Are you having a difficult time closing deals? In other words, you get close to landing a new client just to have them go with somebody else. This is a common problem that many freelance writers face. Fortunately, there are ways around this if you know what you are doing. One of the best ways to close a deal is to offer to speak with the client on the phone. There are many reasons why this works:
1. When you are willing to speak with a potential client on the phone it shows that you are truly interested in the job. By showing that you care before you land the gig the client will feel good about working with you into the future. Do your best to get a potential client on the phone so you can show them just how much you want to get started.
2. You can sell yourself. One of the biggest benefits of a phone conversation is that you can sell your services. With an email you only get one chance, and you can only say so much. But during a phone conversation you can really sell yourself. You can tell the client all about your experience, while also giving details on how you can help them succeed.
3. You show that you are competent. As you know, anybody can say that they are a high quality freelance writer. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people getting scammed because of this. When you speak with a potential client on the phone you can prove that you know what you are talking about, and that you are the perfect person for the job.
Even if you are nervous about talking to potential clients on the phone you should still do so. Once you have a few conversations this will feel like second nature. Believe it or not, phone conversations can go a long way in helping you land new clients on a regular basis.
I strongly believe in taking breaks throughout the day. There used to be a time when I didn’t do this and soon enough I was burning out mentally and my wrists and arms were in pain. Since striking a balance between work and breaks my efficiency has skyrocketed. Not to mention the fact that my body feels better than ever as well.
Even though it may sound silly, you can cause great bodily harm if you do not take breaks throughout the day. When I was working hour after hour without a break my wrists, fingers, and elbows began to ache way more than usual. In fact, it got so bad at one point that I had to take a day off to regroup. As a freelance writer you need your hands and arms to be in good working condition at all times. After all, if you cannot type you are going to have a hard time becoming a success in this field.
Of course, breaks are good for your mind as well. There are times when I have to get away from my desk because my mind is racing with thoughts. If you are feeling bogged down and anxiety is closing in on you, the best thing you can do is take a break. Even though you may feel like you are wasting time, when you finally get back to work you will feel like a new man.
There is no denying that you need to work as much as you can during the day. I try to work eight hour days. Sometimes I work more, sometimes I work less, but this is what I strive for. To stay balanced I take several breaks including a longer one for lunch.
As you can see, it is very important to take enough breaks during the day to keep your body and mind fresh. Are you striking a good balance? Or do you need to make a change in this area of your career?
I am the type of freelance writer who always likes to be on top of things. I do my best to stay ahead of the game at all times, no matter what it takes. If I get behind on my work it begins to take its toll on me, and soon enough I will find myself working long hours to catch up. Do you ever find yourself falling behind? How does this make you feel?
There are many ways to get behind on your work, and all of them should be avoided. Here are three of the most common mistakes that can eventually put you behind the eight ball:
1. Taking off too much time. If you are constantly taking days off and skipping out early you are going to find yourself falling behind soon enough. This doesn’t mean that you have to work seven days a week, but you definitely need to be careful about how much time you are spending away from your desk. If I am going to take a day off I do my best to plan for it.
2. Do you spend a lot of time everyday checking email and browsing the internet? This is one of the easiest ways to get behind. The internet is one of the biggest time wasters on the face of the earth. There is nothing wrong with browsing online and checking your email during breaks throughout the day. But you do not want to let this take over your career. If you do, you will find that you are not working as efficiently as you could be.
3. If you take on more than you can handle you are going to fall behind in one area or the next. There are only 24 hours in a day, and it is safe to say that you do not want to work all of them. For this reason you need to be careful that you do not bite off more than you can chew. It is nice to have a lot of work on your table, but only if you can handle all of it.
These are three common ways to fall behind on your work. Are you confident that you can avoid these blunders?
Chris, I really want to work with a client but they will not negotiate any of the terms, including payment. What should I do? This is a question I am asked over and over again. As you probably know, this is something that every freelance writer has to deal with from time to time.
There are two things you can do in this situation:
1. Bite the bullet and accept the terms that are offered to you. This may not be the ideal situation, but you need to ask yourself whether or not you can live with what the client is putting on the table. Sometimes it is worth your time to settle and take on the client. But sometimes you will be better off walking away. Only you know what position you are in, and what is most important to you when accepting a new client. Remember, money is not the only term that may put you at odds.
