Copywriters’ Questionnaire Under Question

There’s a certain questionnaire that copywriters often rely on to extract the information necessary to write a copy: business description, problem, solution, unique value proposition (unique selling point), mission, vision, values, tone, target audience… The motivation behind it is reasonable. It’s a clear and clean way to go about uncovering the narrative, but there’s a small problem—it sucks. It’s rarely efficient and reliable. And it only tackles part of the whole process, the part that is focused on semantics, one in which the client has little or no proficiency.

Let’s get something out of the way. Not everyone does their best job expressing themselves through language. Not everyone cares to distinguish between synonyms or ponder over the implications of certain words and phrases. It’s writers who do. What the client writes is not what the copywriter reads. The primary reason they seek a copywriter is their lack of aptitude for written communication. Asking the client to write crucial information, the essence from which the voice is built, is just asking for headaches. But even if they are adept, the client is not always a reliable source of information.  

People are deceptive; that’s just the way we’re built. We lie. We lie to ourselves. We lie by omission. In our desire to present ourselves in a good light, we temporarily accentuate favorable qualities. Part of the copywriter’s job is to look beyond all this accidental deception; to uncover the truth. So, handing over a questionnaire means giving permission for the client to freely pick and choose the parts of the truth they wish to project.  

But perhaps I’m being too cynical. Some people are too self-aware to fall for such a basic trope. Those people are the ones to benefit most from having the copywriter by their side. People don’t always mean what they say. We are not always upfront about what we want. It could be that we are unsure, hesitant, or unaware. It could be that we’ve thought it over, but we still need that extra head. Someone to point out the things we don’t see. Someone objective to validate or encourage what we might dismiss for lack of an obtainable answer. Part of the copywriter’s job is to escort the client on that journey. Even if the client doesn’t need the escort, it’s always better to be there.

There is much more to be learned about someone or something when you get involved. The fluidity in direct communication carries the narrative to unthought places. The mere presence of someone else changes our attitude. All the information a copywriter really needs is there within the client, and the questionnaire is too naïve to navigate the complexity of that medium. The questionnaire is a tool; it is there to help the copywriter organize his information, not take his place. Words are the copywriter’s specialty; they can be dangerous in the wrong hands.