For me, it’s a question of time. As a “one-man-band” myself, time is money. So, if I take time to dress up for the meeting, travel to it, have the meeting, drive back- that’s at least 2-3 hours of billable time gone. Also, by the time I do get back to my desk, more often than not I find my productivity has been thwarted for the rest of the day.

So, no, I do not “do” face-to-face meetings any more. I always push for an email or phone consult instead.

Established clients are different. I WILL and DO meet up with them, because that’s billable time. But small business owners and start-ups are another matter. Oftentimes, copy writing/marketing services are new to them and they are not too sure what they want, or they are trying to figure out how to do certain things. Many have little regard for your time, while others seem hell-bent on wasting time.

As you can see, I guard my time VERY closely! But, like I said, I am a sole proprietor, so I need to!

You are absolutely right; people generally have greater respect for or at least perceive things as being more valuable if they have to pay for them, as opposed to getting them for free.

(PS. I’m sure if you went back into business, you would excel, having learned the hard way. I KNOW you have a LOT to give — and are very skilled at what you do. People should and WILL recognise that with the right ‘positioning’, I’m sure.)

Since then I have watched my boss and how she reacts to this. Blatently she says ‘Of course, but it will cost you £75 an hour plus VAT’. This immediately increases the value of the advice and credibility of the giver, and since they have had to pay for it, hopefully they are more likely to go away and take action.

And then there is the upselling area of organising a return consultation to see if they have implemented the suggestions, and would they need any help with anything that has arisen from doing them. And before you know it, they are employing you as a Marketing Consultant!