3 Critical Steps to Finding a $3,000 Deal …
and Upgrading it to a $30,000 Client
By Joshua Boswell

“Okay, Joshua, we’ve decided we would like to have you write the next email series. We’ve also agreed that your price of $3,000 is more than fair. Let’s get started.”

It is always blissful music to my ears.

There is something about attracting a client and successfully closing them.

But, I have to admit. There is one thing that I enjoy even more … the up-sell.

It is taking that $3,000 project and turning it into a $30,000 client. And sometimes beyond.

I have three questions for you (and I’m going to give you the answers, so stay tuned!)

I am going to give you a simple, money-making formula that you can put to use right now and use for years and years to come. This formula only has three parts, so you can easily remember it. And, best of all, it answers those three pressing questions.

Attract. Close. Up-sell. That’s what you want to do. Here’s how …

Step One: Expose

It should go without saying that you have to let people know you’re in business before they can hire you, right? Even so, it’s astonishing how many new copywriters have the mentality, “If you buy the AWAI program, the clients will come.”

I’m sorry, but you are not Ray Kinsella, this is not Iowa, and your cornfield is not full of ghosts anxious to help you make millions of dollars.

So, you’ve got to do something to expose your services to eager, willing buyers.

Here are three very simple, easy things you can do today to make that happen …

1. Write a blog post and/or an article every day, for the next 90 days, centered around the keywords “copywriter,” “writer,” and your niche. (You have picked a niche or two, right?)
2. Make a list of everyone in the universe you know and send them an email, call them, or tweet them. Tell them you are a pro-copywriter and ready for business. Facebook can help you find everyone in the universe you know. Make them all friends and then post an announcement on Facebook that you know how to make people money with a secret writing formula. (That should spark some interesting conversations.)
3. Pick up the phone and call 10-30 potential clients in your niche. (I’ll show you where to get an exact, no-fear script, that is proven to work, in just a minute.)

Step Two: Give Them What They Really Want

The whole point of making money is really very simple …

You find out what people want and then give it to them in exchange for money. Your services bring them new money they never would have had before. Always remember that.

But, here’s the trick …

Money is actually not important to people. It really isn’t. Money just represents human emotions. Let me show you what I mean …

We make money to buy travel vacations because we enjoy the feelings of awe and wonder when we see new places, experience new climates, and meet fascinating new people living in strange new cultures. And, even more so, we love the memories of it all and the yarn we get to spin as we tell others about our adventure. We’ve all been on a trip and said, “I can’t wait to tell Mom about this!”

I could give you lots of other examples, but it works the same for marketing directors — the people that will be hiring you to write for them.

They don’t want more money added to their bottom line … they want positive human emotions they will enjoy when they spend the bonus they’ll get because your writing increased revenues by 10%. They want the accolades of beating the economy and the glory of overcoming enormously high buying resistance.

So, you have to give them what they really want. How do you do that?

You guessed it! I have a simple 3-question formula that never fails to uncover their immediate wants … and the core human emotions that they want to experience by doing business with you.

I’ve even put together a complete set of dialogs so you can use the 3-question formula in dozens of situations and scenarios.

In a nutshell, you’re basically finding out what it is they really want, why that want is important to them, and what life looks like for them when they actually experience it.

Once you have that information, you can close them on deals at will … especially if you can unequivocally show them how you can consistently make their wants a reality.

Step Three: Invoke the Skew Curve

I have to admit, this part of my formula can get a little complicated, so stay with me …

The “skew curve” is a geometrical representation of the 80/20 principle. 80/20 says things like …

• 80% of the income in the world is controlled by 20% of the population.
• 20% of your efforts produce 80% of your income.
• 80% of the money-making projects in a company are not getting done because staff is using up their time on the 20% labor-intensive projects.

In other words, there is always more to the iceberg than the tip … a lot more. There are more projects and there is more money to be had than what the client suggests at first … a lot more. (Usually at least 10x more to be exact … )

How do you find those extra projects and that extra money?

First of all, you have to really understand the 80/20 principle and see everything through that lens. Once you have that fixed in your mind, ask yourself these three very simple questions:

1. “What unfulfilled want does the client have that I could quickly fill?” (Example: the autoresponder email series they said needs to be done, but they can’t get to. Offer to take it off their plate.)
2. “What are two or three extra things that I can do right now to make my client a huge lump of cash?” (Example: add a bonus to their opt-in page and bump response rate by 15% … or do live interviews with known buyers of the client’s stuff and adjust your copy according to the responses … this always jumps returns and is super easy to do.)
3. “What money-making opportunities can I see that they are totally blind to?” Suggest it and offer to do it. (Example: They are not offering products at various price points — everything is priced between $30 and $100. You could suggest a combo pack at $300 and instantly double their revenues.)

Invoking the “skew curve” takes some practice, but is very, very powerful. And, once you “get it,” you begin to see opportunities all around you for yourself and for your clients.

I have clients today that basically have a blank check sitting on their desk, with my name on it, just waiting for me to tell them how much to make it out for. They know that I understand their business, I understand their wants, and because I understand the “skew curve,” every dollar spent with me will return $2-$2,000 back to them. It’s a very nice position for both of us to be in.

The system for attracting, closing, and up-selling clients is very simple:

1. Expose
2. Give Them What They Really Want
3. Invoke the Skew Curve

If you can master these three things, you will never be wanting for clients. You’ll be in demand and can command very handsome fees.