One Size Does Not Fit All
Have you ever wandered to a website, or read a business brochure, and taken a step back at the words “Contact me for more information and a quote”?
I’ve done it myself… “oooh not going to bother with THAT, I’ll bet it’s really expensive or they’ll want all sorts of information that will take up my time, which I don’t have”
When I decided to put similar words on my website, rather than a price range, I realised that they had to be there, for both my sake and for the sake of my clients.
When you are asked to contact someone for more details it’s basically because one size does not fit all. A small business needing some promotional material proofread will need a different level of attention than a corporate entity needing their annual report and business brochure edited and proofread. That’s not to say that the small business gets any less attention to detail, just that proofreading a flyer is generally a quicker and easier job. Similarly different levels of book editing will take a different amount of time and a varying level of expertise.
When you contact a wordy professional with an enquiry, it will make it easier for them to find out just what’s needed if you have all the details to hand. And it needn’t be a phone-call… I have a phone number on my business cards, but not my website because I’ve found that people prefer to get all the details down in an email (it gives the client time to re-read what they are about to send, and make sure that nothing has been forgotten), and we can always chat on the phone if you prefer once the initial contact has been made. Besides, an email can cut out any of those awkward “I hate talking on the phone to complete strangers” nerves. But back to the details… have as much information as you can ready before you email or phone, it will make our job slightly easier and will make sure you get what you need.
Let’s have a look at a couple of examples…
Scenario 1:
“Hi I have a book I’d like you to edit for me, it’s my first book and I’m going to self-publish. Can you tell me how much it will cost for you to edit it?”
Ok… but I couldn’t possibly quote for this as it stands. I would need much more detail, for example (and this isn’t all that’s needed):
- How many words is the book at the moment (your word processing software will be able to tell you) or how many pages are there (and how many words tend to be on an average page).
- Are there illustrations, is the book fiction (what genre) or non-fiction.
- If it’s non-fiction what level is it (general, academic, for children)
- Do you have a deadline
- Do you have a budget (now this may seem strange, but if it looks like the work involved will not fit your budget it’s better for you to know sooner rather than later, and we can always see if we can work around it).
Scenario 2:
“I’m a small business and I need my brochure and flyers proofread, how much will it cost?”
Thanks for your enquiry but I’ll need a few more details:
- What type of business are you? Will your language be technical (is it business to business material) or will it be for the general public?
- What is the size of your brochure, for example is it a 100-page catalogue type brochure or is it ten pages of text with the odd illustration thrown in?
- Do you have a deadline
- What is your budget
See my post on How to get what you want for more details on how to give us the details that we need.
See…the “contact me” doesn’t seem so scary now does it? At least I hope not.
The need to contact us isn’t to catch you out, or for the hard-sell, or to reel you in with promises of perfection, it’s purely so we can get all the information needed to give you an informed, professional, quote which will fit your needs and ensure that you get the right job done at the right price.
So, the next time you are looking for a professional and you see the words “contact me for more details”, don’t be shy, and don’t worry… just make sure you have your list to hand, let us know all the details and hit that contact button.
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6 Comments on “One Size Does Not Fit All”
Leave a Reply to John Noble Cancel reply
Why Copy Editors Matter
Northern Editorial 
oh so not a scary giving my life details away thing! You know I am internet savvy but I never ever bother doing contact mes as I hate bothering folk unless I no I can afford it, a general pricing and a further details contact me is more welcome that way I know if I am even in the ball park, had to get some quotes for a roofing issue a few years ago! prices varied so much and what was to be done varied and timescales etc even that was scary! but knowing that the job had to be done was only reason we did it! sorry but just contact me is scary, maybe a note of example costs would help us scaredy cats?
Good example Ruan, having been through a similar process recently I totally know where you are coming from.
Often general pricing structures don’t make sense, as each job is different – even hourly charges differ per job. So sometimes contacting directly is the best option.
Always remember though… you are in charge. You can always walk away if you are not happy, or prefer to go down a different route. Communication is key really. 🙂
Nicely put Sara, and food for thought fo all of us 🙂
Thanks John,
It’s only one opinion of many, and I *may* put my phone number up here for another way to contact me.
But people really shouldn’t be scared of initial contact
But I worry I am wasting other folks time and often I swither about things for months, then just do it!
It’s all part of business Ruan 🙂
If you are genuinely looking for help then you aren’t wasting anyone’s time, sure quoting for a prospective client takes time, but if we can’t help you we may know someone who can.
Never worry about wasting someone’s time if you are serious 🙂