Let’s be honest: we’re all fundamentally nosy. And if we see someone with something we want, we need to know how they got it.

So why do I remain surprised that people want to know how I got to where I am today? I say this without arrogance. I’m not the highest earning copywriter. I don’t have the most awards (best new editor way back when is as good as it gets). I don’t work for Apple, or Innocent, or Nike.

But I make a good living from a job I love. I’m consistently busy. I have a waiting list (usually a pretty healthy one).

I don’t advertise. My clients find me, rather than the other way around. What’s more, I get to choose whether I want to work with them or not.

It’s all pretty damn good.

So, given the number of emails and conversations I’ve had asking for tips, I thought I’d share a few things that might surprise you.

“You’ve been freelance for 20 years? How have you done it? What’s your secret?!”

You want secrets? Oh… I’ve got secrets.

I’m not talking the kind of secrets you’ll find if you type ‘great business advice’ into Google. Surround yourself with good people. Be tenacious. Work hard. Oh no. I’m talking about the stuff inside my head. The personal stuff, that hopefully you’ll read and identify with, rather than slowly backing away from the crazy word girl in the corner.

I still suffer from imposter syndrome

Chances are, you do too. Everyone gets self-doubt from time to time.

Sometimes it’s crippling. I feel like I’ve been winging it – that one day someone will call me out as a fraud. In my head, it’s usually Jafar, from the Disney movie Aladdin.

And it’ll go a little something like this:

“You? YOU? You think you can make a success as a writer? WHO ARE YOU KIDDING?”

(Cue evil Disney-villain-style laughter.)

Most of the time I know I’ve got this.

Jeez, I have over 180 online testimonials from people who love working with me, because I increase their sales, bring in more customers, or just make their job easier.

Yet still the doubt creeps in occasionally. It’s all part of the process.

The idea of networking used to bring me out in a rash

Yeah, okay… not an *actual* rash, but seriously, I can’t think of anything I dreaded more. So much so, that for the first 14 years as a freelance copywriter I did no networking whatsoever.

Having to sell myself to complete strangers? No way José. Standing in front of a room full of people, talking about my business until the two-minute timer busted me for rambling?

Or worse – drying up. Can you imagine the sniggers? “She’s a copywriter and she ran out of words!” It’s happened. Not often, but enough to stop me getting blasé.

And that’s a good thing, right?

When I did decide to start networking I realised it’s a case of finding the right groups to fit both your business and your personality. I prefer the more informal groups that don’t involve pressure to refer or the dreaded elevator pitch.

Now I network as much for the social aspect (working for yourself can be isolating as hell) and the food (shh – don’t tell) as anything else. And it’s more about meeting like-minded people than indulging pushy sales pitches.

I hate public speaking

If you follow me on social media you may remember this time last year I took a giant freakin’ leap outside my comfort zone. Yes, I stood up – okay, there was a bar stool involved, but you get the picture – in front of 80 local business owners and talked about copywriting.

And do you know what? I bloody loved it.

At the time… yeah, it was pretty good.

Immediately after – oh my days was I buzzing. I was in my element, in fact.

So perhaps secret number three should be that I hate the idea of public speaking, but in reality, it gives me an enormous energy boost and I should probably do it more often.

I can talk for England

When I write copy for my clients it’s clear and concise. I write tight, using the minimum of words. There’s no waste. No sagging at the edges. No siree.

When I talk… oh man. Different story.

If you’ve met me, or we’ve spoken on the phone, you’ll know.

I talk lots. And I talk fast.

I blame my brain. It gets excited. It fires ideas at tangents and my mouth can’t keep up. In fairness, it shouldn’t even try. In reality, it tries. Boy does it try.

So, meetings with me can be high energy affairs. Particularly if we’re talking about a subject that really interests me. (You’d like help marketing your chocolate business, you say?)

I struggle with distractions

We all do it. Sometimes it’s easier to put things off than bite the bullet and get started. In my case, if I need to work on something for my own business, rather than for a client, I’ll often make excuses. Distractions glint at me like glitter in the tiles at the airport duty-free shop.

• “Ooh look! The trailer for the new Marvel movie is out!”
• “I’ll should just post on Instagram…”
• “I should probably hang the washing.”
• “Where shall we go on holiday this year?”

Displacement activity. Avoid it at all costs. (Pun very definitely intended.)

Which neatly leads on to…

I need accountability

In 20 years as a freelance copywriter, I’ve never missed a deadline. When it comes to client work, I’m as focused as a sniper with a 50-yard target.

When it comes to working on my own business, I need serious accountability. It took me two years from deciding I wanted to start a monthly newsletter to sending out the first issue. Two years!

(You can sign up here, incidentally.)

Distractions aside, if I’ve told someone I’m going to do something, you bet your life I’m gonna do it. It’s a matter of pride.

Having close relationships with other freelancers helps me. But choose wisely. Pick the ones who lift your energy with their positivity and ideas, not the energy vampires who flatten you with their gripes about how hard it is to be your own boss. No one needs that.

The energy boost I get from an hour of shared inspiration and support makes me more positive, more productive, and more profitable.

I have a fundamental inability to ask for help

I’m not sure being a perfectionist control freak is essential when it comes to making a success of your freelance career, but giddy me does it keep you on your toes.

I’m my own biggest critic, my own worst enemy, yada yada. I should cut myself some slack, occasionally, but I’m too busy beating myself up about my imperfections.

I go to an event and come away fired up and inspired by new ideas, then get frustrated and feisty that I can’t do everything at once, or that things take longer than expected.

They say delegation is the key to running a successful business. That’s not easy when you’re standing where I’m standing, but I’m getting better. I now have a virtual assistant, an IT support company, and an accountant (my ex-husband, but that’s a story for another day).

My secret’s safe… right?

So, there we have it. A cheeky peek into some of the guilty secrets of a freelance copywriter. If this post has gone some way to make you feel more normal, I’d love to know. If you’re pulling a face and judging me for my weirdness, do me a favour… keep it to yourself.

The client: Midlands Wedding DJ, Birmingham, West Midlands

John Horton owns Midlands Wedding DJ – a professional wedding disco and entertainment service covering Birmingham and the West Midlands. He got in touch when his responses to emails from potential clients weren’t working hard enough to convert leads into customers.

The need

Being well known on the wedding circuit in the West Midlands, John receives lots of emails asking for quotes and availability, which he responds to promptly – but these enquiries weren’t getting him the bookings he needs for his business to be successful.

When John asked me for help with his email responses, he was frustrated with the number of enquiries that simply weren’t converting into business.

His costs are competitive, his reputation is good, and his service is professional. I’d already written his website, and this works hard to generate leads and raise awareness of his business. Something wasn’t working.

The solution

I asked John to send me examples of enquiries he’d received from potential clients, together with his responses. I could immediately see what the problem was. First, the emails contained spelling mistakes that could lead potential clients to think the business was unprofessional. Price wasn’t the issue. For a quality service to generate bookings, there needs to be a perception of quality, and the emails weren’t communicating this.

John’s responses contained none of the personality or warmth that’s so important for service businesses, so I changed the tone to make his replies informal, friendly and approachable, while maintaining a professional tone.

The emails focused on the technical features included in the price. I flipped this to focus on the benefits to the client, and kept the language simple and concise.

I added a question to find out where the enquirer heard about John’s business, as a way of opening up a dialogue and showing he cares – with the added advantage of giving him inside information on where his leads are coming from – a line about the need to book now as dates are limited, to communicate scarcity, and added a clear, compelling and persuasive call to action.

In the client’s words…

“Sarah is a true marketing expert. She’s written two websites for me, so I knew I could ask her to look at my emails. She puts herself in the customer’s shoes, and understood where I was going wrong and how to put things right. She just gets it. 

“In just a couple of hours, she wrote four email templates that I started using straight away and I’ve already seen results. I converted one enquiry within a couple of days, and lots of customers have called me to ask for more details after Sarah told me to make it easy for people to get in touch. Her work has paid for itself already, and I’m feeling really positive about my business again.”

John Horton, Owner, Midlands Wedding DJ
www.midlandsweddingdj.co.uk

The client: RTL Group, Luxembourg

RTL Group is the leading European entertainment network. With interests in 60 television channels and 31 radio stations around the world, this global business employs almost 12,500 people around the world.

Its content production arm, FremantleMedia, is one of the largest international creators, producers and distributors of TV content outside the US – think The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and I’m a Celebrity…

With 26 billion monthly video views, RTL Group is also the leading European media company in online video.

