How I Write And My Policies
You and I have a common goal: to help you make more money!
I've got a few policies and procedures in place to help me do that as effectively and efficiently as possible.
How and When to Find Me:
The best way to get in touch is by email to candice[at]candicelazar.com. You can also leave a message at 786.629.6323 and I'll call you back. I'm generally available weekdays from 10am to 6pm ET. I reply to emails and voicemails within 1-2 business days.
Getting to Know You
When you first reach out, I’ll send you a questionnaire so I can get some information about your project. I’ll ask you about your product or service, your customers, and your purpose and goals. This will help us define the scope of my involvement the project.
After you send me your completed questionnaire, I’ll outline a short project roadmap/proposal. Once you’ve reviewed it, we’ll schedule a call to discuss it, along with any additional insights or instructions.
After the call, I’ll send you a project agreement. Or if your legal team has an agreement, we can use that as a template and modify it as needed.
"What does it cost? When do we start?"
Your investment depends on a bunch of factors -- how much research will be required, what existing assets are readily available, how long I anticipate the writing, editing, and revisions to take…
Our agreement will contain all the details on what exactly I will deliver, including deadlines, your investment, and payment terms. To get started, I'll invoice you for 50% of the total up front. Once I've received payment and we've both signed the agreement, I'll start working on your project.
First Things First
Research is the backbone of every copywriting project. If you get this wrong, a project will never achieve the desired results… hence, my process is comprehensive. I aim to be thorough and efficient in my research from the start of a project so there are no surprises during the writing process.
I’ll begin with a complete review of your website and all other assets you provide me. In some cases, I may also ask you to arrange for me to speak with your customer service team, past clients or customers, and/or different department heads. As needed, I’ll reach out to you for additional details, product samples if relevant, and other resources. This is all in addition to outside research that I conduct on my own.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Research is how I sharpen my axe. You can be confident I’ll understand your product, your voice, and your customers’ core emotional purchase drivers before I ever start putting words down on paper.
Keeping in Touch
How much do you like to check in on a project? Some clients prefer to hand something off and review the first draft, with little communication in between. Others prefer more interaction and want to be involved nearly every step of the way. You've got a big say in how much and how often we talk/email/etc. Just let me know what your preferences are.
To keep things streamlined, I prefer to work with a single contact person on your team. I will communicate directly with that person and they will deal with your other team members to obtain information and approvals.
First Draft Review
When you receive your first draft, please read it carefully, and have any applicable team members read it as well. At this stage, the most important thing is making sure that the tone, message, and offer are right. We’ll massage the details in the second draft . . . and third draft, if needed.
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
After you read the draft, you’ll send me suggested changes. I’ll review them within 48 hours of your submitting them to me. I'll generally make revisions within 2-4 business days, depending on the breadth and complexity of your suggestions.
A note about revisions...
I understand that the people you're talking to are your customers and will defer to your judgment as much as possible. Yet there are times when my clients make suggestions that I know will not work and may hurt their profits.
In those cases, I’ll be forthcoming in giving you feedback. When clients insist on changes that I feel won’t work, I always recommend doing an A/B split test. The market will decide what’s best.
Still Not Quite There Yet?
After the first round of revisions, we may still have some fine-tuning to do. I don't limit the number of revisions so long as they're within the original scope of the project. Specific terms are spelled out in my agreements, but the bottom line is -- I want you to be happy with our copy and will do what it takes to get there!
Final Approval
When all revisions are done, I’ll send you a clean copy of the final draft. You approve the copy by sending me an email saying “I approve the copy for [project],” with your email signature. Once I have your final approval, I'll invoice you for the remaining 50% of the project total.
All invoices are due upon receipt. Throughout the course of the project, I will make every effort to be prompt in responding to your requests and request that you do the same with my invoice.
Usually, the final copy is sent to a designer for formatting. I strongly encourage you to send me a live link to or PDF of the formatted version. I will double-check that any graphical elements added by your design team enhance the copy and make it more effective. And if I see something distracting that may hurt your response rates, I’ll let you know.
What’s Next?
I provide all my clients with a complimentary follow-up consultation. We’ll talk over what went well with the project and where improvements could be made. We’ll also revisit your initial project questionnaire to discuss additional ways you can bring in more profits.
And if it makes sense, we’ll map out a new project -- so you'll have a plan in place right away to help further your growth and take the next step toward your business goals!