Are you organized?
You know I'm in the middle of a project when the desk is covered in paper…
the whiteboard is filled with different colored text and arrows…
the books on the bookshelf to my right are skewed…
You see – I'm using all my resources as I work on the project.
My client's project. Usually emails. Sometimes advertorials. Right now analyzing data for an email marketing consulting client…
Anyway –
When I'm done…
- I put all electronic communication and documents in a single folder on my hard drive – then upload for secure storage in the cloud.
- I arrange the books neatly on the shelves.
- I go through the papers and throw some away then file others.
- I erase the whiteboard.
- I'm ready for the next project.
***sigh***
Okay – that's not really how it is.
I tend to leave the desk covered and half attempt to straighten the books on the bookshelf.
The electronic files definitely get organized and uploaded to the cloud. So…1 out of 4 isn't bad, right?
When I worked in an office … in the last century … it was required of us to have neat workspaces. I balked at that because I was the only one actually working in my space. That didn't matter – the supervisors and managers all believed that a neat workspace reflected quality work.
Dingbats, if you ask me.
While I am in create mode, I'm like a tornado in my office space…
papers are strewn across my desk and the floor…
books are stacked to the side of my desk then restacked after I've gone through them…
when I'm done, I will clean up – though it won't be as neat as others would like it.
2 times a year, I go through my entire workspace and make it all nice and neat and organized – then take a picture as proof that I'm capable of doing it. And the tornado is back with the next project.
— My financial records are organized – because my CPA needs them to be and they're easier to manage at tax time.
— My customer records are organized – because accessing them needs to be easy for current and new projects.
— My kitchen is organized – because I like to cook as efficiently as possible so it helps to have all my tools in their designated space.
Everything else is up for grabs.
Do my customers care? About my workspace??? Heck no! About how they receive the final copy – absolutely!
The entire package of copy is delivered in an organized folder – depending on the customer they received raw data…final drafts…images used…spreadsheets…and whatever else was promised in the contract.
Most Important of All – they receive a single folder that holds all the copy they will use:
Email
Advertorial
Ads
Sales Page
VSL
Video Script
Whatever else I wrote for them
All neatly organized so it is easy-peasy for them to access and use.
No, the customer doesn't care what my workspace looks like. They care about what they receive and that it's easy to use.
When you do things with the customer in mind –
write copy or organize a folder –
you make it easy for them to use.
Do that and your customer will love you for it.
Are you looking for a copywriter who
- creates engaging emails…
- is an experienced marketer and research pro…
- offers consulting for your email marketing…
