What does a successful freelance writing career look like to you? Ask a hundred freelancers and you’ll probably get that many different answers. Success could be something as lofty as making enough to retire by age 50. It could be making enough to pay the bills and bank a little. Or it could be working at writing a few times a week and making what you’d make at a full-time office job.
Doesn’t matter. Success is how you see it, not how bloggers and people selling books and courses see it. But no matter how you define it, one question looms:
How do you get there?
I thought about this recently because right now, my freelance writing career is at its peak and I’m starting to wean off the career a bit. As I phase into retirement over the next few years, I’m reducing my income and client load. I’m still making enough, and I’m able to take more time off and enjoy something beyond this desk.
To me, that’s success.
Whatever your version of success looks like, you can get it by doing the one thing that I believe made my own career soar:
Deliver value.
[bctt tweet=”If you want a successful #freelance career, deliver value. Here’s how.” username=”LoriWidmer”]
This is not a new idea, in fact. Peter Bowerman, author of the exceptional Well-Fed Writer books and resources, wrote about it on his blog a few years ago. But it’s a truth that you can damn well bank on. If your client sees the value in working with you, you will succeed. Hell, you’ll even get referrals and more repeat work.
But what does that mean, deliver value?
Well, for you it may be slightly different, but in my view, much of the value that clients get out of a freelance writing relationship goes something like this:
Listen.
You think that’s simple too, don’t you? But do you really listen? More to the point, do you hear what that client is saying and, in some cases, not saying? Are you hearing verbal cues that suggest the direction they’ve been going is familiar and they’re reluctant to leave that path just yet? Or are they implying that they’re tired of their direction and need you to help them find more solid ground? If you’re listening to the hesitations, the assertions, the wishlist, you’ll pick up on those sorts of things.
Suggest.
That client just said they wanted to present their company as having a company culture focused on employee wellbeing. However, their shareholder-facing information has listed their focus on an employee wellbeing model as a weakness. What are you going to do about that?
You’re going to point that out, I hope. And you’re going to make some suggestions on wording that won’t make them look like they’re paying lip service instead of actually espousing their own policies and culture. That’s the role of a good contractor — to point out issues before they get themselves into trouble. Recovering from a lousy first draft is much easier than recovering from a lousy public reputation.
Interact.
A freelancer who communicates more frequently — and more cordially — than simply taking an assignment and then handing it in along with the invoice is someone who will garner more trust. When I get an assignment, I thank the client at the outset. Same goes for feedback. And when I hand in the final draft, I thank them again. By then, I also know how their week has been going, what’s going on in their lives, and what plans they have for the weekend. Okay, not verbatim, but you get the idea. Talk with them, not at them. Get to know your clients at a more personal level. It doesn’t hurt to pass along news articles and studies that relate to their business or their current focus.
Deliver.
Give that client better than they asked for. Adopt their voice. Hone it to make it more appealing to their clients (you’re a writer — you know how to do this). The voice I tend to adopt alongside the client’s voice is one of interest in the topic. It’s not fake, either. I don’t take assignments that don’t have some element of interest in them. Find that thing about the topic that intrigues you. That’s your voice and focus. Sure, you’ll still stick within the client’s parameters, but you’re going to inject your own interest into the piece. That’s delivering better than they expect.
Note: That doesn’t mean you go way outside the client’s own vocabulary. Example: I have a client whose stated voice is “conversational, yet authoritative.” I wouldn’t use edgy, in-your-face language. Nor would I talk down to the audience or assume they’re experts. I give them an intriguing voice that is more like “Here’s something you might not have heard.” Informative, friendly, and establishing expertise on the topic.
Writers, for you, how do you deliver value?
What have you tried that didn’t quite work? How did you switch it up successfully?
Where do you still struggle with showing value?
7 responses to “Your Freelance Client Magnet”
All of those are excellent points. What works best for me is treating it as a partnership with a shared goal. It’s easieer in my new location, where the work is respected. In my previous location, the rule of thumb by local clients was that it was a master-servant relationship similar to the owner of a restaurat and an easily replacable waitstaff — “anyone” could do the work, and anyone hired should be “grateful” that the client was willing to pay anything. That was one reason I started taking on more remote clients out of the area. When I moved there, I wanted to be part of the “buy local” movement, but my work wasn’t considered “real” work (and trust me, it was needed, because most companies communicate poorly there). The viewpoint was that companies didn’t want to pay for any sort of communication work, and that, if they were forced to, the contractor should be “grateful” to be “chosen” at any low price. Which is simply not sustainable for anyone.
I find it best when there’s a shared vision for the goal, and client and contractor work as partners to achieve it.
Totally agree, Devon. Great advice. I think a lot of freelancers look at the job as an assignment and not a shared goal. Your work improves — and the results improve — when you consider that client a partner.
I’m constantly amazed when a new-to-me editor tells me they’re “impressed” by my work. Yes, it’s well-researched. Yes, it’s clean copy. And yes, I try to match their voice. But the reason they’re impressed is because so many other writers fail to do those basic things.
Delivering value doesn’t take much more these days than meeting a deadline. It’s kind of sad when clients view anything beyond that as impressive.
I’d be ashamed to submit anything less than clean, well-researched copy. Sometimes I struggle to get a new client’s voice, but I try. And it gets easier with each new project.
As for voice, I know one client likes puns and humor, another prefers straight-forward facts, and another caters to a non-professional audience that needs some fairly basic things spelled out a little more.
I try to keep in mind that each client follows its one style guide. Some are fussier than others. But I ALWAYS use the Oxford comma to prevent any possible confusion because clarity is important to me. Anti-Oxford clients can delete what they feel are extraneous commas.
Great stuff, Lori, as always. Thankfulness is a big one for me; dropping an occasional handwritten note in the mail will make you stand out in a day when no one else does that anymore.
If I had to distill everything into one concept, it’s… Be easy to work with. Back in my magazine staff days, I had to hire countless freelancers. I’d rather work with someone who has B+ talent and makes my life easier than someone who’s an A+ talent and a pain in the tail.
Or even worse: a C-level talent who thinks they’re A+ talent and are also a pain in the tail.
Oh Paula, I have run into those, too! One guy in particular stands out — 22 years later! Egad, he was difficult.
Do people do handwritten anything anymore, Jake? Great way to stand out indeed!
You’re right, of course. Being easy to work with makes it easier for them to hand you more work. You get it done.
Same here. I would work regularly with the freelancers who delivered, even if there was extra editing. The ones who were stellar at the writing but missed deadlines? They got fewer assignments from me (and I shortened their deadlines without them know it).