One Simple Way to Win Your Client Over By Krista Jones

In Issue #59 of The Golden Thread, marketing manager Deeba Jaffri explained that copywriters who have an idea of what their package will look like after it's designed have far more success than those who don't.

So when you land an assignment, spend some time thinking about what you'd like the package to look like. Look through your swipe file for design ideas.

Once you've settled on an idea, sketch it out. For example, if you want the outer envelope to have a window with a coin showing through it, sketch it. You don't have to be an artist – just roughly sketch it as best as you can and then accompany the sketch with written directions. If something should be boxed, put brackets around the copy with instructions to "start box here" and "end box here."

You can sketch by hand or use Microsoft Word. (Word has a drawing tool that allows you to do simple line sketches.) The advantage of using Word is that it becomes part of the job file and you can send it along with the copy. If you draw by hand, you'll have to fax the sketch(es) separately.

Although your clients aren't obligated to use your design, you accomplish two things by giving them clear suggestions. First, you make their job easier because they don't have to waste time guessing what you want to emphasize, etc. And, as a result, you increase your chances of getting more work from them.