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6 Responses
Hi Mindy – great blog about the barter challenge – and also the self-promo letter. Just to share with you about one of the barters that I am working on:
I attended a local Trade Show last week with the express goal of finding at least one or two businesses that I could barter with. An interesting thing happened – and it was a learning for me! I was talking with a merchant and conversation came around to my services – web audit, web copywriting etc. His eyes lit up – turns out they are working on their website and need a copywriter! Well … I had barter so firmly fixed on my head that I immediately began to talk in that vein. Silly me – I should have kept quiet and waited – I’m sure he would have gone for my services barter or not. Anyway – bottom line, I am meeting him on Wednesday for an initial interview and fact-finding exploration about his business, website needs etc. He will come armed with a package of his products for me – and that’s all good to date … but after an initial look around his site – he will need way more than I would provide for the barter.
So what do you (or any of your readers) think of this? … I will do what I promised intially i.e. edit, re-write, write and optimize new copy for two or three of his significant pages. Then I will suggest that anything over and above that should be a separate contract. I will plan my comments carefully because I don’t want to go back on my initial (preliminary)discussion with him, which would be unprofessional. Yet I cannot undersell my services either.
His product? Organic skin products. Not too sexy – (like a whole set of new windows) – and I don’t use a whole lot of extra products on my skin – but they are an excellent line, and they were developed because he and his wife couldn’t put anything else on their baby’s sensitive skin.
I’ll keep you posted and I’ll watch with interest as you proceed with your own findings!
Happy Sunday and have a great week! Ann
Hi Ann!
Always lovely to hear from you. 🙂
Kudos to you for going to that Trade Show! I’m so impressed with you for just heading out and doing it – though it makes me laugh that you put you were so focused on getting a barter you didn’t think about other options. I think I would have done the exact same thing!
Your idea about suggesting a contract separate from the bartered deal is perfect. I think the key is to assign a value to what you’re willing to offer as a bartered service, then point out anything beyond that will be billed as a professional service. You might try offering the changes in phases – e.g., phase 1 means you’ll do A, B, and C for him in exchange for some of his product. Phase 2 means you’ll do D and E for him at $X cost. Consider writing it all up in a proposal when you go see him – and definitely write out the details before you start the work.
If you end up with more skin products than you know what to do with, consider using them to barter for something else you really do want. 🙂
Good luck Wednesday – please write in and let me know how it goes!
Mindy
A few things to be wary of when bartering for services:
* Don’t barter for services that are medical, health or coaching services. These relationships can go very badly very quickly because of the underlying mentor/student or doctor/patient relationship. Particularly if you are providing marketing services–remember the marketing mantra–results vary. Even if you have killer copy, the person you trade with may not mail enough, mail to the right people, or have a product that people want…and the doctor/client, coach/ client relationship can become very uncomfortable if there is a perceived disatisfaction with the success of their advertising campaign (just imagine for a moment your chiropractor telling you they are disatisfied with their ad—then working on your back Or a coach telling you they have issues with your service…then trying to be supportive of your mental state
* Get it in writing. Just like you would ask for a purchase order and a deposit before starting on a project, don’t write copy without a clearly defined, written agreement in place. Especially if you are using the service/product first–it is very frustrating to suddenly have someone decide that they have “changed their marketing plan” and, that will be “$80 please”.
* Make sure that you are bartering for something you really want and need. Most of the time if the other party really needs the copywriting they will pay for it. If they aren’t serious about paying normal rates, they may not have a stable enough business or a good enough marketing plan to make full use of the marketing you provide. If you dont really want the _____, your writing will be sub-par because you resent having to spend valuable time on the client. A barter client should be treated with as much respect as a paying client. Their service is valable too.
How do I know this? Unfortionately, learned through experience! When you really get your message out there that you are a good copywriter, provide great marketing materials, etc., you will become a target for folks that want to build their business but aren’t committed enough to put money behind their efforts.
Trade is WONDERFUL and I’ve had many great experiences with it, just make sure you are walking in with open eyes and a deep-set knowledge of the value of your own services.
Wyethia Rae
Hi Wyethia,
Thank you – EXCELLENT points!
I especially like the point you made about bartering in a medical or coaching environment. It reminds me actually of a job I had in college working as the receptionist for a natural health doctor. I was also a patient of his, and seeing how things worked “behind” the scenes damaged that doctor/patient relationship (I quit after two weeks). So I can definitely see how a barter relationship could go south.
Do you mind if I re-post this in the forum under the thread about tips on bartering? I think a lot of people will benefit from your insight.
Thank you so much for sharing this!
Mindy
Hi Mindy (and Wyethia):
Thanks to both of you for your feedback and suggestions. Today I met my barter-partner (what would YOU call him?) and we had a valuable meeting.
Since it was our first one (other than the initial chat at the Trade Show) and one phone call, it was as much an exploratory session as anything else.
I discovered some basic information about their business practices, their products and the website. There was SO much to talk about and it was a bit tough to keep him on track because he is so proud of, and enthusiastic about, their products and was eager to tell me all about each one in great detail.
I had prepared an ‘agenda’ in terms of what I needed to come away with – along with some questions. Thank goodness for Pam’s tools from the Site Audit program – that’s what kept me organized (sorta). (Note to self to contact her.)
I also summarized with him what I would provide for “Phase 1” (the barter) and how it might extend into Phase 2(professional services) and beyond, for them. (GREAT suggestion! Thank you!) And he was very amenable. I am not yet totally comfortable talking about the $$ part of my business – but it will become easier and I just need to get on with it and do it!
They have wonderful goals and are exemplary in their practices (environmental, Fair Trade, ethics etc) – so I believe it’s going to be a pleasure to work with both them, and their website. I plan to write up our agreement and the scope of Phase 1 and send it to him.
I came home with two woven bags of beautiful products – lovely, but once I start with my “Organic Rituals”, it’s going to make me even later getting to bed than usual (I’m an owl already as you know) (:
But if you know of anyone with a baby with very sensitive skin – this was the origin of the product development – then this is the product for them! There’s a whole baby line, and they will ship world wide.
Gotta go get started on my “Organic Rituals” – good night!
Hooray, ANN!
I’m so excited to hear about your first meeting! I really admire you for doing that. I still get cranky when a client wants to talk over the phone instead of through email, so good for you for going out face to face!
And how great to have a product you can write enthusiastically about, as far as their business practices. Seems like it’ll make it easier to pull out benefit after benefit.
I can’t wait to hear how it goes, especially as it looks like this will extend into a nice client deal.
Bravo! I fell so motivated now, after reading your post. 🙂
Thanks,
Mindy