SUMMARY

Copywriting expert Matt shares practical tactics for handling price inquiries on sales calls, emphasizing curiosity, walk-away power, and confident pricing to close deals effectively without neediness.

STATEMENTS

• Business owners primarily seek help for their business challenges, so focus on their needs rather than memorizing sales scripts when discussing pricing.
• When asked about price early in a call, respond by inquiring about their specific goals and current projects to diagnose what they truly need.
• Curiosity about a client's business allows copywriters to redirect conversations toward the most relevant services, potentially avoiding unsuitable projects like email copy if cold traffic issues persist.
• Needing a deal desperately creates attachment and neediness, which hinders effective sales; instead, maintain multiple sales opportunities to stay detached.
• Walk-away power, derived from having financial savings and multiple options, transforms sales dynamics by enabling confident decisions to pass on unfit deals.
• Practicing stating your prices confidently before calls builds the assurance needed to quote premiums without hesitation, making clients perceive expertise.
• Business owners with substantial revenue view service costs like $5,000 as minor compared to the risk of hiring the wrong expert, so confidence in pricing signals quality.
• Starting with smaller projects builds trust, allowing growth into premium retainers over time as clients experience results.
• Common sales pitfalls for copywriters include avoiding phone pricing, leading to awkward email follow-ups, and repeating patterns that deter premium commitments.
• Booking a follow-up meeting during the initial call, even for objections like needing to consult a partner, keeps momentum and increases close rates.

IDEAS

• Shifting from sales script obsession to genuine curiosity about client pain points reveals unexpected needs, like prioritizing funnel optimization over email campaigns.
• Having multiple sales calls scheduled reduces emotional attachment to any single deal, fostering a selector mindset that attracts better opportunities.
• Financial buffers enable "walk-away power," turning potential desperation into strategic leverage during negotiations.
• Confident price quoting on calls, practiced in advance, conveys premium value and minimizes perceived risks for high-revenue clients.
• Low initial pricing can signal undervaluation to sophisticated buyers, who associate higher rates with proven expertise.
• Evolving one-off projects into recurring retainers demonstrates how client relationships compound value over time.
• Sales resistance in copywriters often stems from unaddressed patterns in calls, which reviewing reveals and corrects for smoother closes.
• The "BAMFAM" tactic—booking a meeting from a meeting—neutralizes common objections by securing immediate next steps.
• Copywriting's passive selling nature contrasts with phone sales, yet mastering basics eliminates avoidance and boosts client acquisition.
• Premium rates emerge naturally from repeated successes across numerous clients, not from forcing high quotes prematurely.

INSIGHTS

• True sales mastery lies in diagnostic curiosity that aligns services with client realities, preventing mismatched engagements and building long-term trust.
• Detachment from individual deals, cultivated through abundance in opportunities and finances, empowers authentic interactions that close higher-value agreements.
• Confidence in pricing isn't about the number but the delivery, which reassures clients by mirroring the low-risk tolerance they apply to business investments.
• Client journeys often begin modestly but scale through proven results, illustrating how volume and consistency unlock premium positioning.
• Objection handling thrives on momentum preservation, like scheduling follow-ups, which transforms hesitation into commitment.
• Self-sabotage in sales arises from unexamined habits, but targeted feedback loops elevate copywriters from stressed callers to composed closers.

QUOTES

• "Well, it depends. What exactly are you looking for? What are you guys working on right now so I can see how I can help?"
• "The biggest mistake I think people have when it comes to sales, especially copyriters, is this idea of like trying to master sales, like a tactical strategic thing."
• "What you think is price friction, they don't have that friction. Like they don't have that friction. You you don't realize sometimes that a business owner that makes $100,000 a month, they don't care about 5 grand."
• "Premium rates come from volume. Premium rates come from working with 10 20 businesses offering the exact same service. You've done it so many times."
• "Book a meeting from a meeting. It's not mine. I learned that somewhere. It sounds cool. Bam. Fam."

HABITS

• Schedule multiple sales calls in advance to maintain detachment and abundance mindset during negotiations.
• Practice stating desired prices aloud before calls to build confident delivery and reduce on-the-spot hesitation.
• Review and analyze personal sales calls for recurring patterns that may deter clients.
• Sleep on major decisions for 24 hours or more to ensure thoughtful commitments.
• Approach every call with genuine curiosity, asking open questions about the client's business to uncover real needs.

