4 Qualities of a Good Copywriter

A good copywriter can make a difference in your sales revenue and your bottom line. You need to be able to effectively educate prospective clients on your products and services, but also convince them that they need look no further than what you have to offer. Mediocre copy will cause doubts in clients and cause them to compare you with others. Great copy will help you close the deal and establish you as one of the best. Here are 4 qualities you need to keep in mind, whether you want to become a good copywriter or need to hire one:

Quality #1 – Excels at Sales

A great creative writer or article writer may not be a good copywriter. The skill set required is different. Copywriting is very much about selling to a targeted audience. Who is better to do that than someone with prior sales experience or sales training? Look for it when you’re choosing candidates, or get some sales training if you want to excel at copywriting.

Quality #2 – Relationship Builder

Building relationships is part of the sales process, and a good copywriter can accomplish that through the copy he writes. It’s especially important to work with a relationship builder if you plan to use the copywriter on an ongoing basis. You want someone who can connect with readers in a way that draws them in and leaves them wanting more. It’s easy to tell when a copywriter lacks interpersonal skills, because it comes through clearly in the copy.

Quality #3 – Always on Time

Timeliness is a quality that you should look for in any copywriter you want to hire.  It doesn’t matter how good the writer is if that writer cannot meet deadlines. The worth of good copy may get lost if you’re not able to get your message out in time. For example, if you need to print brochures for an event and you miss the opportunity because the copywriter was late, then it doesn’t matter how good the copy turned out to be. You would be better off going with an average copywriter who meets deadlines.

Quality #4 – Critical Thinker

Many people rank creativity high on their list when looking for copywriters. Critical thinking is rarely mentioned, but it’s what actually makes a good copywriter. Imagine hiring someone who lacks critical thinking skills. You try to explain your business model, products, customer demographics and they simply cannot understand you. By the time you explain and re-explain ideas and concepts, you could have written your own copy or hired someone else. You need to spend time giving insight about your company and what you want promote to a copywriter, but a good copywriter can process and analyze the information and turn out quality copy.

Once you establish that the copywriter you want to work with has good writing skills, you should assess whether they have these qualities. Finding a good copywriter will pay dividends and help you achieve more success.