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Do buyers need to be educated?

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by TMG Enterprises, Jul 16, 2008.

  1. #1
    While looking through the B/T/S threads, I noticed one trend that I found interesting. Quite often, people post simply that they want 10 articles on such-and-such topic and PM with rates and turnaround time. Do they seriously think that is enough information? My rates vary with the amount of time I need to dedicate to a project as well as how fast the client wants the articles. How do they think I can give them a realistic turnaround time if they haven't specified what length and type of article that they want?

    Buyers who truly want professional writing should keep this in mind. If someone jumps up and says they can do it without getting more details first -well, don't be surprised if they don't get it to you when you want it and/or the quality is poor.
     
    TMG Enterprises, Jul 16, 2008 IP
  2. SEOLinker

    SEOLinker Banned

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    #2
    Sure, they need to be. I've seen that a lot in freelance sites as well. With all of that "I can do it, sir" replies. Of course I get the jobs, not they:)
     
    SEOLinker, Jul 16, 2008 IP
  3. jezzz

    jezzz Notable Member

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    #3
    Yeah! they need to be educated to deal in with different cases & deals! plus self awareness towards specified business! also required
     
    jezzz, Jul 16, 2008 IP
  4. lpstong

    lpstong Notable Member

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    #4
    Yes I would have to agree with them about being educated. I would suggest to write a brief yet "educated" posts of suggestions for both buyers and sellers for article writing and see about it getting it placed as a sticky. Oft time such detailed and highly suggestive or educated post will get stuck if many users or mods find them helpful.
     
    lpstong, Jul 16, 2008 IP
  5. webgal

    webgal Peon

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    #5
    It's called "defining a project". I think people simply want to know a cost range sometimes to see if they are in the ballpark and don't want to go to the trouble until

    > They see how fast your reply
    > They see if they are even in the same ocean from a budget standpoint

    I often get "how much for a website"? Well, that's a loaded question. Writing, designing, pages? I am presently working on a document that will offer a template for getting projects defined so communication between writer and client is better and more efficient.

    On the other hand, the internet has spawned some clueless business people. But it has spawned brilliant ones as well.
     
    webgal, Jul 16, 2008 IP
  6. Yoseo

    Yoseo Guest

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    #6
    yes, but, i need toy needc check and test for educate pos 3 cool
     
    Yoseo, Jul 16, 2008 IP
  7. SEOLinker

    SEOLinker Banned

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    #7
    Yoseo, are you one of that buyers ?:)
     
    SEOLinker, Jul 16, 2008 IP
  8. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #8
    There's nothing worse as a writer than clients who really don't know what they want. In some cases they go into a project blindly, and don't realize what they want until they've seen what they don't want from the writer first - there's also really no excuse for it. What I've found worse here on DP specifically is issues with non-native English speaking buyers. Some are excellent to work with. However, others don't understand the language well enough to really be trying to run English-language sites to begin with. It's true with both content buyers (why we see so many poor content writers with great iTrader reviews and such - the buyers wouldn't know proper English if they saw it) and with buyers of marketing and sales copy.

    I had a client not too long ago that I had this issue with - we were taking care of marketing copy. It was bad enough that they struggled to articulate what they wanted until they saw one or two versions they didn't want first, but they also made it very difficult to write anything sales-oriented and creative, because they had to have very literal text (they didn't understand basic English phrases that weren't meant to be taken literally). Like I said, there are plenty of clients who do know what they want fortunately, and who do understand the language they're contracting writing in, so at the end of the day it's not that bad. With the advertised writing gigs here, however, I'd probably lose my mind dealing with those issues.

    And Anne, I'm actually in the same boat. I'm putting together project spec sheets for quotes while I re-do my writing site and get it moved to a new domain - hoping it will stop me from wasting as much time repeating the same information regarding rates.
     
    jhmattern, Jul 16, 2008 IP
  9. Bayo

    Bayo Peon

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    #9
    No. If you spend your time educating your customer you will go broke!

    Its better to find those that know what they want and work with them instead.

    "Educating" on the other hand may have its place but I see this as more in terms of rates and how we work as a professionals in business.
     
    Bayo, Jul 16, 2008 IP
  10. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #10
    It's fine to educate clients to a certain degree. When their lack of understanding or planning in what they want becomes an issue though (such as them taking significantly more time than other clients for similar projects because of that fact), then you should be tacking on consulting fees or find some other way to be adequately compensated for the extra time they require. You don't have to give up the clients, but if you feel like they're taking advantage of you or something similar, you'll end up resenting them, and that's not a healthy client / professional relationship.
     
    jhmattern, Jul 16, 2008 IP
  11. marketjunction

    marketjunction Well-Known Member

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    #11
    No.

    Spend your time with other stuff.

    Simply send them a reply (or whatever) asking for more details so you can give them a proper quote.

    End of story.

    If you spend your time getting frustrated at pointless crap, you'll never make it anywhere. It happens to a lot of people.
     
    marketjunction, Jul 16, 2008 IP
  12. babushka99

    babushka99 Member

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    #12
    Well for starters - buyers (IMHO) don't really have a choice as fas as the forum is concerned (if one were to be available anyhow) between "quality content writers" and just-plain-old-article-writers. DP - on the whole is a bargain basement. Many buyers here from what I have gathered, are looking to populate their websites with content without paying too much attention to the article's quality itself. Like many copywriters have pointed out, sometimes it is not the length of the article, but what you are trying to achieve with it - which is mostly omitted/overlooked by buyers when requesting work.

    But then despite all the haggling that goes on here, there are quite a few qulity content writers (copywriters) as well as a few quality conscious buyers.

    Then again with the Internet on the whole, your mileage may vary.
     
    babushka99, Jul 18, 2008 IP
  13. chant

    chant Well-Known Member

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    #13
    The reason that you see so many posts without much details about the job requirements like subject, number of words, etc., is that the abundance of people posting these kinds of ads are wannabe adsense moguls. They have no idea how to create the right kind of content and no business experience. It's common sense that an employer should supply some sort of basic info but since these kinds of people have visions swimming in their heads of being the next internet millionaire, they don't think it through.
     
    chant, Jul 18, 2008 IP
    jhmattern likes this.
  14. Trusted Writer

    Trusted Writer Banned

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    #14
    So true, and this is exactly what an average buyer ignore.

    Only people who take seriously their business have a project in mind post in detail what the want, what they offer and what they expect of a writer, otherwise explaining this via pm.
     
    Trusted Writer, Jul 18, 2008 IP