When You’re Not Sure What The Client Wants
A client recently asked if I could put more emotion into a piece of writing. The topic is a fairly dry one and he couldn’t give me any examples. That’s often the case. The client feels something is missing or not quite right with a piece of writing and literally can’t tell you how they’d like it to be - just that they want it “better.”
Chances are, if you read the piece in question when you’ve got some distance from it, you’ll realize you can make it better without too much effort. In this case, I opened with a fairly dramatic story that I used to demonstrate the thesis. The client was delighted.
Stories almost always work, but they aren’t the only solution. Here are some others:
- Just switching to a more informal, or a more formal style make make the difference.
- Use feeling words.
- Make strong statements, as long as you can back them up.
- Strengthen the tone.
- Take a position - if required you can then offer the opposite view.
Keep in mind that the client hired you because you’re the expert in words. If they could express exactly what’s wrong, they might be competition!
Write well and often,
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Tags: authors, freelance-writing, freelancers, home-business, how-to-write, work-at-home, writers, writing-clientsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Notes from a Writing Coach
2 opinions for When You’re Not Sure What The Client Wants
Meryl K. Evans
Jul 17, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Recently added a new client. I asked for examples of styles he liked. So try asking the client for examples of writing he likes and doesn’t like.
Anne Wayman
Jul 18, 2008 at 6:09 am
Good idea Meryl - in this case he doesn’t have any samples, just a video.
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