If you are just starting out in freelancing there many new things you will have to get used to. Without the support of a boss or company you will need to motivate yourself, build your business, overcome obstacles and disappointments and, most importantly, look after the needs of your clients. This quick checklist from freelance copywriter Tom Albrighton gives us ten great tips for getting started in freelancing.
Once, I commissioned freelancers. Then I got made redundant and had to scrape together a living in the hand-to-mouth, twilight scavenger world of the freelance copywriter. I could have been a contender. But more to the point, here are the top ten freelancing tips I’ve learned in five years as a wandering content-ronin:
Believe in abundance If you’re short of work, it’s easy to fall into anxiety. Instead of focusing on scarcity, switch your attention to the many opportunities around – online, in your local area, around the world. If local competitors spring up, that’s great – it means there’s work around! We get what we expect in life, so start expecting that opportunities – and cash money – will be coming your way.
Hold on tightly, let go lightly In other words, focus on the jobs you get, not the ones you don’t. It doesn’t matter why your quote wasn’t chosen, or why that client stopped using you. What matters is serving the clients you have today.
Accept blame In fact, actively seek out blame. If things go wrong, claim responsibility, even if it’s not your mistake. Failures of communication, missed deadlines – whatever. Blame rarely sticks to those outside an organisation, but your contact or client will be flattered at the implication that they’ve done nothing wrong.
Pricing is a game without rules I don’t mean ‘rip off your clients’. I mean that people’s expectations on price vary so wildly that it’s almost impossible to find a consistent approach. Get used to pricing job by job. If the client proposes a price, be thankful you don’t have to. Love clients who will negotiate instead of never contacting you again if your price doesn’t stack up.
Networking takes time With social media, anyone can rustle up a monster network in weeks. Unfortunately, it will be broad and shallow, and its power to deliver freelance work will be limited. What actually works is referrals from friend to friend, and they only happen when your contacts’ contacts realise they need someone like you – which can take years. But as long as you keep meeting expectations, referrals will come.
Learn to listen Forget impressing the client. Learn to listen, not speak. First and foremost, you’ll do better work because you’ll learn more. On a human level, people love the chance to chat with an impartial outsider – so give them it. It’s a big part of the value you offer.
Cultivate detachment I’ve found I can handle freelancing much better if I’m not emotionally involved. I try not to get excited about new opportunities so I’m not disappointed if they don’t pan out. I don’t pat myself on the back for a good month, in case the next one is awful. Incorporating your freelance business as a company is a good way to create distance between you and your work, and worthwhile for this reason alone.
Don’t flatter yourself Clients do not spend that much time thinking about you and your work, so don’t waste time and effort over-thinking about what they might want, or what a particular reaction (or lack of reaction) might mean. They have a job that needs doing, and you’re a tool to get it done – end of story.
Under-promise and over-deliver Tell the client the worst-case timescale, then beat it by four or five days. Maybe even reduce your price because you did the work quickly. Sounds like a cheap trick? Believe me, your customers will have dealt with too many flaky suppliers to feel that way. They will absolutely love it.
Be in the moment Because the future is always uncertain for freelancers, there’s always a little bit of anxiety floating around. Try to let go of it and enjoy the work you’ve got today. Remember, no-one really has any job security in today’s working world, so focus on the here-and-now and let tomorrow take care of itself.
By Tom Albrighton a professional copywriter and founder of ABC Copywriting.
Image by woodleywonderworks ©
