photo credit: Mandi Maebe

… and what does it mean to you? To me it means get your all your fees in advance because chances are when they say “different” what they really want is “more of the same.”

Case in point. I’ve just spent the last several weeks – nose to the grindstone, fingers a’ tapping – working on a 12 component B2B publication renewal series. Lots of DM, carrier teasers, a new form template, a few emails, and a list of talking points for telephone follow-up.

By themselves, most renewal series are pretty formulaic. Sometimes you start the renewal series during the ‘honeymoon’ phase very early in the subscription. But, generally speaking, they tend to start about halfway through the subscription cycle — beginning with a soft, hiya-hiya approach, perhaps a special offer of some sort and ending with the usual urgent call.

Unlike the sexy and pricey front-end acquisitions promos, the back-end renewal series is the workhorse that ultimately drives the sales process. I like doing them for that reason. It’s all words and offers to your customers. The renewal series matters.

That is I usually like doing them. I imagine in time, I’ll like doing them again. But, and I mean it this time, when a client comes to me to write a “brand-new, sky’s the limit, anything you want Roberta” renewal series, trust me … I’m asking for the entire fee … upfront.

Why? Because they don’t really mean it. They think they want something different but when they see different, it makes them anxious. So you revise but with each revision you get closer to the copy they are, in fact, already using.

Here are a few of the tip-offs I should have spent more time listening to:

• This copy is too conversational; it doesn’t read like traditional B2B renewal copy.
• We’re not sure our IT/database manager can pull that data from the existing records.
• Make it sound more urgent (with 5 months to go on the subscription.)
• Don’t tell them how many issues (or months) left on the subscription.
• Do we have to be so specific?
• Do we have to be so negative?
• Don’t say “best rates available” because maybe they’re not.
• Don’t mention “Send no money now. Be billed later.” even in the 12th effort. It might hurt the pay-up rate. [My head was exploding with "FROM SUBSCRIBERS WHO HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO THE FIRST 11?"]
• Don’t mention the guarantee.

And oh, did I mention that the series was to be generic and work for dozens of their publications? Other challenges? No additional savings … or issues … or freebies … to encourage response.

Still I wrote a very nice series. Still, whatever it is they wanted, I failed to hit their sweet spot. In retrospect, I don’t know why I was surprised. The tell tales signs abounded. Especially when my one enthusiastic contact became a committee of “Gee, I dunno” and every revision needed an hour’s phone conference.

The project status? Dead like doornail. No surprise there.

Ah well. It’s good to be back. Kids have returned to school and I’m enjoying the calm … and a weekly league bowling with hubby.

Yes. I said bowling. Lots more to write on many more topics. Stay tuned.

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• My favorite resource on landing pages – The ultimate guide to writing and designing effective landing pages – Marketing Sherpa’s Landing Page Handbook, 2008