To become a lucrative ghostwriter, you don’t need to become a “better” writer.

• You don’t need to read another book about writing.
• You don’t need to listen to another writing podcast.
• You don’t need to do another 20 minutes of Copywork.

The truth is, you’re probably already a good writer—good enough to start charging upwards of $5,000 for your ghostwriting services.

So, if being a “better” writer isn’t the answer to becoming a wildly profitable ghostwriter… then what is?

It’s simple:

Mastering the Art & Business of Sales.

Becoming a better salesperson is how you start to earn more money as a writer.

But before you head into your first (or next) sales call, it’s important you:

• Have your Irresistible Offer dialed in.
• You’ve practiced your Sales Call script.
• And you’re aware of (and overcoming) the 8 faulty beliefs holding you back as a writer.

This is everything you need to know to set the foundation for better sales calls.

There is one big reframe I want to give about “Sales.” Sales isn’t about being a money-grabbing sleazeball or “tricking” the other person into saying “Yes” to what you’re offering. Sales is about Education. Educating your client on a problem, showing them why they need to solve it, and positioning your service as the solution.

This is basically making friends at scale—and I wish more ghostwriters knew this.

And mastering sales will pay you dividends in the future, too—no matter which career path you choose to take.

Now, we have the above foundations set, here’s how to take your sales process to the next level.

Tip #1: Start the call one way (and one way only).

From this point onward, you will start every sales call with this phrase:

“Hey {Name}—where you tuning in from today?”

• No ifs.
• No buts.
• No maybes.

Every call must now start like this because these aren’t just pleasantries.

It might not seem like it, but this is the first step in the entire sales process. Asking this question (especially when so much of our world is digital) builds instant rapport with your potential client. It shows interest beyond you just trying to “land the sale” and helps you relate to them almost like a friend (remember sales is about making friends).

After all, we buy from those we know, like, and trust. By asking this question, you’re working on reinforcing the first two. They’ll appreciate you showing an interest in them and they will like you for it, too.

Let’s build on this point with the third tip.

Tip #2: Ask questions to control the conversation.

When you ask the questions on the sales call, you’re in control of the conversation (remember how you already asked a question right off the bat?).

Asking the right questions is how you steer the potential customer into your way of thinking (and is part of the Irresistible Sales Script we talked about above).

It’s how you:

• Make them understand more about the problem they have.
• So that they then care about a potential solution.
• Which means they become interested in your unique way of solving it.
• And care about the outcome this will create for them in your business.

Getting to the heart of their problem means you can start picking up on the language they use to describe their issue.

Then, when you have that language, you can literally repeat it back to them (this is called “mirroring”). A simple stock phrase I use all the time: “It sounds like you’re having problems doing {XYZ}.” You’re subtly building trust here because when you do this the client will instantly think, “Finally, this person gets me and my business/industry!”

Again, you’re building a friendship with this person.

Alright, now they know, like, and trust you, let’s get into the nitty gritty of proving your worth—no matter your level of experience.

Tip #3: Mirror their language.

Asking questions means ****you can start picking up on the language they use to describe their issue.

Then, when you have that language, you can repeat it back to them (this is called “mirroring). A simple stock phrase I use all the time: “It sounds like you’re having problems doing {XYZ}.” You’re subtly building trust here because when you do this the client will instantly think, “Finally, this person gets me and my business/industry!”

Again, you’re building trust with the client, and one of the easiest ways to do this is to mirror their language and show you understand their problems.

Tip #4: Prove your worth—no matter your experience.

This is a point I see new (and even experienced) ghostwriters get hung up on.

If your client asks, “Have you ever done this for my industry/people like me before?” you have two options:

1. If you have done this before for other people, give an example of where it worked for a client like them and explain the outcomes you generated for them (without promising anything—see the next point).
2. If you haven’t done this before, then explain the principles of a) why this will work and b) how this worked for another type of client you worked with.

Remember, you aren’t just a “writer.”

You’re a business consultant who just so happens to know how to write. If you can articulate the WHY of your service (again, returning back to your Irresistible Offer), then the client is more likely to trust you. If you have the case studies to back it up, great. If you don’t, no problem.

For context, I sold $3,000,000 without having any written case studies to show clients. I did it all by explaining the principles of what I was offering.

This leads us to the final point: what should you promise?

Tip #5: Don’t make guarantees.

If the client asks you to promise a particular outcome, then don’t.

Instead, explain how everything you’re doing is based on best practices you have used with other clients and/or developed yourself by Practicing In Public. The way to get around this question is to say that everything in marketing is testing. If your package includes an optimization service (e.g. improving subject lines, looking at content analytics to double down on proven ideas, etc.) then mention this.

Working with you is a process of a) applying what works for them and b) iterating on that to suit their unique situation.

Bonus Tip: Don’t give up.

I often notice how many aspiring ghostwriters give up after one or two months of trying to master the art and business of sales.

This is painfully short-sighted. So many of my "failed" sales calls came back to me 2, 6, or even 12 months later. Every sales call you take is a chance for you to practice all of these skills. Don’t get disheartened if you don’t land a deal. Instead, this is an opportunity for you to learn, iterate, and keep moving.

And if you need a little extra boost, imagine how good you’ll become at sales after taking 20 calls:

So don't give up, keep going, and let the compounding kick in.