The 10 worst things to do to a copywriter

Hi,

Any half decent copywriter will tell you that the best clients – the ones who get the best work – express their respect for your professional skills by the way they treat you. And vice versa. Here are 10 things I have observed in more than 20 years working with small clients and corporate giants. I have seen the best and worst of behaviour. (Best in next post.)

1. Write sarcastic remarks on the copy. (It reveals that you are a beginner.)
2. Rewrite the copy yourself. (It reveals you are an amateur.)
3. Insist on short deadlines because you are always running late. (It reveals that you are a poor manager.)
4. Insist on short copy because you don’t like long copy yourself. (It reveals that you are ill-equipped for managing marketing communications.)
5. Neglect to supply the necessary ammunition/evidence/information to forge a sales argument, supplying it only after the first draft of the copy is submitted. (It proves you have contempt for people whose job it is to make you successful.)
6. Feel compelled to find some detail wrong with the work, turning the presentation into a ‘find the problem with the copy’ session. (It proves that you are so low on the corporate tree that you can only say “No”, not “Yes”.)
7. Neglect to inform the writer of corporate mandatories. (Ditto.)
8. Insist that your copy sound like your competitor’s copy because that’s what copy should sound like in your category. (It shows the world that you don’t get it.)
9. Neglect to give a written brief or insist that your agency develop a written brief that you sign off. It makes the copywriter play Pin The Tail On The Donkey with your copy. (It proves you don't respect the copywriter's time... or anyone else's.)
10. Demoralise the copywriter by playing “I don’t know what I want, But I’ll know what I don’t want when I see it”. (It makes people inclined to laugh about you whenever your name and the word 'strategy' are mentioned in the same sentence.)

Next: The 10 best things you can do to a copywriter