2. The Right Qualities

Nevertheless, there are certain qualities that can help, and might be worth developing. Good copywriters are likely to have many or all of the following.

Listening and questioning skills

As I describe in Chapter 3, the first time you speak to a client to take a brief can often be the most important contact you have with them.

In the short amount of time you may have available – sometimes as little as ten or 15 minutes – you need to understand not only the job the client is asking you to do, but also the audience your work is intended for, the medium that will be used to convey it and, crucially, the cultural nuances of the client’s business, to ensure your copy reflects their tone and style accurately. To get this kind of information, you need to be a good listener and ask the right sorts of questions.

The same skills are needed for interviews, which usually form the basis of copy in newsletters, magazines, papers, websites, reports and a host of other communications, and for feedback on your work, which may provide you with essential clues to help you hold on to business.

Creativity

Copywriting is generally seen as a highly creative discipline and, while other aspects of the job are perhaps equally important, it is true that good copywriters have to think laterally and possess a good imagination or else they might never get beyond a blank piece of paper. However, if you are going to make a living from copywriting, then creativity needs to be tempered with practicality. Although most clients appreciate good ideas, not all may be receptive to your wackier proposals. And unless you are happy to provide them with something more suitable, you may end up cutting off potentially lucrative sources of income. Good copywriters learn to channel their imagination so their inspiration is couched in terms the client will understand and relate to – in other words, so it fits in with the client’s culture.

Beware of ideas above your client’s station. Sometimes you can have an idea that you believe is absolutely right for your client – if only they will be prepared to try something a bit riskier than they currently do elsewhere in their communications.

Although you may well be right about the effectiveness of the idea, in practice few clients are bold enough to buy into a concept that goes beyond the boundaries of their corporate culture. So a copywriter who wants to win business will always provide a fall-back idea that, while perhaps less ambitious, fits in with the kind of communication the client is used to seeing.

Attention to detail

Because it rarely seems to go hand-in-hand with creativity, attention to detail is probably the one skill that many prospective (and some practising) copywriters lack. But it is immensely important. The copywriter’s job is to produce messages for their client’s organisation – and the subliminal content of these messages, the way things are said, can be just as important as what is said. No matter how creative, copy that is riddled with spelling mistakes or grammatical errors will hardly enhance your client’s reputation. If your client notices mistakes, they will be well within their rights to query your abilities – or decide not to use your services again in future. If they do not pick up on errors, then their customers may, and your copy will still fail to achieve its aims.

Remember, as a copywriter you are expected to be an expert in language and writing. Everyone makes mistakes, but dotting ‘i’s and crossing ‘t’s is probably more essential in copywriting than in any other profession.

Incidentally, this is one area where even journalists, who are specially trained to watch out for inaccuracies in reporting, can come unstuck, because they often learn to dash out words as quickly as possible and rely on editors and sub-editors to pick up on mistakes. The independent copywriter rarely has this luxury, and has to act as both the writer and the editor.

Self-motivation

One of the great things about working as a freelance copywriter is that you can do as little or as much work as you want or need to. But no matter how lackadaisical you might be about working, sooner or later you will need to haul yourself out of bed, or away from the TV, to get a job done before the deadline, or to make a few calls so your source of income does not run out completely.

Like being at college, in copywriting you can get by, provided your outgoings are not too high, with relatively little effort. But the more you put in, the more you are likely to get out.

Business acumen

Free spirits might see the ins and outs of running a company as too dull and complicated to be worth worrying about. But while it is true that you do not need much knowledge in this area to run a successful copywriting business, it is important to have some skills at least. Most independent copywriters work alone and have to be adept not only at selling their services, but also at pricing their time properly, keeping on top of invoices and payment and carrying out many other tasks that will ensure a steady income.

This might seem like a fairly straightforward affair, but virtually every copywriter I know of, myself included, has managed to run into cash flow problems at some point, and usually as a result of something simple like not putting aside enough money to cover the tax bill.

An easygoing disposition

Good independent copywriters are often really nice people. They need to be. When a client buys into a copywriter, they are buying a person rather than a product or team. And while ostensibly they are buying a copywriter’s writing ability, they will often make a choice on the basis of personality, presentation and so on rather than on the evidence presented in a portfolio. The most important thing for many clients is that the copywriter ‘clicks’ with them and their business – in other words, that the copywriter can empathise with and understand the client. A copywriter’s livelihood is dependent on their ability to meet and get on with a wide range of clients. And their ability to deliver good copy depends on them being sympathetic to the client’s needs and circumstances. Copywriters have to be able to accept, with good grace, requests or changes that may go against the grain of what they believe in. Sometimes they have to challenge existing ways of thinking and doing things, without creating ill feeling. Away from clients, independent copywriters often rely on a network of like-minded people for related services such as design or promotion. So if you would rather not deal with people, perhaps you should think about a different kind of business.

How did you score?

This is not a test! If you lack the skills outlined above, this does not necessarily mean copywriting is out of the question. And you need not spend too much time, effort or money to find out.

This book can help you learn the basics so you can try your hand as a copywriter and see if you like it. You could still make money from the experience, even if you do not make a life-long career of it.