How Freelance Writing Is Like Selling Cars
I want to take a minute to thank a commenter on the blog by the name of “Andy the Expat.” Andy the Expat left this little gem of a comment on one of my Helium posts:
Call yourself a writer? You sound more like a second hand car salesmen. Get a life
Now, I admit it: At first, I changed his comment to: “Great advice, I chek it out. I lik u write guy.” Realizing that was probably not appropriate behavior, I marked it as spam and went on.
Today, though, it dawned on me: Andy just gave me the perfect opportunity to talk about something near and dear to my heart, and an important part of the freelance writer’s life: sales.
The thing is this: while good writing matters, it isn’t the only thing you need to succeed as a freelance writer. You have to be able to make a living from your writing, and an important part of that process is selling your writing. That’s why just about any freelance writer’s blog has a “services” page (or pages): they want to make a living from their writing.
Now, some folks like Andy automatically bristle when they think about sales. They think about the “second hand car salesman” stereotype we’ve all heard about. They picture a balding, rotund and mustachioed man in his late 40s wearing a plaid leisure suit trying to get them to buy a broken-down lemon. In short, they think Danny Devito’s character from Matilda.
Some folks like Andy have a different view of a writer. A writer is someone who sits around being inspired. He gives his writing to the world to enjoy, out of the kindness of his heart, and he asks nothing in return. In short, they think Michael Caine’s character from The Quiet American.
But Andy’s stereotypes are plain wrong, about writers and about salesmen. Writers and salesmen have a lot in common. Both writers and salesmen are honest folk. Sure, there are some dishonest salesmen. Heck, even Hasbro can be misleading in their marketing. But most people in sales, and most freelance writers, aren’t dishonest. They believe in their product, and they stand behind it. They are willing to let potential clients take their product for a spin, to see how it feels. They are willing to haggle a little bit on their pricing. And, at the end of the day, writers and salesmen both go home, kiss their wives and play Monopoly with their kids. Both writers and salesmen go to sleep, believing that they have made the world a little bit better by providing someone with something they desperately needed.
I don’t think Andy will be back here, but that’s all right. There are plenty of wonderful folks reading my blog, and most of you get it already. Many of you already make your living writing, and others want to, and you all realize that sales is an integral and even enjoyable part of the bigger picture.
Next time you hear someone talk about a “second-hand car salesman,” make sure to tell them about Andy the Expat.
Photo by KB35
Comments
12 Responses to “How Freelance Writing Is Like Selling Cars”
Leave a Reply
-
Subscribe
You have touched on a subject near and dear to my heart. I was in Sales for many years. I have written extensively for sales people and about the selling process. Sales is not manipulating someone to buy something they neither want nor need. This is a misconception. Yes there are horrible sales people but they don’t represent the entire profession. Selling is the process of identifying needs, desires and preferences and providing solutions to meet them. Yes we’re writers but people will never know what we have to offer if we don’t tell them. The used car salesman has really gotten an unfair rap!
Way to make lemonade from a real lemon (or turkey stroganoff from a real turkey)! Very cool post, Bob. Don’t quit your day job for car sales, okay?
Loris last blog post..
@ Karen - I grew up being suspicious of sales folk, which is especially strange given that my grandfather was in small business. It took meeting my father-in-law for me to understand. He wasn’t trying to get people to buy something out of greed; he believed his product was the best and he believed the client would be better off with it than without it.
@ Lori - I’d rather make turducken
I couldn’t agree more! Great post!
I feel like what I’m doing half the time is selling an idea and trying to get people interested in my project (my new website). It’s been awhile since I commented here, but I think you’ve hit it right on the mark.
(Lis Garrett)
Hi Bob,
I’m not making my living from my blog yet. And I just plain hate doing sales (related you suspect; so do I).
I have reconciled myself to marketing however, one step on the path perhaps. My resolution of the issue is: I’m delighted to make my money by making friends (marketing/sales) and providing value (the product).
To all those sales people out there. The reason for your bad reputation is the behaviour of so many salespeople. I have been renting for the past 30 years (the income from my successful blog will hopefully end this situation). The total number of real estate agents who have shown genuine concern for me as a tenant in all these years? One (1). They routinely stretch the truth (to put it kindly) and do the minimum work required.
Which brings me to our blogosphere. It’s time to get serious exposing the dodgy tactics of some of the Internet Marketers. Their antics will eventually lead to us all being regarded as the used car salespeople of the 21st century - I for one would really hate being put in this box.
Evans last blog post..How to Divorce Your Parents
@ Evan: wow, that was written with compassion and I couldn’t agree with you more. Sleazy sales people are the cause of the “wrong picture” we have in our minds and real estate agents are notoriously known to be amongst them.
@ Bob: great post. Isn’t it interesting how we can draft blog posts from adversity. Don’t let this guy run you down. People like that are losers in my eyes as they have nothing to do than bash others down.
Get a life Mr.Andy and do something worthwhile with your time for a change.
Monika Mundells last blog post..Opportunity Cost - A New Beginning
Hi Bob,
Absolutely, I agree with your stand on this issue. Let us accept the reality that all writers have to become salesmen at the end of the day. While public service is a paramount objective, it is just and proper to receive compensation for your writing. Blogging is one of the opportunities to do this. Because while you blog on something, you are in a way sharing your thoughts. Meanwhile, you engage in marketing or advertise your affiliate’s products.
Let me remind our readers that for every blog or articles you have written, it creates, what we call a “by product.” Every word is picked up and coverted as an advertising tool. This process automatically converts writers indirectly into salesmen. Therefore, Andy is a blogger-salesman, too. More power to you, Bob.
Best regards,
Enncrave at http://enncrave.blogspot.com
[…] How Freelance Writing Is Like Selling Cars […]
@ Lis - Glad to have you back! I like the new site, by the way. Good stuff.
@ Evan - My experience with real-world sales has been different. I feel like there are a handful of bad apples that spoil the whole damn bunch.
I get what you’re saying about exposing tactics, but I also recognize that there are only so many hours in a day. I feel like the best way to address the issue is to operate with honesty and integrity ourselves - blaze the trail, as it were.
@ Monika - Aw, heck, I could probably have written Andy’s comment a decade and a half ago. I, too, was young and dumb once. I’ll give him a pass.
@ Enn - Thanks for stopping in! I’d just add that public service and compensation aren’t mutually exclusive. A market transaction is one in which both the seller and buyer benefit. When this happens, everyone benefits. Econ 101, you know?
@ Writing/Editing Job Roll - I know that’s a Trackback, but it gives me a great opportunity to say this: If you haven’t gone over to John Hewitt’s newly designed Writers Resource Center, get your ass over there now. The new look is fan-tabulous, and the content is awesome as always.
First thought at headline, “So freelancers make people uncomfortable and use annoying sales tactics?” Just kidding.
Seriously, one reason I never wanted to go in business for myself was the fear of not having enough clients. I know they don’t line up waiting for you. Being deaf can also make it more challenging because cold calls through the relay are very awkward.
Nonetheless, I thank my lucky stars I pulled it off.
This is part of the post I’ve been working on for my post at Deb’s blog later this month. I totally agree with your perspective. There’s nothing wrong with sales…it’s just gotten a bad rap. The same goes for marketing, and particularly internet marketing.
I love this blog! Good writing and great topics.
@ Meryl - “Annoying sales tactics,” LOL, I like it! And good for you - overcoming fear is, often, as big an obstacle as any.
@ Courtney - thankya! I look forward to reading your post at Deb’s.