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Business Copywriting Testimonials: The Chicken & The Egg

Copywriting Testimonials: The
You really don't need testimonials to get clients.
Chicken & The Egg

How I Hooked My First Client Sure, it helps.

How to Get Started With Direct But everyone has to start somewhere, and it seems that along the way, lots of people have convinced themselves of this apparent Catch 22:
Response
"You need testimonials to get clients but you can’t get testimonials if you don’t have any clients."
How to Position Yourself
I think a lot of people who claim they want to be copywriters just stop here and let out a sad little sigh.
The Anatomy of a Freelance
Copywriting Offer Buck up, and swallow these solutions instead.
Getting Clients: Cold Email Vs. Hot
Authority 1 - Make the Skeleton Dance

What to Charge #1 Use your lack of testimonials as a selling point… or “make the skeleton dance”, as copywriting legend Ben Settle says. You could write something along the lines of “I’m young and lacking
experience but I’m bursting with energy and am determined to become a copywriter. I feel like I’m going to explode, and I really wouldn’t want you to be responsible for that. Also, I’ll never be
How to Sell this cheap again.”

New Lecture 2 - Write Your Own Testimonials (aka samples)

Becoming a Business #2 Obviously you MUST NOT FAKE testimonials. But you can write “samples”. Find someone you want to write for, then re-write their copy and add these to your portfolio. You need to be
clear that they’re just samples, but now you have something for the client to judge your ability on. Beats turning up to the party without a bottle.
Final Word
#3 The very act of #2 gives you something to test. Send them to the person whose emails or ads you rewrote, and offer them for free. Just ask that if they test them and they perform better
than what they currently have, they let you write some more. You can get yourself a client this way, but if it doesn’t work, you still have a writing sample to add to your portfolio.
BONUSES

#1 Crafting the Ultimate Copywriter
Resume
#2 A Wickedly Effective 5-Step
Don’t let a lack of testimonials stop you from getting started.
When you do get a copywriting gig, included in your “Terms of Service” document (see Step 11) that assuming satisfactory delivery of your work, the client agrees to write you a testimonial.
They must sign this piece of paper before they start working with you.

Step 1: Specialize

Step 2: Start thinking like a business

Step 3: Collect testimonials as you go