The Guest Client Exercise

How it works.

You can read books on copywriting; you can hear tutors talk about copywriting; but unless you're actually writing copy, it's all just theory.

The Australian School of Copywriting has created a unique exercise which sets it apart from any other course on the market.

It's called the ‘The Guest Client' Exercise.

Why do we include this exercise in the course?

Because it's practical.  

Writing copy for a fictional client is one thing. 

Taking a brief from a real client is a completely different matter.  

For a start, it's much more complex because clients don't always know what they want (or aren't capable of explaining what they want.) This ambiguity and lack of clarity are what makes a copywriter's life difficult.

Your ability to manage this complex dynamic and to extract the information you need to write the copy will enable you to work consistently and harmoniously with any client, for any product. 

This is the hallmark of a successful copywriter and we would be remiss in offering a copywriting course without including this all-important practical component. Now, the nature of this exercise will change depending on what course you attend.

If you attend the Seminar course:

If you attend the seminar course you will be given your first client. We will source a business owner who has a need for a copywriter and we will allocate you to one of these business owners. You will write individually (although you will be in a small group taking the brief) and you will present your work individually.

You'll be given step-by-step instructions on everything you need to know about working with clients.

How to:

1. Take the Creative Brief
2. Interpret the client's instructions
3. Write the copy
4. Present it to the client in a professional setting
5. Follow up and get the piece printed or published

In this exercise, you'll be exposed to the full cycle of writing two pieces of copy, from start to finish. 

If you enrol in the Home Study course:

If you enrol in the Home Study course, we use a different strategy to find you a Guest Client. Logistically, it is not possible for us to locate a Guest Client in your hometown. But we do the next best thing.

When you receive your manual, you'll find there's a host of letters, scripts, templates and ‘how to' guides on securing your first Guest Client.

If you follow the instructions as specified, you will find it very easy to find a Guest Client to work with.  In some ways, this exercise fast-tracks your learning because you're relying on your own skills and motivation to find a Guest Client. 

We provide you with the tools, but you provide the elbow grease.  This skill will serve you well when you are ready to find your first paying client.

However, should you experience any difficulty in finding a Guest Client, we will be happy to find you a Guest Client you can work with. 

Why is this exercise useful?

This exercise is useful because it serves many purposes in a compact time frame.

The purpose of this exercise is to:

1. Give you exposure to a real client so you can take a Creative Brief using real data.
2. Interpret the information given to you so that you can see the realities of working with imperfect briefs.  Tip:  "The ad is only as good as The Brief".
3. Present your copy to the client in a professional setting using industry-approved formats.
4. Create material for your portfolio to show potential clients and Creative Directors.
5. Make your mistakes (or learnings, as we like to call them) in a safe and fun environment where the stakes are low and the pressure to deliver is minimized.
6. Give you the visceral experience of taking a brief, writing copy and presenting the work, so that when you leave the course you will know exactly what to expect and have a process and procedure to manage it.

What if the client wants to use my work?

If the client likes your work, and you give your permission, they can use that work to promote their business. 

We ask that the client give you a token of their appreciation (a bottle of wine, a cinema ticket, a gift - something small yet something that acknowledges your work).

You then get the chance to put the published piece in your portfolio. No money is exchanged for this work. It is a ‘mock' exercise.

Should the Client like to take your work further, then that should be treated as a bonus. It doesn't happen all the time (but it certainly does happen) and we don't guarantee that it will happen. 

Can I charge the client for my work?

Once the course is finished, and if your client would like you to write more copy for a different project, then you can negotiate your own fee. 

This exercise is by the far the most popular aspect of our course.

Students love The Guest Client exercise. It forces them to step up and to see what they're capable of.  Of course, you don't have to participate in this exercise.

In fact, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do in this course.  You're an adult and we respect your right to select which exercises you want to work on, and those you don't. 

But we know this exercise generates a massive amount of positive feedback. Testimonials. It's what makes this course so different to any other on the market. 

Yes, it takes more time to organize. Yes, it's labour intensive for us to co-ordinate but we are passionate about providing you with the chance to see what copywriting is really like, not a sanitized version with the tricky bits taken out. 

Enrol now.

Here's what former Guest Clients have said:

"The best part about this whole experience is that I've had to rethink my whole business - they asked me questions that I had never even considered - who's my target market, who are my competitors, what benefits am I offering - stuff I'd never even considered. It's really opened my eyes up to the way I run my business."
(Sonia Carras, Whole New World)

"I rarely get time to sit down and think about where my business is heading.  Now here I am, with five students asking me all sorts of questions about my business and it's forcing me to think about what I'm doing. Not to mention getting five students presenting me with fabulous material.  What a fantastic service. I can't believe it's free!"
(Carolyn Priess, Life and Style)