2. Walk away. Even though it is not always easy, walking away from a project is something that you will have to do at some point in time. Last week I turned down two jobs because the company would not agree to my rate. Both jobs were intriguing, but in the end they simply didn’t work out.
If you are going to turn down a job and walk away, keep this in mind: you never want to burn any bridges. I have turned down jobs just to have the client come back the next week and meet my demands. Do you think this would have happened if I were rude and inconsiderate during the first round of communications? Definitely not.
Not every client will give you everything you want. There are times when you need to negotiate, settle, and even turn down projects.
Are you guilty of making mistakes within your freelance writing career? If you answered no you are lying! I make mistakes all the time, and I am pretty sure that most others do the same. There is nothing wrong with goofing up from time to time as long as you learn from it and then move on.
Unfortunately, some freelance writers are always facing the same big mistakes. Here are five that you do not want to run into on a regular basis:
1. Missing deadlines. When you miss a deadline you are going to send your client off the deep end. There is nothing worse than needing something on time, and having somebody, such as a freelance writer, hold you back. Before you miss a deadline think about how the client will feel. Also, keep in mind that making this a habit will kill your career soon enough. Nobody wants to work with freelance writers who are always missing deadlines.
2. Not marketing your services. Is this the biggest freelance writing mistake that you can make? Many people say yes, and I agree with them. If you are not marketing your services you are not taking the necessary steps towards advancing your career. You always need to be in search of new clients no matter if you are cold calling, sending queries, or using bidding sites.
3. Sending work that is full of spelling and grammar mistakes. For many, this is one of the most difficult mistakes to avoid. Even though I always double proof my work before sending it to the client, spelling and grammar errors slip through the cracks from time to time. Do your best to avoid these errors. At the very least, keep them to a minimum so your client/editor doesn’t have to do a lot of work.
4. Avoiding clients when they want an edit. Some freelance writers get paid and then forget about their client if they contact them for edits. This may seem like a good idea at the time, but be rest assured that it will not gain you any long term clients. You should never hide from clients, no matter what they want.
5. Not being organized. Are you guys and gals tired of me saying this? Even though I harp on this point a lot, I truly believe that being organized will allow you to achieve more success in a shorter period of time. Keep your entire career organized from your desk to your invoices to your clients.
It is important to know what is working for you as a freelance writer. This holds true with sales and marketing, as well as the actual projects that you are completing for clients. If you do not know what works, how will you know when to make changes? What if you change something that has been working without knowing it?
Personally, I keep a close watch on my marketing efforts to determine what is working best and what I can do away with. This doesn’t mean that I change my marketing plan every week, but a few tweaks here and there can go a long way.
Should I try to fix something that hasn’t worked in the past? This is a good question, and one that you should address. There is nothing wrong with trying to fix particular aspects of your business, but you do not want to spend too much time doing so. For example, if cold calling has not been working for you, you may want to change your approach. But if you continue down the same path and find that you are still seeing no results, giving up on this strategy for the time being would be in your best interest.
Remember, there are only so many working hours in a day. You need to spend your time on what benefits you, your career, and clients, and avoid anything that is taking away from your success. The only way to do this is by paying attention to what has worked in the past, and then let this guide you towards a brighter future.
Yesterday I wrote a post about working on the weekends. Today, I want to talk about working late hours as a freelance writer. This is something that many of my freelance writing friends do. That being said, I am not the type to work into the wee hours of the morning. Instead, I prefer to rise early because this better fits my schedule.
Speaking of schedules, yours should determine when you work as a freelance writer. For instance, if you do not have a lot of time in the morning, for whatever reason, there is a good chance that the nighttime will be the best time to work. Take for instance somebody who has children. This person may spend their morning getting their kids off to school, preparing meals, etc. But when the nighttime rolls around, and the kids are in bed, things begin to die down. It is at this time that getting to work makes the most sense.
