• By Cathy Goodwin
• Published 03/12/2009
• Writing for the Web

Copywriting will help you create client-attracting messages to convert traffic to profitable paying clients. These days, you’re probably hearing that you need a “team” to grow your business. But it’s not enough to recruit team members. You have to create a system so everyone will be (literally) on the same page. That’s where copywriting comes in. For example, when someone calls to set up an appointment, you need to train team members to say something like, “Emily is looking forward to working with you. Here are three dates/times that she has available. Will any of those work for you?” Next, you need to send these new clients to a page on your website where you describe what they need to bring to the first or next phone session. Some professionals create an autoresponder. Clients want to know, “How much time do we have? What happens if I’m late? What is your cancellation policy? Do I need to send anything ahead of time? How do I pay?” Your own clients may have additional questions. These questions can be answered on a page that becomes available only for paid clients and/or clients who are seriously ready to make a move. Your basic services page will share more about what’s involved and what benefits clients can expect.

Additionally, you need a sp

ecial script for clients who have worked with you before, whether they’re former clients or colleagues. If you’ve met in person and/or held several phone conversations, you enjoy a special relationship. When you say, “See my assistant for an appointment,” you might lose this business. Instead, you can say, “Miranda keeps my calendar. She will take good care of you. I will send her a message to expect your call. And I am really happy to be working with you.” Appointment scripts are critical, especially for clients who are ready to sign up. When they feel you’re saying, “Take a number,” they are likely to vote with their dollars. They will find another professional service. Clients are usually excited about working with you when they call. If they lose momentum, it’s hard to get them back. Within a day, they will be surfing websites of your competitors. Finally, your team needs a script to handle mistakes. Once I called an assistant to a well-known Internet marketer. I had a question about a time-sensitive special offer. The assistant got back to me long after the offer had expired. “Well, I guess you missed the offer,” she said. “Are you still interested?”

Needless to say, I never spent another dime with that marketer. A better script would read, “It’s my fault so we will not only give you the price of the offer, but also we have a special thank you bonus.”