Five Tips for Hiring a Top-Notch Copywriter

Your sales copy is the centerpiece of a successful direct mail campaign. If you're not a rock star copywriter yourself, how can you hire them and get them to work for you? Here are five tips.

==> Tip #1: Let Them Know You'll Run It As Is

There's nothing copywriters hate more than having their copy changed around by clients.

Copywriters spend hours upon hours refining their copy to hit just the right psychological sweet spots. When a client comes along and changes something, copywriters see it as disrespectful - and it usually lowers conversion.

Let them know right up front that you'll run their copy exactly as they write it.

==> Tip #2: Get an Introduction from Another Marketer

You have to sell yourself to a top-notch copywriter just as much as they have to sell themselves to you. Top-notch copywriters are in high demand and there just aren't that many of them.

To establish your credibility as a client, get a referral from another known marketer, preferably one that the copywriter has worked with before. This will help get you through the door.

==> Tip #3: Expect to Pay Five Figures Plus Commission

The price of copy can vary greatly, from just a couple hundred dollars for amateur work to six or even seven figures. Gary Bencivenga famously earned over a million dollars for a single sales letter from the massive amounts of commissions it generated.

To hire a truly world class copywriter, expect to pay a five figure deposit, plus have some sort of commission agreement. For example, you might put down $15,000 up front, plus pay 2.5% of gross sales.

The copywriter makes their real money on the commissions. The $15,000 up front is just to show you're serious.

==> Tip #4: Hire a Copywriter with the Right Style

Different copywriters write in different styles. John Carlton writes in a high octane, massive promise, in-your-face kind of way. Bencivenga writes in an under-the-radar, subtle persuasion kind of way. The late Gary Halbert often switched between these two kinds of styles.

In addition to stylistic preferences, different writers also have different market specialties. Dan Kennedy is great for marketing and business-related products, while John Carlton is one of the top writers in the golf industry.

Know what kind of style you want to represent your product with before you go looking for a copywriter. Try to hire a copywriter with experience in your field.

==> Tip #5: Give Them Ample Time to Write

Copywriters hate to rush their work, because they know it's simply impossible to do a great job in a pinch.

Instead, try to give them at least four to six weeks to write their sales letter. Some copywriters can work faster than that, but most world-class copywriters like to take some time to get each and every sales letter perfect.