Services

Testing

While the services Brent offers are custom tailored to the needs of individual clients, testing and Mock Reviews are the cornerstone of the packages he offers. Brent will put your product through its paces, stress-testing it to the same level he would for the renown publications he writes for. His approach is to use the product as a real consumer would (or as a business would if it’s B2B), testing rigorously through an array of scenarios, taking notes and often photos and videos along the way. Brent is a “bug magnet,” and if there is a pain-point in the user experience, he will find it.

Mock Review

The main event. Brent will deliver a full, confidential report to you by the appointed deadline. This includes a review with even more detail than he would use in a magazine article, going deep into highlights, lowlights, potential issues, things to be celebrated, and things to be fixed as soon as possible. Brent will give it to you straight, but with an eye toward constructive feedback and actionable items. He will also include notes about launch strategy, how to frame things with the media, and future development.

Q&A

Throughout the test process Brent may reach out for more information, as well as to relay any pressing issues he finds that you might want to start working on even before the final report. Once the Mock Review has been delivered, he will typically set up a Zoom or a phone call with your team to talk through the report, answer any questions you might have, and offer additional insights, both regarding product development as well as media outreach. Sometimes all of these processes are repeated as the product continues to be formed, depending on the extent of the contract.

Copywriting (optional)

As an add-on, some companies have opted to hire Brent to assist with the copywriting. This may be for product announcements, press releases, blog posts, website copy, or pitch emails to writers and editors. Having fielded hundreds of pitches and press releases every day for nearly 15 years (as well as reading tens of thousand product descriptions on websites), Brent has the expertise to communicate the features that make your product stand out.

What it isn’t

Just as important as understanding the services that are being offered, it’s important to know what services are not being offered. In brief, this is not a pay-for-play scenario, and Brent’s industry and media contacts are not for sale.

To learn more, please read the Ethics and Confidentiality page