The need

The corporate communications team at RTL Group aren’t native English speakers but it’s vital that the language they use has a natural flow, and is grammatically – and factually – correct. The team produce a huge range of publications and marketing collateral, all of which needs to be accurate and well written, and to support the professionalism of RTL Group’s global brand.

The solution

I started providing marketing support for RTL Group in 2006, when I was hired to proofread their annual report, and I’m now in my 13th year.

During this time I have written, edited, rewritten and proofread a huge range of publications, including newsletters, exhibition materials, and even CEO speeches. I work closely with their team to produce work that reflects the company’s professional image.

In 2017 I decided to pay a visit to Luxembourg, to meet RTL Group’s communications and marketing team in person, in their new corporate headquarters. I can safely say, 475 miles is the farthest I’ve travelled to meet a client!

In the client’s words…

“I have the pleasure of working with Sarah on the RTL Group Annual Report. She is very passionate about her work and the English language, and always does a fantastic job of reviewing and editing the content.

“Sarah gives us the safety that very important text and articles are reviewed in the utmost professional manner. She finds even the tiniest mistakes and typos within lengthy and complex text, and is very quick and precise in the work she delivers. She is extremely friendly and working with her is a great experience!”

Isabell Ostermann, Senior Communications & Marketing Manager, RTL Group
www.rtlgroup.com

“Accuracy, reliability, flexibility, always on time – these are the reasons why RTL Group has worked with copywriter and proofreader and Sarah Townsend since 2006, on many annual reports, brochures and projects.”

Oliver Fahlbusch, Executive Vice President Corporate Communications & Marketing, RTL Group
www.rtlgroup.com

The client: Priority IT, Trowbridge, Wiltshire

Priority IT has over 10 years’ experience of providing expert IT support for small businesses in Wiltshire and beyond. The team help businesses in all kinds of sectors to get the best out of their computer systems.

The need

Priority IT were using a wide range of materials to communicate with their customers and prospects, most of which were too long, too technical, and didn’t work hard enough to convince customers of the benefits of professional IT support. Because these documents had been written by various staff, they lacked a consistent tone of voice and a coherent message that supported the company’s strong, jargon-free brand.

The solution

I rewrote a range of materials used by Priority IT to communicate with their customers, from emails to proposal documents. I also wrote blog posts for the company’s website and case studies that the team could use to promote the work they do for local businesses.

In the client’s words…

“Sarah has transformed the way we communicate with our clients. She has a great understanding of the marketing process, and how the right words can persuade potential customers to take action. She’s worked her magic on everything from case studies to emails, proposal documents and blog posts. I highly recommend her.”

Kieran Thomas, Managing Director, Priority IT
www.priority-it.co.uk

The client: System 15, Gloucester, Gloucestershire

Gloucester-based IT company, System 15, create clever custom-built software, develop beautiful, functional websites, and provide reliable, jargon-free IT support. Their expert team help Mac and PC-based businesses get the best out of their IT.

The need

System 15 had an idea for a great new product – Business in a Box. This simple, affordable IT solution contains everything a small business needs to get started, from anti-virus protection and cloud-based email to a reliable backup system.

They needed a brochure that enabled them to promote this technical solution to non-technical business owners in a clear, compelling and persuasive way.

The solution

The project involved working closely with System 15’s designer, Adam Vines from www.loungedesign.co.uk. We began by meeting to establish the benefits of the solution, decide on key messages, and start thinking about taglines for the product.

Adam produced a great design, which System 15 loved, and I wrote the copy to fit the approved design, making the process very efficient.

Communication was clear from start to finish, and the result is a great looking brochure that promotes the benefits of a technical product in a way that any small business owner can understand.

In the client’s words…

“Due to the technical nature of Business in a Box it was vital to ensure the brochure copy was easy to understand and would appeal to decision makers. Sarah’s brief was to translate this technical concept into a clear, benefit-led message.

“It’s extremely difficult to create copy that reads well and conveys a clear sales message about your product or service. It doesn’t matter how good your offering is – if the copy isn’t right you will lose potential clients.

“You have such a small amount of time to grab the attention of your customer and deliver your message, and if your copy isn’t clear, persuasive and appealing then your client may never know how good your product really is.

“Sarah took the time to understand our requirements and produced carefully crafted copy without any technical jargon. I strongly recommend her services and will certainly be using her again in the future.”

Nick Rowntree, Director, System 15
www.system15.co.uk