As a freelance writer you probably don’t have too many face-to-face meetings with clients or those who are thinking about working with you. But at some point in time you will have to meet a client in person to discuss a new project, an additional business venture, etc.
I do not meet clients in person very often. That being said, I am in the middle of setting up a meeting with a potential client for late next week. Since I have done so before I am not too worried about the meeting or what will go along with it. There are some freelance writers who don’t feel the same way. They are used to communicating strictly via email, and really stress when it comes time to meet somebody in person.
Here are three tips to follow when meeting a client face-to-face for the first time:
1. Dress to impress. You never know what the other person will be wearing, but you can make sure you look your best. Unless the client specifically tells you not to wear a suit you should. Yes, you may be overdressed but this is much better than being underdressed.
2. Take everything you will need. Only you know what materials you will need to have a successful meeting. This can include anything from your portfolio to references to resumes. You might as well take everything you may need just to be on the safe side.
3. Verify the time and place. The worst thing that could happen is showing up late or at the wrong place for your meeting. Be sure to double check this with the other party several days in advance.
Believe it or not, meeting people in person can be a lot of fun. Those who are nervous about this can benefit from the three tips above.
Just like any career, it is difficult to pinpoint what exactly makes a successful freelance writer. There are some people who have loads of success without following the traditional path. There are others who never earn as much as they would like even though they are doing everything right in their mind. There is one thing you do not want to forget: the definition of the word success. Until you know what success means to you, it is difficult to determine whether or not you have reached your goals.
I judge success in many ways. Of course, the way I do this is not right or wrong; it is just my opinion. The most important thing to me is that I enjoy my job. When I worked as a sales manager everyday was full of disgust and boredom. Sure, there was an occasional good time, but for the most part I hated my job. Fortunately, the moment I began work as a freelance writer I realized that I was onto something good. If you do not enjoy being a freelance writer you are going to have a hard time achieving any sort of success.
What about money? Most people, including me, consider money to be an important factor in determining success. You should be proud of what you earn, but this is not something to obsess over. Not every freelance writer is going to earn the same amount of money. You may consider $1k/month a huge success. Others want to earn much more than this. As long as you set goals it is easy to chart your successes and failures.
As a freelance writer you decide what constitutes success. Just like every aspect of your career, you are in total control.
The ability to stay organized is one of my best traits. In my opinion, every freelance writer needs to be organized if they are going to reach their goals. One thing you do not want to overlook is the importance of being ready when your day starts. You don’t want to spend the better part of your morning getting settled, determining what you have to do, and dealing with other similar details.
I have found that the best way to hit the ground running is to have a to-do list. If I know what needs done it is easy to move from one task to the next. There used to be a time when I did not use to-do lists. Instead, I would work directly from my email account. Soon enough I realized that this was not the best idea from an organizational point of view. As soon as I made some changes, such as using a daily to-do list, my productivity increased.
It is also essential to be ready to work from the moment you sit down at your desk in the morning. You do not want to waste any time. I always write my to-do list the night before so I can get to work without having to scour my emails account to decide what needs done first.
This may sound so simple that it is not even worth your time. But trust me, there are many freelance writers out there who struggle mightily because they have a difficult time staying organized. They don’t know what projects need completed, when they are due, or what order to work in. In turn, the result is lost time, missed deadlines, and angry clients.
Being ready to work when your day starts can go a long way in helping you become a more efficient freelance writer.
