Is Negative Branding Killing Your Freelance Biz?

Picture this: You’re on a public forum where lots and lots of company execs hang out. You can post anything you want to attract attention, build name recognition, draw people to you. Here’s what you choose:

I’m sick and tired of prospective clients asking me the same questions! No, I don’t want to send you samples. No, I don’t want to send my resume. No, I don’t want to answer your questions. They’re so boring! Why can’t you people just hire me and trust me to do the job?

Before you laugh, that’s not a hypothetical example. That’s a paraphrasing of a LinkedIn exchange that actually happened recently. A writer, tired of being asked to show their background, posted that not in a private group, but right out there in public. Front page of LinkedIn for the world to see. And see they did.

One exec tried to be kind and do this writer a solid by saying something akin to Be careful how you present yourself in public. He said, very accurately, that potential clients will avoid anyone who appears to be difficult. That writer took this as a direct challenge, threw out a cheap insult to the exec, and then said the his opinion was “invalid” because he clearly didn’t read the original post.

Yes, yes he did. We all did. And many of us were cringing.

Thing is, this writer just bit the hand of someone who could have opened doors. They live in the same region. The exec runs an award-winning agency that looks for talented writing help quite frequently. And the exec has something even more valuable:

Connections.

And there he was, warning this writer that they were engaging in negative branding, to which that writer proved that to be true in a pretty ugly way.

Even with that warning, other writers were jumping on board the “How dare they ask us to prove we can do the job!” train.

I’m just guessing here, but I predict a number of those writers will soon be bitching publicly about how work has dried up and how “dead” freelancing is.

[bctt tweet=”Are you branding your #freelancewriting biz negatively?” username=”LoriWidmer”]

You guilty freelancers, you’re killing me here. Well, in actuality, you’re killing your chances of getting hired by professionals who avoid this kind of drama like the plague. Worse, you don’t see it or don’t care.

How is this negative branding?

For those who are unclear how this constitutes negative branding, let’s look at it through a different lens:

Sally applied for a full-time job. The company calls you in for an interview. They ask “Why do you think you’re the right person for the job?”

Sally’s response: “Can’t you read? Jeezuz! Did you even look at my resume?

Would you expect that hiring manager to see the error of their ways and hire Sally? Hell no. Sally would be escorted to the door.

Another view of this:

Sally, not getting the job, goes online and trashes the company — from the hiring manager’s attitude right down to the nasty carpeting in the entry.

Then she expresses why their question was “stupid and lazy” and said anyone with a brain could see why she fit the position perfectly.

Sally has just told every hiring manager who uses the internet to screen applicants (read that “every” hiring manager) that she’s petulant, can’t control her emotions, and is vindictive enough to call out potential or actual employers in public, which is a branding nightmare for any company that employs her.

On both counts, Sally failed a more critical test than she thought she was facing. The hiring manager wasn’t looking to see if her skills fit. She was looking to see if Sally’s personality fit.

[bctt tweet=”Everything you say online is branding, #freelancer” username=”LoriWidmer”]

Here are a few fallacies I see coming from the worst offenders:

“If they don’t ‘get’ me, they’re not my client.” Oh, they’re certainly not your client, but it’s not because it’s they who aren’t “getting” the clue. You are one of many freelancers vying for the gig. If you think they should simply come knocking and beg you to work for them, you’re in the wrong business.

They’re stupid if they think I can’t write about what I have no experience writing about.” Gee, those rotten clients, asking you to produce proof that you can handle a project they’re about to pay you to do! Grow up. These are people who are about to spend their money on you. They have every right to ask if you have the background and proof that you can do it. They’re protecting their investment, and your rigid attitude is telling them you’re going to be a pain in the ass to work with and money wasted.

“If they can’t tell how talented I am from my website, they’re idiots.” Yes, because no one has EVER lied online. And every writer has an updated website with relevant samples for that specific client, right? Wrong. It is not on them to prove you can handle the job. It’s up to you to provide them with the info that makes it easy for them to say “yes.”

Truths about freelancing:

• No potential client owes you anything
• Everything you present online matters
• Yes, your attitude matters
  • And that eyeroll right there was heard by more than one potential client
• You are not a special flower who gets to make the rules
• If you’re seen as someone who isn’t willing to be flexible, you will not be hired

Successful freelancers get this. They understand that as small business owners, they’re selling their services. Just like any other salesperson, these successful freelancers are providing potential clients with the info needed to make them comfortable with hiring them.

Trust isn’t granted — it’s earned. Get out there and earn it.

Writers, what are some of the worst attitudes you’ve seen coming from freelancers?
What forms of negative branding have you seen lately?