"WHAT! &@*!! DOLLARS FOR JUST SOME WORDS!"

 

You gotta love 'em.

 

The other day a prospect asked for a copywriting quote. Squeeze page, main page sales copy, a dozen auto responders - variations on the headlines and sub heads for split testing… a rather large ball of wax.

 

I had already given him some very useful (and free) tips and suggestions about how to improve his conversions.

 

So I came up with a quote.

 

Boy… his answer came back quick and loud. "What! I already found a "top copywriter" (emphasis mine) on Rentacoder that'll do it for under $600! If you can't meet that price, then no deal."

 

Yeah… right. Now before you think I was giving him an outrageous figure, I wasn't. It was rather economical to be quite frank. You see, this gentlemen was selling a product that went for …. now get this …. just under $3,000 a unit!

 

Yep. 3,000 little jo-jo's. Selling two extra units using my expertise would have paid for the entire project - and that's factoring in his cost for production.

 

"Penny Wise, Pound Foolish"

 

Here's an entrepreneur who's selling a large ticket consumer item, and instead of looking for quality he's quibbling like a fish monger at an open air market.

 

(This from a man who proudly states on his site that he's invested over a quarter million dollars on his project already!)

 

Personally, I don't know of many top talent copywriters selling their expertise on Rentacoder. Face it, people use that site to find bargains. Now don't get me wrong. If you're just starting out and need to get some writing experience under your belt, then Rentacoder may very well be right for you. They offer a reliable venue for people to sell & buy services on the cheap.

 

But top-gun copywriters? Nope. Ain't gonna find 'em there.

 

Perhaps my friend thought I'd mull it over and figure that $600 clams in the hand was better than no fish in the pot.

 

So what did I do? You probably guessed it by now. I most politely but firmly declined the implied counter offer, and wished him luck and success with his Rentacoder find.

 

"You Won't Find Rolex Watches in The Bargain Bin"

 

Listen… if you're selling a multi thousand dollar piece of equipment, have sunk over $250,000 in it already, why in the world would you settle for less than the best? For every buck you "save" by hiring mediocre talent, you're losing thousands in sales you didn't make because of it.

 

I'd like to say this is a unique case. It isn't. I've had medical doctors who performed reverse vasectomy operations cringe at the thought of paying a thousand or two to upgrade their entire medical practice site.

 

I've got slammed from businesspeople whose websites were not only butt ugly, but filled with sales content that could only have been written by a grade school dropout the day after a Mardi Gras binge.

 

I've had young women hurl insults when quoted a fair and reasonable rate, because as one said: "WHAT! &@*!! DOLLARS FOR JUST SOME WORDS!"

 

(Hmmm… and I guess they use the same thinking when commenting on their favorite rock band. "WHAT! &@*!! DOLLARS JUST FOR A CONCERT TICKET? IT'S JUST A COUPLE OF NOTES!")

 

Hey… it's the mindset I guess. These are the days of outsourcing overseas, where talent and quality is secondary to price.

 

But, as the famous saying goes:

 

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."

 

Hearty eating! (Don't forget the TUMS.)