Freelance Writing Tip: 2/24/2008
Do you make your phone number available to freelance writing clients? This is something that the majority of writers neglect to do. Instead, they would rather communicate with clients via email. While there is nothing wrong with this, sometimes a quick phone conversation is much better.
The first year or so of my freelance writing career, I used my cell phone for work and personal use. Since I was only receiving a couple calls a week, this was no big deal. But as my freelance writing career continued to expand, the number of clients who wanted to talk on the phone also grew. For this reason, I decided to put in a business line. There were two reasons that I did this:
1. To keep my personal and business calls separate. Before, when my cell phone rang I had to guess whether or not it was a business call. But now, since my business line is for professional calls only, when the phone rings I know it is time to talk business. Unless it is a telemarketer on the other end, of course!
2. Having a business line looks more professional to both prospective and current clients. And by putting out a professional appearance, you have a much better chance of landing new work.
As a freelance writer, you do not necessarily need a separate phone line for business. But when you feel that you are getting too many phone calls and that you want to take your business to the next level, you should definitely look into adding another line. Sure, it will cost some money, but in the end it offers many benefits that will help your career.
