Over the years I’ve known quite a few auto mechanics. A few I’ve considered good friends. Through the years I worked on a good number of my own cars - enough to know I hate it. And that is the first thing auto mechanics taught me about copywriting. Auto Mechanics? Copywriting?
Well, yes. You could even broaden those principles into life lessons.
The first lesson comes from a mechanic who was the father of a friend of mine. He was considered the best auto mechanic in town. After he “retired”, so many loyal customers drove or limped their vehicles to his driveway, he finally opened for business in his home garage. So what did I learn from him?
Besides the fact that if you know your stuff and can offer what other people can’t, there will always be a demand for your services - Mr. Bergerson had a particular pricing policy.
He always charged double his rate for the first hour. His reasoning? Most problems brought to him could be solved in an hour or less, thus his first hour was the most valuable. Whether you agree with this or not, his customers - myself included - gladly paid it. Why?
Because he was worth every penny. He did the job right the first time and, yes, it usually did take an hour or less. And that revelation led me to a second insight I learned from another mechanic.
After a few years, Mr Bergeson passed away - no doubt with a wrench in his hand. I was forced to find a new mechanic. I settled for the most expensive mechanic in town. Why?
Because in the long run, he was cheaper than all the rest.
A lot of auto mechanics is trial and error. The really good ones can find the problem with less trial and error. The best rarely missed. Paul was the best. Not only that but when I would take my car in for even an oil change, he would present a list of what the car needed - broken down into what needed immediate attention - what could wait and how long it would likely last and what could be fixed but didn’t effect the performance or safety of the car. Paul was adamant on safety. If something was unsafe it did not leave his shop. He would go toe to toe with you on that one.
Paul’s lesson is obvious to me: buy the best you can afford. It will save you money in the long run. As I said, while these principles certainly apply to copywriting, they also work in so many areas of life.
So how can I apply Mr. Bergeson’s lesson to copywriting?
For one: don’t be afraid to charge what you’re worth. Actually, Paul also taught me that but he also taught me a couple of other things. More on that in a moment.
Mr. Bergeson felt he was worth a fair but decent rate - and twice that for the first hour… and he got it. Not only that but he was always busy. And without advertising (ouch). So charge what you are worth. What else did Paul teach me?
Be worth what you charge. Paul always went over every car that entered his shop with a fine tooth comb. I’ve had mechanics who found “other problems”, but none ever instilled the confidence Paul did. He was one of the most honest men I ever encountered.
And as you may know, I decided to seek out some copywriting projects in the next few months and that is what turned my thoughts to fees.
Ironically, if you follow my advice, you may never hire me. I do not claim to be the best copywriter in the world, nor am I the most expensive… not even close. As a matter of fact, if I do my job well enough, I may never be able to charge what I’m truly worth… why?
Let’s say I quote a project for you. For the sake of argument, let’s say I charge what some “A list” copywriters charge - $15,000 + a 5% royalty. (Shocked? Some charge more than that and have a waiting list!)
To make the math easy let’s assume you have a product you sell for $100 and make a 50% profit. You get 500 visitors a day to your site and it converts at 1%.
So you sell 1 in 100 visitors or 5 units per day with a gross profit of $250 per day.
My new sales page doubles your conversion rate bringing in another $250 per day gross profit. At that rate it would only take 60 days to pay for my services. in 120 days you’ve doubled your investment and the profits keep rolling in. Here’s the kicker…
According to Google - a 2% conversion rate is about average for US websites.
Oh yes, that 5% (usually of gross sales) would cost you another $25 per day or $750 per month for as long as you use my copy. Would it be worth $25 to bring in another $225 in profits every day?
Even with this exercise I still have a hard time charging anywhere near that kind of fee. Maybe I’ll get over it at some point, but for now rest assured, I am much more affordable.
If you would like a quote for your project email to admin at this web address with the subject line “Quote Requested” or call me at 443.254.3703. For a limited time - because my own time is limited - if you ask, I’ll perform my own version of Paul’s car inspection for your business and present you with a “punch list” of what you need to fine tune your profits.
God bless,
Andy
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