How Pro Freelancers Score Big (& how you can, too)

Last week was a mishmash of short project deadlines, new projects to prioritize, and social media marketing.

From Twitter to LinkedIn, there were a lot of writing mishaps going on. One guy misspelled the name of his own book, another writer was pushing how to improve your Fiverr client quality, yet another was singing the praises of Upwork while at the same time lamenting that it takes “work” to get beyond the usual low rates. You know, the same old social media head-shaking stuff.

That it’s all going on in full view of potential clients doesn’t seem to be top of mind for a lot of these freelancers, which is mistake #1, in my opinion. But it’s fixable. Anyone can filter what they put online, though removing what’s there already is a bit more work. But still, you can fix it.

In fact, I’m going to tell you a little secret about how pro freelancers work that makes a huge difference in their clientele, their earnings, and their ability to grow their client base with little effort:

[bctt tweet=”Pro #freelancers know how to filter.” username=”LoriWidmer”]

Ah, but this would be a short post if that’s all there were to it. In essence, yes. That’s all there is to it. Filter everything through a professional lens and you’ll be right as rain.

What’s that mean exactly?

It means you should be switching up some nasty habits by looking at it from the perspective of a customer. Sound hard? It’s not. Do this:

Pretend you’re the buyer.

Now, if you were buying from this writer (taking you out of the picture entirely), what habits would impress you? What habits would turn you off?

There you go.

But let’s break it down even more. Here are some specific habits — none of which are related to talent or skill — that successful freelance writers have. They:

Show up on time.

Any Zoom meeting, any conference call, any deadline becomes the most important thing that day for a successful freelancer. It may not be — we all have lives that explode or challenge or draw us away — but if the commitment is made, the successful freelancer shows up. Period. If that’s not possible, they communicate it immediately to people who are waiting. It’s common courtesy, but it’s one of those things that, while expected, signals to a client that their time is respected.

I remember my first gig as a stringer on a regional newspaper. The editor referred me to the special sections editor, who kept me working for years on monthly features. She gave me the best compliment ever; “I asked for you because you’re reliable.” That statement said zero about my writing ability, but I’d already been hired for that. Reliability is what they need, too. Give them that.

Deliver a best effort.

That’s not to say spend three sleepless nights worrying the hell out of a simple assignment. It means to give every project, every client your full attention and skill. Look, I may not be excited by yet another workers’ comp article, but when I write it, I’m engaged. There’s always —always— something you can find in those projects to interest you. If you accepted the job, you owe that to your client. Don’t think you can phone it in. Don’t think you’ll just paste this and that together and collect the check. You don’t get repeat work, nor referrals, if you don’t show any evidence of caring or trying your best.

Show up.

Different than showing up on time, but equally important, is showing up. You show up when you research the client or the topic before you get on the phone. You show up when the questions you want to ask are written down in advance. You show up when you go beyond taking instructions. Successful freelancers engage with their clients. They become partners, even if it’s for one project or one article. They share ideas and they help clients come up with sound messaging and projects. They push back when needed, and make sure clients aren’t about to make mistakes they’d regret.

You can’t do that if you’re just sitting on the other end of the phone listening.

Stick to their word.

This one gets plenty of writers into trouble. Not professional writers, though. A pro writer is going to do what they say they’re going to do. I think I’ve mentioned before the general contractor we had who spoiled us for any other contractor. He did it by showing up at the same time every day, communicating everything daily, and fixing problems before telling us about them. It wasn’t “Hey, this came in broken, you may want to call the company and get a replacement.” It was “Just wanted to alert you to a small issue — I’ve called the company and a replacement is on the way, but here’s what will happen in the meantime.”

That’s a contractor you trust. That’s a professional who earns every dime he charges. Be that kind of professional.

Do a little extra.

Pro writers do more than expected. A sidebar that would work so well beside that article you wrote — if it takes ten minutes to write it, gift it, especially if the editor didn’t ask for it. That client trying to place articles — make a list of potential markets. Come up with article ideas. Help them uncover new magazines or new ways to get their message out. Or send them a study that coincides with a company announcement.

One pro writer I know wins a ton of work with this simple sentence: “Hey, I had an idea …” That’s because she’s showing her knowledge of their business, but also her knowledge of the end user of their communications.

Have a strong work ethic.

I got an assignment in after lunch on Friday. I could have ignored it and started on it today. I didn’t. I sent out four quick emails to get interviews scheduled. There’s a deadline, and I’m not going to miss it by my own inertia. Pro writers don’t take days off while deadlines loom. They don’t deliver half the project most of the time, and ask for deadline extensions repeatedly. They deliver. They work hard to make sure they’ve uncovered the most relevant research and experts, and they’ve studied the client’s business enough to work alongside them, not as temp help.

Not one of the things listed here have anything to do with skill or writing talent. These are things that are easy behavioral shifts. They’re also things that can elevate trust between you and your client, and keep them coming back.

Writers, what other attributes do pro writers have?
Have your clients noticed any of these behaviors in you?