Melissa Harstine is our guest for the 309th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast. Melissa is a Customer Research Strategist who helps her clients pull out the best insights for her clients, so they can increase their reach and results. In this episode, Melissa gives us a breakdown of how we can all increase our customer research skills and why they matter in the first place.

Check it out below:

Melissa’s beginnings as a journalist at a small nonprofit for the elderly and how she was able to connect with her target audience.
Writing for a demographic much different than your own – how’s it happen?
Why she decided to hone in on a niche and how it worked out for her.
How to connect with potential clients in your local business networking groups.
Her advice on asking better questions during the research phase.
Why you need to lead with empathy and how to respond to people’s demeanor and tone.
The specific questions she asks clients to pull the best details and information for a project.
How she packages research and presents it to prospective clients.
The key to communicating value and knowing your target market.
Working with well-known leaders in the industry through building relationships.
Finding dream clients once you actually know what you’re looking for.
How to turn research into strategy.
Her process for pulling out the best pieces of customer research.
Why it’s important to stop overbooking yourself and what to avoid.
Questions you *probably* shouldn’t ask.
How she presents the research report to her clients and helps them apply and implement in real time.
Should you position yourself as a “thought partner?”
Resources you can use to become a better researcher.
How The Copywriter Accelerator helped her grow her business.
How to add more value for your clients.

Tune into the episode by hitting play or reading the transcript below.

 




































The people and stuff we mentioned on the show:
The Copywriter Think Tank
Kira’s website
Rob’s website
Melissa's website
The Copywriter Club Facebook Group
The Copywriter Underground
Free month of Brain.FM
Episode 12
Episode 28
Episode 154
The TCC Shop 

Full Transcript: