Three times I fucked up and how they changed the way I work
A quick scan through my files suggests I’ve worked with around 123 clients to date. So I’d say I’m pretty lucky to have only had three major fuck-ups. I don’t count the time I sent client invoices with the word ‘copywriter’ spelt wrong. For about three months. Or the time the tech failed me in a meeting (with a tech client, obviously) and my beautifully designed interactive whiteboards went to shit.
No, actual major copywriting-based fails, just the three. Now, you might be wondering why the hell I’m prepared to talk about them. Especially here, where potential clients come to scope me out and check I’m the real deal. (Hi, folks). And yes, this is pretty scary stuff. But I think it’s useful to review what went wrong and what I now do differently as a result. Because these three projects probably had more influence on my process than all the others put together. These fails are a big part of how I make every future project a success.
So, put your 48hr deodorant on, it’s about to get real scary.
The concept fashion brand lost in the tone-of-voice wilderness
The project
It was 2019. I was contacted by an exciting fashion start-up with a unique distribution concept. They wanted help with web copy that would set the tone for the whole brand. We decided to start with their About page.
What happened
The client sent over their briefing document and some information about the product. I had more questions, so we discussed over email.
I prepared a first draft. As far as I was concerned, it hit the brief. It told a story. It was modern, minimal, cool. I hit send.
The slip-up
The client came back with a raft of comments. Then a second email followed with a load more. Everything from the tone to the information included was up for criticism. And the comments seemed to loop round and round with no end. Even reading them back today I’m struggling to make sense of them or summarise them into something clear and consistent. The client, getting frustrated that we couldn’t seem to understand each other, started to rewrite sections themselves, only adding to the confusion.
Why it went wrong
This client was indecisive from the off. Everything from the product’s USP to the currency on my invoice was up for debate. They were also suffering from the worst thing a copywriting client can suffer from: monumental vagueness. It was plastered all over the brief. My mistake was failing to spot it.
I should have picked up the phone. To clarify the brief, to fill those gaps. And if that didn’t prevent the clusterfuck of comments, to iron out what they all meant. But it was too late.
What changed
Following this project, I truly understood the importance of clear briefs. I recognised the role of kick-off meetings and follow-up calls. I learnt that failing to put in the work to get on the same page on day one can mean we end up worlds apart later down the line.
I now always sign off a ‘skeleton’ draft or outline before writing any copy. This means we hash out *what* we want to say before figuring out *how* we want to say it. It keeps the feedback more straightforward and clear.
At the other end of the project, I now manage the feedback process more carefully. I give my clients a handy guide full of tips and tricks for getting the most out of the process. This means that the feedback I get is more structured, more considered, more refined. And if it isn’t? I pick up the phone.
The tech boy bio drowning in a sea of buzzwords
The project
We’re still in 2019. A tech entrepreneur approached me to write a bio for their new website advertising their consultancy services. They had an existing draft and they wanted me to review structure and extend it where necessary, tidy it into a consistent writing style and deliver a clear but tech-savvy tone.
What happened
I dove head first into the writing process. A few days later, I delivered a rewrite of the bio.
The slip-up
The client responded, expressing their concerns. They flagged the tone; the bio felt pretentious. The sentences too long and complex. The CTA was off-base.
I hastily submitted a redraft. But it came back with even more comments. Some about things which hadn’t been an issue first time around. We were even further from reaching a result.
Why it went wrong
I had nowhere near enough information to make this project a success. I should have asked more questions. What information did the client feel was missing from their original draft? Could they show me a bio they particularly admired for style and tone?
We didn’t have even a single conversation on the phone. Not one. So, I had no idea what kind of person or personality I was representing in the bio. Massive fail.
What changed
These days, when I’m writing to represent one person, I don’t do a thing until we’ve had a one-hour interview. I record the call and listen to it again, making notes about the way they speak, the phrases and words they use, their overall manner and tone. I do my best to get into the head of the person I’m writing for and really understand them.
The time on that call is always a double whammy of usefulness because I also use it to fill in any gaps left by the brief. Sure, I’m a writer, but writing is very rarely more than 50% of the job. The rest is listening, learning, asking good questions and processing information.
The education support system blinded by bullet points
The project
Let’s jump to winter 2020. I booked a great project to work on a website for a student support organisation.
What happened
I’d honed my process by now, or so I thought. I received a comprehensive brief. I sent over and signed off a detailed outline of each web page prior to developing the copy itself. But when the first draft comments came back they were…not good.
The slip-up
The client felt the tone was off. Too casual, too flippant. There were too many bullet points, which felt inauthentic and off-brand. It lacked flow. The copy was too detailed, more should be implied.
Why it went wrong
I handled the feedback process badly. Firstly, the client was taking feedback from a group that wasn’t their target audience and I didn’t question it.
Secondly, I didn’t support the client in seeing the work, thought and theory that had gone into their copy. I made specific decisions for this project and my mistake was not demonstrating that. As a result, when the client received their draft, they felt it was so far off-base as to be irretrievable. Understandably, it shook their belief in my abilities. But in reality, it wasn’t that far off. It would have been fairly straightforward to course-correct. It just needed me to manage that process better and support the client in getting to the finish line. No project comes back perfect first time. And until I master mind-reading that will remain the case. My job is to work with the client to achieve the best possible outcome as a team.
What changed
This was the most painful but also the most useful copywriting project of my career. It taught me to stand firm in my expertise. That doesn’t mean not changing things the client doesn’t like. It means helping them to understand why I made the choices I did. And advising them where I feel their feedback might not be in alignment with their goals.
These days I never submit a copy draft without a Loom video accompaniment. This allows me to explain the strategy behind the words and show the care, thought and attention that goes into every decision. If I think I’ll need extra help getting buy-in, I’ll even mock up sections of the page to show how it’ll look in the real world.
This maintains that all-important trust, meaning that even if the copy is off-base, the client and I are working together as a team to get it to a good place.
My feedback guide accompanies every copy submission. It guides the client to seeking and sharing comments that support their original goals and the original brief.
To see a handful of the many, many projects that went right, head to my Portfolio. If you’d like to chat about how I might be able to support your business with words, I’d love to hear from you.