FAQs

As I mentioned earlier, I spent many years as a technical consultant, helping my clients implement complex solutions. I understand what it’s like to be part of a larger team—an extension of my client’s internal staff, so to speak—and to be held accountable to meet project dates and deadlines.

I’ve done the same with marketing teams, working as an extension of their internal group under a retainer agreement.

Yes, if you’d like ongoing writing help, we can set up a monthly retainer. Each retainer agreement is customized based on the needs of my clients and requires a minimum fee that needs to be paid in full at the beginning of the month.

The short answer is yes—for over twenty years. Prior to starting my own business, I worked for one of the largest technology companies in the world—IBM. First, I worked as a technical consultant for about eight years, performing technical sales activities as well as implementation support for the products and services we sold. And later I worked as a sales executive, selling hardware, software and services to business customers across various industries including healthcare, manufacturing, retail and distribution, and pharmaceutical.

Having been a consultant advising customers on IT solutions, I’m comfortable speaking with technical people. I not only understand their language, but I also know how they think—and, more importantly—how they evaluate options and make purchasing decisions.

The short answer is…it depends. (Pretty standard answer, right?)

But in all seriousness, I don’t think you’d want me to make a definitive statement about how long it will take to write your copy without any knowledge of your specific project needs. While I can’t give you any specifics here, I can explain the process I go through…and give you a general idea about timing.

In our first scheduled phone conversation, we will discuss your project in detail, so I can get a high-level understanding of your objectives and timetable. I’ll ask a lot questions and take a lot of notes. We’ll discuss the services I can provide and how those fit into the larger project. This typically takes 30 minutes to an hour.

Next, I’ll take all those notes and develop a proposal for you. The document will lay out my understanding of the project scope, spell out the terms and conditions, and give you an estimate of the time it will take for me to deliver a first draft for your review. The time estimate will be based on two factors: the complexity of the project (research, writing, editing) and my other project commitments. I will deliver a proposal within one business day of our scoping conversation.

From there, how quickly we proceed—and, ultimately deliver—your copy is up to you. I’ll begin your project once the signed proposal and initial payment is received and deliver the first draft according to the project schedule.

Not to be too repetitive, but…it depends.

As I mentioned earlier, once I understand your specific needs, I’ll send you a proposal that will give you a clear picture of the price for my services before we ever begin. Once I quote a price, it doesn’t change unless the project scope changes.

While I have sold to small, privately-held companies in my career, most of my experience has been working with large corporations. I’ve sold and delivered solutions to companies such as Wal-Mart, Eli Lilly & Company, Anthem, American Eagle Outfitters, Roche Diagnostics Corporation, Cardinal Health, and Kroger among many others.

For the majority of my professional career, I’ve marketed, sold, and delivered products and services to business customers. I’ve been involved in all stages of the sales cycle—from lead generation through the close of the sale—and I have a deep understanding of what it takes to persuade a business prospect to make a buying decision.

My success as a salesperson hinged on several factors: a clear understanding of my prospect’s wants, needs and desires, my in-depth understanding of the products and services I was selling, my ability to articulate—using the written as well as the spoken word—the business value of those products and services, and my ability to persuade my prospects to take action.

Your satisfaction is my primary concern. I put everything I have into every client project. My goal is to build a lasting relationship with you as a client, and in order for me to do that, you have to be satisfied with the product you receive.

With that said, my commitment to you is that I’ll revise the copy until you’re satisfied with it—within the context of the project scope, of course. Maybe that’s one revision…maybe it’s two…maybe it’s more. But the bottom line is: I’ll work with you to produce the best copy I possibly can.