Last week our favorite Irreverent Freelancer Kathy Kehrli opened up about how she changed her ways, albeit briefly (for we love her irreverence too much to see it disappear). The result was her ability to secure two at-risk clients by simply stepping back and reassessing each situation.
While I don’t advocate being a pushover, I do believe all writers should practice what Kathy did – a change in perspective. Sometimes you think that project’s going to be completely impossible, or you think those client demands are just too much for you to maintain your integrity or your sanity. But what if you suspend judgment, even for a day, and really examine that demand or that project one more time from the client’s point of view? Maybe you’ll see, like Kathy did, that things are workable after all.
I think we freelancers need to take this perspective thing a few steps further. Say you’ve struggled finding clients, struggled securing enough work, struggled getting payment, and generally struggled to make a go of it. Have you bothered to step back, reassess what you’re doing/not doing, and go back at it from a different perspective? Here are a few things I’ve learned by doing so:
– Marketing while I’m busy helps to eliminate gaps in work.
– Allowing myself to be more vocal/helpful with clients makes them realize sooner I’m their advocate.
– Having a consistent billing process is absolutely essential if I expect to collect.
– Running my writing work like a business and not like a hobby allows me to be tough when I need to be.
– Turning down low-paying work and aggressively seeking higher-paying work is always a good decision.
– Realizing business plans only work if you use them, amend them, rely on them, and work them.
If you looked at your writing business right now, what do you think you could improve? What do you want to improve? Have you asked others how they do it? Or are you able to see the flaws in your plan and fix them?
Post full of good food for thought on a Monday.
Excellent tips, Lori. I have found I need to speak up for myself. That has always been a weakness of mine – all the way back to grade school!
I’m finding (although it’s been super hard for me) the more I really focus on “selling myself” as all the successful freelancers advise, that I’ve been receiving a much higher, positive response.
So, I think that’s still what I’d like to improve. I need to be strong in the areas of marketing and really, truly “selling myself”. I know if I’m speaking – or typing – about myself in a way that’s “blah” the client/editor is going to feel “blah” about me, eh? 😉
Good thing is I’m already on a good path to improving this area and I plan on keeping to the straight and narrow!
*smiles*
Michele
Positivity, Michele. If anyone can, you can. 🙂
I am not a numbers kind of gal, but I’m approaching ’09 with a numbers mindset. Later this evening, as I get tax records in order, I’m going to look at how many clients I had in ’08, the average value per invoice/project, and the average yearly value per client. Then, in ’09, I’m going to seek to increase every one of those numbers. It’s much easier for me to find ways to increase the average project value by, say, 10-20%, than it is to say “I will increase my income by $20,000 this year.”
useful tips.