Diving into the unknown: What happens when you book with DDCO.

28 May

Picture this: you’re feeling ready to outsource your copywriting and gift your brand the words it truly deserves. After hours (or days) trawling the net, social media and begging fellow business owners to share their secret contacts with you, you finally stumble across the PERFECT copywriter.

She’s aligned with your vision, her portfolio showcases words which sing to your brand voice as if they were your own, and the free ‘Discovery Call’ feels more like a catch up with an old friend than it does a project briefing.

You receive your personalised quote. It’s exactly what you expected. You’re ready. You reply:

Hey girl,

Let’s do this!

Her inbox pings, and she does the most outrageous happy dance.

But what comes next?

One of the most common questions I’m asked by clients when they reach out to me is this: ‘What does outsourcing my copywriting to you involve?’ So I figured it was fitting to make the first entry to my website blog a detailed description of my process.

However, if you’re time poor or simply not in the mood for a story (I get it, don’t worry), I’ve made it a little more ‘user friendly’. Simply click on the section you’re interested in to expand it and learn more about that step.

There’s two ways I get clients:
1. They reach out to me and seek help
2. I put myself out there (something which is still stupidly scary, but totally worth it)
Whether you’ve made the decision to engage a copywriter yourself, or you’ve succumbed to my super suave persuasive techniques after I’ve slid into your DMs or inbox, the first step is to make contact. Typically this is through email, Instagram DM, or through the contact page on my website.
First, I’ll ask a little about what I can do for you and what your timeline is. I’ll also do a sneaky stalk of your socials and website to determine if our values and goals align.
If we’re a good match we’ll organise a discovery session either via the phone, Zoom or a continued email exchange.
If we’re not a good fit, or I can’t deliver what you need for whatever reason, I’ll direct you to some of the amazing copywriters I’ve connected with so I know you’re in good hands even if you’re not with me.
This is a complimentary brainstorming session where I get a detailed idea of what you’re looking for in a copywriting package. I’ll ask a series of leading questions about:
- Your brand and where you’re currently at
- Where you’re headed (your goals)
- Your expectations of me, and mine of you in return
- What your current pain points are in your business
- Possible ways we can resolve those issues and reach your goals
- Any limitations which might stand in the way of a comprehensive copywriting package (including the ever awkward budget conversation- see below)
- A confirmed timeline for the project
Ahh budgets. Such stormy things, aren’t they? I hate talking money, but unfortunately it’s a necessary evil. I’ll always ask you to consider a figure you’d be happy to pay in our discovery call. The reason for this is twofold:
1. I need to understand your expectations and the value you place on copywriting (just as you would when engaging a photographer or a web designer)
2. If I know from the outset that I can’t deliver everything you’re hoping for within your budget, this gives me scope to be upfront with you rather than knock you over with a quote that’s totally out of your expectations. It also means we can brainstorm either a long term timeline to attack different projects as your business grows, or decide what the priority is going to be and cater the deliverables I provide to suit.
I provide holistic pricing, which means you know exactly what you’re up for before the work commences. You’ll be given one quote, and unless something major happens, this is all you’ll pay for the work quoted in your proposal.
If this process was a TV show, it certainly wouldn’t be called ‘Married at First Sight!’. However, once we’ve met, celebrated our mutual love of your business and planned our project’s life, it’s time to make it official.
I’ll put together a detailed project proposal for you, which includes a scope of the work as well as the nitty gritty details such as deadlines, an itemised quotation and T&C’s.
Of course, you’re always welcome to negotiate and make changes to this.
Once we’re both happy, I’ll ask you to sign an agreement and we can consider ourselves #engaged!
P.S. As much as I’d love to send you a diamond at this point, my tax agent advises me I can’t actually do this. Sorry!
After we’re officially betrothed, I’ll get started on your project!
Sometimes this involves BTS research. However, sometimes I’ll need you to fill out a form or document with information we weren’t able to cover during our discovery session.
If I send you one of these, it will be fairly straightforward. I design them all to be online, quick and easy, with options to skip anything you don’t feel is relevant.
My most common forms gather information for:
- Brand profiles and timelines
- Professional biographies
- Portfolios
- Product descriptions
- FAQ pages
While I’m gathering info, I’ll also set up your brand spankin’ new, complimentary Client Space on my website. This is a secure, password protected portal which serves as your home for all the documents we use during our project. I’ll upload the following things to your Client Space as they come into being:
- Your Project Proposal
- The signed Agreement / Invoice
- Receipt/s
- Editable documents containing your copy for review
- Some cute little extras so you know you’re special to me
You’ve got unlimited access to your Client Space and it’s available in both desktop and mobile formats, so you’ll never have to worry about waiting until you’re home to view something.
Earlier, I mentioned that my pricing is holistic. This means you don’t pay for revisions, unless of course there’s a total overhaul of the project direction which requires major changes. In this instance, we’ll chat and work something out between us.
Revisions are totally led by you. I pride myself on getting it right pretty quickly, but I’ll invite you to either email me notes or leave comments directly on your working document.
When all’s said and done, we reach the bittersweet handover point.
I typically don’t upload copy to your website for you, unless you’ve opted to engage both myself and my web design partner. However, I can get myself around Wix, Squarespace and Shopify. So if you’re needing me to get the words onto the web for you, let me know early on so I can factor in time for this in your quotation.
This is all outlined in detail in your Fine Print, but just so you know: once I’ve handed over your copy, I no longer retain ownership of it. This means you’re free to edit it and use it as you see fit. It also means you take responsibility for it’s accuracy and validity.
It’s to protect us both really.
After we’ve finalised and wrapped up everything, I’ll send you a ‘see you next time’ email, which will include an option for you to leave me a review on my Google Business Profile.
I’ll also check in after a month or so to ensure you’re travelling well.

Okay, you still there?

I know, it’s been a long one! But at the centre of my business is transparency, and I figure laying it all out is the best way to ensure you know exactly what to expect when hitting that ‘send’ button on your first email!

If you just skipped to the end (you little rebel!), here’s what you really need to know: