Your Golden Ticket to
an Endless Stream of Clients
By Henry Bingaman

“I never had a chance to shine. Never a happy song to sing. But, suddenly half the world is mine. What an amazing thing. 'Cause I've got a golden ticket.” — Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (1971)

Almost three years ago, when I started copywriting full-time, I was pretty bad at getting clients. It was a struggle every month to earn enough to pay my rent and have money left over for food.

I didn’t have a niche. I didn’t have a real portfolio. And, everything I knew about copywriting I had learned from AWAI and a few other courses I’d picked up.

But, after struggling for almost a year, I made a decision that changed my life and transformed by copywriting business.

Today, I have a foolproof technique for getting all the clients I can handle. I don’t prospect for work. I don’t advertise. Heck, I don’t even update my website anymore (not smart, but true).

Because I have something better than a good website to bring me clients … I have a “golden ticket.”

And, I’ll show you how to get your own golden ticket.

But first, you should understand how clients choose copywriters.

Consider what it’s like to be on the client’s end of hiring a copywriter.

Imagine your company has a new product. The company is counting on the product to be this year’s profit leader. You know it won’t sell until the copy gets written.

If it’s a big success, you look like a hero. If it flops, there’s a chance your job could go down the tubes with it.

Plus, you have to answer for every cent that goes out the door. Your boss won’t mind if you spend $50,000 on a sales letter as long as it brings millions back in the door …

But, if you spend $1,000 and the copy only pulls $10,000 in sales, you haven’t even earned your salary. And, you’re fighting against the clock to earn enough money before the bills are due.

Now, it’s decision time.

On your desk are two sales letters from copywriters.

The first has a headline that says, “Killer Copywriter Guarantees To Pump Massive Amounts Of Cash Into Your Bank Account, Literally Overnight!”

Killer copywriter? Pump massive amounts of cash? Is he a homicidal bank robber? You don’t even bother to read the letter.

The next letter has a “grabber” in the envelope and a headline that encourages you to read. This copywriter seems genuine and clearly knows how to write.

You’ll keep her letter and maybe give her a chance on a smaller project. She could be your diamond in the rough. But right now, you’re looking for that one copywriter that you’re comfortable trusting with your company’s profits … and maybe even your job.

So, what do you do?

Simple. You call someone you trust and ask for a recommendation. Often, this is a partner company. Sometimes it’s a list broker. Or, it could be anyone who knows the industry and has some stake in your success.

You explain your predicament and ask if they know of anyone who can handle the project.

Here’s what they tell you: “I know just the person you need. I don’t know what your budget is for the project … and I’m not sure if he has time to take you on … but if you can get on his schedule, he’s just who you’re looking for.”

So, now you have a name and email address. And, you contact this person right away because you have to get on his schedule. You just don’t know who else to turn to. You can’t afford to bicker over price because this person doesn’t need your work.

That is the copywriter you want to be. And, there’s only one way to get there.

You have to build a golden reputation.

That’s why I call my reputation my “golden ticket.” It gets me in the client’s front door with almost no questions asked.

“But, doesn’t it take years to build a reputation?”

No, not really. You can actually build a golden reputation in about a year … once you know how.

The problem is, most people just let their reputation happen to them. They figure if they spend a few years (or decades) working hard and making their clients happy, their reputation will just sort of appear.

And, this is true. But, if you don’t actively control that reputation, you might not like what it ends up being.

So, how can you control your reputation?

I’ll break it down into three steps.

1. Decide what your reputation is going to be.

The trick here is to really make a decision. More like buying a house or getting married than buying a new shirt you may only wear once or twice.

Decision is powerful … more powerful than we often give it credit for.

Once you’ve decided what your reputation is going to be, and really committed to it, you begin to automatically adjust your behavior to live up to it.

So, be as detailed as possible. And, write everything down on a “reputation sheet.”

This is just for you, so be as bold and honest as you can be.

Do you want to be the copywriter with the best understanding of B2B electronics? Would you like be the Site Audit expert for the automotive industry? Or, the best copywriter in financial autoresponders?

That’s a good start. But, go deeper.

For example, when I decided on a reputation, I said I was going to be the best copywriter in natural health. That was a start, but it wasn’t specific enough.

So, I started adding other aspects to my reputation sheet.

I wanted to be known as an “idea man.” And, today I am. I always have an interesting new cure, treatment, or medical scandal. But, it wasn’t until after I added that to my reputation sheet that I really started digging deep for these hidden gems.

My RSS feed and bookshelves are crammed with new material. I read more health books, blogs, and newsletters than anyone I know.

I also wanted to be known as reliable … so I worked very hard to never miss a deadline. And, if I thought I was going to miss one, I always headed off the problem by asking for an extension before it became a dilemma.

If you’ve ever read Dr. Cialdini’s book Influence, you know that people have an internal need to be consistent. It’s a useful piece of knowledge when you’re selling. But, you can use this same principle to improve yourself. By making a decision about your reputation and writing it down, you automatically strive to be consistent with that reputation.

2. Be visible.

You can’t build a reputation if you never talk to anyone. The best place to spread your reputation is at live events. My reputation grows exponentially after every event I attend.

Here’s why. If you have your reputation sheet, and you’re working to live up to it, you actually embody many of the traits you’ve decided on. They come out in your personality and in your interactions.

While this comes out in your dealings with clients and slowly starts to become your actual reputation, at conferences, there’s another factor in play.

You’re in a group setting, so you’re being introduced to people. And, at industry conferences, like AWAI’s Bootcamp, people introduce you with your reputation.

My best clients have come through these kinds of introductions.

“Meet Henry. He’s a superstar in health copywriting …” goes a long way towards landing a client.

3. Craft your story.

People love telling stories. And, marketing managers gossip. The more interesting your story, the better it will spread.

And, your story is constantly growing and expanding. Once you’re established, your story will be mostly about your successes. But, most of your story when you are a beginner is about why you have the reputation you do.

For example, when I started, my story was that my father ran a supplement company and I was an insider in the industry … by proxy if nothing else.

It creates another level to your reputation … and it gives people an excuse to talk about you.

It’s really as simple as that.

But, I want to give you a word of encouragement … and a warning.

A reputation is not built overnight. It requires time and consistency. This is why decision is such an important part. If you don’t make a firm decision, you will end up abandoning your ideal reputation after just a month or two.

But if you stick with it, a reputation is a powerful tool … it’s the real key to moving from overworked rookie to a true professional living the writer’s life.

This article, Your Golden Ticket To An Endless Stream Of Clients, was originally published by Wealthy Web Writer.

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Published: May 18, 2011

1 Response to “Your Golden Ticket to an Endless Stream of Clients”

Henry - brilliant article! I've never seen this exact angle before. I especially like the idea of deciding on your reputation first and then working toward building that consistent reputation.

Steve Roller – May 19, 2011 at 10:10 am

Your Golden Ticket toan Endless Stream of Clients By Henry Bingaman