The "On-Time vs. Perfect" Quandary

An important customer asks you to write a two-page brochure for a new product. You happily agree to come in for a briefing. At the end of the meeting, you are told that they need it by tomorrow morning to allow for design, printing and shipment to the big show in Europe next week. You don't want to disappoint them (after all, they are one of your best customers), but on the other hand, you know that to do this properly you need at least two days and, preferably, one review cycle with the product manager. Sound familiar?

Writing for business customers inevitably leads to situations where one is forced to make compromises in order to meet real-world deadlines. The question is how to handle situations where you know that given a few more hours you could deliver a better product. While savvy customers generally understand how long it takes to write high-quality copy, they have to balance this against their own customers' requirements and urgent requests from Sales for materials needed in the field (often at the last minute).

These complexities can result in the "quick and dirty" syndrome. Since the customer already knows (or you have told them) that the deadline is unrealistic, they ask for a quick and dirty version just to "get it out the door," promising to refine it later. Depending on the company, this second stage may or may not happen. In the meantime, the "quick and dirty" brochure has been printed, distributed and emailed in PDF format from Sales to various partners and customers. Those that read the brochure are not interested in the fact that Marketing got the brochure out the door in 48 hours. The writer (and designer for that matter) are going to be judged on the quality of the final product, even if it was "quick and dirty."

On the other hand, let's give the customer credit for knowing what's important from a business standpoint. Sometimes failure to deliver on time, e.g., new brochure for product launch or a document to be submitted as part of an RFP process, can have significant business implications. Copywriting is a service, and like any other service, is about providing value to customers. If the customer determines that it is more valuable to submit on time than to review and refine the text, this is certainly a legitimate decision. The quandary for the writer (and this will vary depending on the writer's experience and relationship with the particular customer) is whether meeting the customer's time constraints warrants submitting a document that is okay but not great.

Ever come across a similar situation? Tell me about your experiences.

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Why Use a Copywriter?

Many companies are born around a single, brilliant idea. In the world of high-tech, the spark for a start-up is typically a new technology. Inevitably, the first year (or years) of the company's existence is dedicated to developing this idea or technology into something that can be sold (i.e., a product).

While having a great product is a definitely a prerequisite, it's not enough by itself to guarantee success in today’s highly competitive market. You need to be able to communicate the distinct advantages of your product or service to the right audience in order to generate sales.

This is exactly where a good copywriter fits in. While you wouldn't hire an accountant to perform QA on your product, why would you expect your technology gurus to create the marketing message? The copywriter's job is to communicate to your potential buyers that you have the product that solves their problem or otherwise helps them improve their bottom lines (B2B). A strong and well-built messaging platform allows your target customers to understand exactly how your product addresses their specific pain points.

An experienced copywriter can help you formulate your marketing message and even create an internal positioning statement to share within the company. This is the "marketing DNA" which serves as the underlying platform for all your marketing efforts. The message platform will reflect a joint analysis of your market, how you stack up against your main competitors, unique product differentiators and your company's overall business objectives.

Working as an integral part of the marketing team, the copywriter is responsible for your company’s messaging platform. Once this platform has been developed, the copywriter creates a set of marketing materials for the product that both incorporates and radiates this message as it dominant theme. These materials include, but are not limited to, web copy (preferably optimized for search engines), product and corporate brochures, white papers, case studies, and presentations.

Your company's goal is to generate revenues. A compelling, high-impact marketing message is crucial in a competitive marketplace. A great product without the right message is like a vintage wine without the bottle. A professional copywriter can help you reach your target markets and present your offering in a way that will help you meet your business goals.

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