FACTS

• The speaker has closed over a million dollars in deals through sales calls despite not extensively studying sales tactics.
• High-revenue business owners, earning $100,000 monthly, often view $5,000 service fees as negligible compared to hiring risks.
• Many copywriters transition from one-time projects to premium retainers after demonstrating initial value.
• Professional sales experts who switch to copywriting bring skills that close millions, enhancing community trainings.
• Nice, France, provides an inspiring backdrop for remote work, symbolizing lifestyle rewards from successful deal-closing.

REFERENCES

• CopyDojo mastermind for in-depth sales training and call reviews.
• Private email newsletter at https://list.copywriting.org for business advancement.
• Business coach who advised practicing price statements.
• Professional sales expert in the dojo who closed millions before copywriting.
• Agency owner in the community earning $50,000 monthly sharing sales insights.

HOW TO APPLY

• When price is asked early, respond with: "It depends—what are you working on right now so I can see how to help?" then listen actively without interrupting.
• Assess the client's full business, like inquiring about cold traffic conversions before recommending email services, to ensure alignment and suggest alternatives if needed.
• Maintain walk-away power by building savings and lining up multiple prospects, allowing you to decline unfit deals confidently.
• Prepare offers in advance, deciding prices for specific deliverables like 10 emails, and practice saying them to sound assured on the call.
• Handle objections like needing to consult a partner by proposing a quick follow-up: "Let's schedule 15 minutes Thursday at 6 p.m. to discuss—does that work?"

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Master sales by prioritizing client curiosity and confident pricing to close premium copywriting deals effortlessly.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Cultivate multiple sales opportunities to avoid neediness and enhance negotiation leverage.
• Practice quoting prices confidently to project premium value and build client trust.
• Start with accessible projects to foster relationships that evolve into high-value retainers.
• Review sales calls regularly to identify and eliminate patterns pushing clients away.
• Always secure a follow-up meeting during calls to maintain deal momentum.

MEMO

In the sun-drenched allure of Nice, France, where the Mediterranean breeze mingles with the rhythm of distant waves, copywriting veteran Matt delivers a masterclass on navigating the dreaded price question in sales calls. Far from the sterile conference rooms of traditional sales training, his advice unfolds against a backdrop of golden sunsets and vibrant street life—a testament to the freedoms unlocked by closing deals effectively. For freelancers and entrepreneurs in the high-stakes world of copywriting, the moment a client asks, "What's your price?" can freeze the room. Matt, who has amassed over a million dollars in closes without obsessing over scripts, argues that panic stems from a fundamental misstep: treating sales as a tactical battle rather than a quest to solve real business pains.

The core issue, Matt explains, isn't the number itself but the mindset behind it. Business owners aren't haggling over dollars; they're investing in solutions that propel their ventures forward. When hit with an early pricing probe, he recommends flipping the script: "It depends—what exactly are you looking for? What are you working on right now so I can see how I can help?" This simple pivot shifts the dynamic from defensive selling to curious discovery, often revealing mismatches—like pushing email campaigns when a client's cold traffic funnel is leaking profits. In one anecdote, Matt recounts steering a prospect away from emails toward ad copy introductions, ensuring setups for mutual success rather than forced fits.

Detachment proves the unsung hero of high-ticket closes. Matt urges stacking multiple calls on the calendar and amassing savings to wield "walk-away power," transforming neediness into selectivity. "What if it wasn't 'Should I take this deal?' but 'Which of these three should I choose?'" he poses, reframing scarcity into abundance. This mindset not only eases pressure but signals confidence to clients, who equate hesitation with risk. For the $100,000-a-month operator, a $5,000 fee pales against the peril of a mediocre hire; bold pricing, practiced aloud beforehand, reassures them of your expertise while weeding out skeptics.

Yet, premium rates don't materialize overnight—they build through iteration. Matt advises starting smaller to earn trust, evolving one-offs into retainers as results compound. Common pitfalls, like dodging phone quotes for awkward emails, sabotage momentum; instead, embrace the call as the arena for frictionless closes. He spotlights "BAMFAM"—book a meeting from a meeting—as a clever antidote to objections, penciling in 15 minutes post-call to keep deals alive. In the dojo, his mastermind community, pros dissect these nuances, from objection handling to positioning as affordably premium.

Ultimately, Matt's wisdom demystifies sales for copywriters: it's less about persuasion and more about alignment. By fostering curiosity, financial resilience, and practiced poise, freelancers can sidestep stress, attract dream clients, and perhaps even film their next breakthrough from a French Riviera perch. As the sun dips below the horizon in Nice, the message lingers—closing isn't conquest; it's connection.