What is working "on spec?"

Spec is short for speculation. In the copywriting and creative services world, that means a potential client says to us, "I’m not sure about hiring you, so let’s see what you do with this speculative assignment. We’ll pay you if we like it. And if we do, there will be a lot more work to come. But if we don’t, no $$."

Okay, first off I’ll admit that some novice copywriters have been able to make this work for them. Some have parlayed this into some pretty lucrative assignments. But it’s always struck me as inherently unfair. It’s like going into a restaurant, sampling several items from the menu, and then if dissatisfied, not paying. (This is different than getting your $$ back because the food wasn’t prepared correctly or the wait staff ignored you.)

If a client wants to know how well I write, I’ll provide samples and client referrals who will sing my praises (and you know who you are – thanks!). Further, I’ll offer a few possible approaches they may want the copy to take, some ideas on how to strengthen an offer, even provide a few headlines worthy of testing. But I won’t just give away my time and talent on the promise of payment or future work.

I can’t pay my mortgage or feed my kids on a promise. Even McDonald’s wants cash upfront before handing you a bag of french fries.

So if you’re a beginning copywriter, what should you do when a client says, "We only work with new writers on spec."? This is what I tell my coaching students — make a counter offer. Tell the client that you’ll work for a minimal amount, say an hour’s worth of your time. If you want to be even more dramatic, say you’ll do the first assignment for $1 and then hand the prospect the $1. They like it, they can pay you whatever your usual rate is for project type. (If they decide to pass on you, their cash outlay was minimal.)

Be sure to prepare any final offer verbally made and accepted into a contract that you and the client sign. (More about agreements in a future post.)

Any client who says no to your offer probably wasn’t ever going to pay you at all.

Essential Takeway Point:
Even a newbie copywriter’s time has value. If a new client wants to see what you can do for them, show them samples (paid, pro-bono or generic samples you’ve written for youself), give them client testimonials, and/or offer them a great deal to give you a shot.

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