As long as you are on top of your game there is nothing wrong with working late hours. For me, this would not be a good idea. I always feel better in the morning, and only like to work on freelance writing projects when I am energized and have a perfectly clear mind. By the time 9 or 10 pm hits my brain is beginning to shut down for the most part. This doesn’t mean that I never work late hours, but I do try to avoid it when possible.
One of the biggest benefits of working as a freelance writer is that you can set your own schedule. If working in the morning and/or afternoon doesn’t suit you, there is a good chance that you can get things done after the sun goes down. Once you get on a schedule, no matter what it may be, you will be better about the progress you are making as a freelance writer.
Working on the weekend is never a lot of fun. Sure, this is a great way to make some extra money and advance your career, but you definitely need time off if you are going to achieve long term success. When I started out as a freelance writer I always worked on the weekends, as well as every other day. But soon enough I was feeling burnt out, and realized that this was not the best idea.
If you are tired of working on the weekends, follow these three tips:
1. Work harder on Fridays. I know many freelance writers who put in extra work on Fridays so they do not have to do anything on the weekends, or even early the next week. Do you have the time and energy to get more work done at the end of the week? If so, this will benefit you on the weekends and maybe even into Monday.
2. Have a to-do list. When you have a to-do list you will stay on track Monday through Friday. This makes it much easier to get all of your work completed during the week. There is nothing worse than forgetting about a project, and realizing that you have to work on a weekend to complete it. With a to-do list this will never happen.
3. Don’t take on tight deadlines. When accepting a new project you need to be aware of the deadline, how much available time you have, and whether or not this could force you into weekend work. If you are not comfortable with a deadline you can always negotiate this.
These three tips should help you to avoid weekend work. Even though there are times when I work on Saturday and/or Sunday, I try to avoid this for the most part. The tips above allow me to do just that most of the time!
No matter what type of job you have, you should always be having fun. If you aren’t, it is time to follow a new career path. Everyday as a freelance writer is a good day. Sure, there are times when I get down on myself but this is going to happen with all careers. For the most part, my freelance writing career is full of fun and I expect things to stay this way for many years to come.
Here are three reasons why I find freelance writing to be a fun profession:
1. I get to make new friends. Over my years as a freelance writer I have met many people, and there are quite a few who I now consider friends. This is one of the most exciting parts of working as a freelance writer. Since I have many clients I am always making new friends. The same cannot be said for many other careers.
2. Making money is always fun. While you don’t want to become a freelance writer for the money alone, because it can be difficult to make a good living, this is definitely something that will keep you motivated and excited. It is fun to make money, to set income goals, and to see how much success you can achieve. If you are not motivated by the money you can make as a freelance writer something is wrong.
3. Expanding and growing. I always have a good time when I am learning new things, expanding my business, and growing as a person. As a freelance writer I have the chance to grow, day in and day out.
Are you having fun as a freelance writer? I know it can be difficult to keep a smile on your face when you are not earning as much as you would like. But if you attempt to have fun and stay positive, the money will come along with a good time.
Clients set deadlines. Freelance writers agree to meet these deadlines. As a freelance writer you need to turn your work in on time. There is no way around this if you want to be seen as a professional who is worth working with time after time. There are some freelance writers who always miss deadlines. They are the ones who do not stick around very long.
Does this mean that you will never miss a deadline? Probably not. Even if you strive to meet every deadline, no matter how tight it is, something may come up that prevents you from doing so. In this case you need to make the right moves to ensure that the client gets what he wants, while also learning how to avoid the same problem in the future.
As soon as you know that you are going to miss a deadline you have to tell your client. It is better to do so before the deadline than afterwards. This at least gives the client a chance to adjust their schedule. Hopefully you will not put the client in too bad of a position by sending the work at a later date.
Admit that you are wrong, and explain your situation. This is one of the most important things to remember if you miss a deadline as a freelance writer. Your client does not want you to put the blame on them when this is clearly not the case. While making excuses is never a good idea, you should explain your situation so the client can at least see where you are coming from. For instance, a serious illness or death in the family is almost always a good reason to miss a deadline. But of course, you need to let the client know in advance, if possible, that you are dealing with extenuating circumstances.
Make it one of your main goals to never miss a deadline. If this does happen, do your best to resolve the situation and stay in the good graces of your client.
