talks about their business and I can jot down any interesting quotes, ideas etc. It’s often that a client knows what they want to say, but cannot get it out of their head and onto paper in a way that makes sense.

Some copywriters get very involved with the clients product/service to see for themselves the benefits and features. This is something I would consider if the Pure Blonde or Revlon mob ever knocks on my door!

A word of advice; once you have written a brief, send a copy of it to your clients to ensure you have captured the product/service in the light they want to be portrayed. It is a waste of your time if you spend hours writing, only to discover at the end, that you were way off track.

Try to avoid ringing or emailing the client often after you have taken the brief. I admit I may have emailed a further time to clarify an aspect, but I make sure that within this second contact, I leave no stone unturned. Time is money!

In my next blog, we will take a look at Target Audiences.

PS – A warm smile can warm even the coldest of hearts. Try putting a smile in your voice next time you are on the phone with a client and see the difference in your conversation.