Dan Kennedy Book

I just finished an interesting book by Dan Kennedy. Dan‘s a copywriter and marketing guru who has written over a dozen books and delivered thousands of presentations over the past 30 years.

Dan’s not the most likeable guy in the world. He’s arrogant, curmudgeonly, and opinionated. I would guess that most people are turned off when first introduced to his material. It’s challenging, in-your- face stuff that isn’t often concrete but is always loud.

The book I read is called the “No BS Business Success in the New Economy”. I strongly recommend it if you believe, as I do, there’s a new economy emerging, with a more cautious and savvy buyer. A prospect that researches, bids out, and demands.

Kennedy discusses how to approach and close the new client / customer/ buyer. It’s not enough to be just a copywriter, salesperson, film editor, graphic designer, ______ anymore. He suggests we need to position ourselves as broader strategists, able to bring much more to the table than our label suggests.

I have a colleague who charges $400 to create a logo. She’s having a lot of trouble getting her fee anymore. Part of that is the recession…but I suspect that even when the economy turns around it still won’t be easy. The buyer’s mindset has changed permanently.

It’s become too easy to outsource design, writing, editing, administrative and website services. It’s  unrealistic to try to compete with the global market on price. Indonesia and Romania have you beat. You need to revamp your marketing strategy to target exactly what your prospect wants, and it’s rarely what they ask for.

Bottom Line: It’s not enough to slap a price list up on your site or send a proposal that lists cost of services.  Stay focused on your prospect and how you can help them – not what you do, how you do it, and what you charge.