Last
week a freelance writer and coach I know posted this question: “In your view,
what’s the most surprising thing about freelancing?” The answer that
immediately came to mind was: “No matter how long you’ve been doing it – there
are still lessons to be learned!”
I’ve
been a part of the gig economy for 14 years this summer. It’s hard to believe
it’s been that long. You’d think that by now, I’d truly know every trick in the
book, but honestly, I learn something new with each engagement. There are
however, a few key lessons that I learned early on that have kept me in
business all these years. Whether you’re new to freelancing, or you’ve been at it
a while, I’m sharing those secrets here with you in hope that they’ll fuel your
success too!
#1
First
off, know that in the world of freelancing, all good things must come to an
end. My first client 14 years ago was one of my favorites. It was a growing
tech company founded by a group of smart passionate people, and they were kind
to boot! We collaborated to determine their greatest pains and developed
marketing solutions to address them.
Our
worked spanned a few years, and I truly thought I’d be working with them
forever. But my husband (a seasoned consultant) warned me that if they still
needed me after several years, I probably wasn’t doing my job. His viewpoint was
that a consultant is hired to fix a problem, and I needed to learn to get in
and get out! And… he was right.
Eventually
what we did together worked. This client grew and the time came for them to
build their own marketing team and take things in house. My job was done! I
should have been happy, but the problem was, things had been going so well with
this client that I failed to prospect while I was working with them.
LESSON 1: Prospecting is a permanent (and very
necessary) part of every freelancer’s job.
No
matter how well your business is going, do not take your foot off the gas
pedal. Create a marketing strategy and stick with it. I’ve kept mine pretty
simple – I commit to ‘touching’ a set number of contacts each week and I stick
to it. But no matter what marketing mix you decide on, it’s important to
continually be marketing yourself.
#2
Second,
understand that there really are no such things as bad clients! Have you ever
heard the statement: ‘There is no such thing as a bad child — only bad parents’?
Well, I have, and the last time I did it got me thinking: ‘There is no such
thing as a bad client – only bad freelancers’!
If
you’ve been freelancing for any amount of time at all, you are probably shaking
your head in disagreement right now. I get it – we’ve all had nightmare
experiences with clients. I used to believe that there were bad clients too –
until I really started to dissect my negative experiences and realized that my
clients weren’t the problem, my process was!
LESSON 2: If you qualify your clients, you
won’t have any bad clients.
Spend
some time thinking about the work you love to do and whom you love to do it
with. Establish your rates and stick to them. Write it all down. Build a
qualifying script and use it to screen opportunities. Don’t be afraid to turn
away a lead that doesn’t meet your criteria. Every time I’ve failed to do so –
It’s been a mistake. Nothing will put you out of business faster than not
qualifying your clients. And, I promise, there will be no such thing as a bad
client when you qualify your clients.
#3
Finally,
when it comes to freelancing, we are better together than divided. Freelancing
can be a lonely business. There was a time I felt so lonely seven years ago
that I almost packed it in and returned to cubicle nation. I had recently moved
across the country. My work back east was drying up and I had very few
connections in my new town. I was ready to throw in the towel when a single brunch
changed everything.
At this
brunch, I sat down next to the owner of an amazing little design firm in my
area. We hit it off and when she learned that I was a writer, it turned out that
she needed a writer! We embarked on our first project together soon afterwards.
Initially the client asked for a simple datasheet, but within a few weeks, we
realized that solution really didn’t meet their needs and we pitched a much
larger, strategic initiative to the client. We won that deal and have been
working with that client and many others ever since. It’s been some of the most
rewarding work I’ve ever done.
LESSON 3: You are not alone!
They are
so many resources to collaborate with in the freelance world. Whether you
prefer to network online or in person or engage formally or informally, there
is a place to do so. I was so happy to find the SecondShift last year. It’s
place where I can find both qualified leads and qualified resources to
collaborate with. Whatever type of work you do, remember that there is a
community of like-minded individuals out there experiencing many of the same
things that you are experiencing. This doesn’t have to be a lonely business!
In
summary, a lot has changed since I started freelancing 14 years ago. Technology
has made it easier than ever before to find opportunities, but locating work is
only one piece of the puzzle. Winning business requires a unique set of
processes and procedures that set you apart from the competition. Creating your
own rules is key to reaping the rewards of the ever-expanding gig economy.
By Noelle Abarelli of Soleado Marketing