What steps do you take before accepting a freelance writing job? If you don’t know, the tips below should help you formulate a plan for the next time:
1. Negotiate the best deal. Okay, this may sound a bit like buying a car but it is true. Before you accept a job you need to negotiate the best possible deal in terms of details and pay. If you don’t do this you are making a big mistake. No, this does not mean you should gouge clients but you definitely need to have a firm grasp on what you are asking for as well as what you want to receive.
2. Agree on payment terms. This includes how much you will receive, when the client is going to pay, and how they are going to send the money. For instance, you may agree to write a sales letter for $500 upfront via PayPal. Once you agree on the payment terms most of the other details will begin to fall into place.
3. Agree on the details of the project. While payment is important, you also want to agree on the project details. Staying with the above example, a sales letter can be written in many different ways. How long does the client want it to be? What format are you going to use? What angle does the client want you to take? Make sure you and the client are on the same page as far as the project details are concerned.
4. Know who you are going to communicate with, and how to best get in touch with them. Many freelance writers forget this step, but it is very important. Sometimes you will be contacted by one person, but find out soon enough that you are dealing with somebody else when it comes to completing the project. You want to have the names and contact information for everybody you will be communicating with.
Before you accept your next freelance writing job make sure you consider the above points.Â
There are times as a freelance writer when you will be so anxious to land a new client that you would say yes to almost anything they ask. And while this can be tempting, you need to bite your tongue until you know exactly what you are getting into. If you say yes without thinking things through you may end up accepting a project that is not suited to your style or availability.
New freelance writers are those who usually make this mistake. They are building their career so they want to land new clients no matter what it takes. For this reason, no matter what the buyer suggests they will say yes. This may not always come back to bite you, but it most definitely can.
What type of trouble can you get into by saying yes without thinking?
1. You may accept a project for a price that is lower than your standard rate. If you get into this habit it can be a difficult one to break. Make sure you closely examine the project details, and then give a quote based on what you charge; not what the client wants to pay.
2. Offering to do work in addition to writing. As of late this is something that more and more clients are asking of me. This additional work can include anything from finding images to uploading work to marketing. There is nothing wrong with offering additional services, if you are up to it, but you want to make sure you get paid. As you know it can be time consuming to not only produce content but to then focus on additional tasks. You need to make sure you are being properly compensated.
Make sure when you say yes you know what you are agreeing to. It is important that you don’t jump the gun just because you are excited about the prospects of doing business with a new clienet.
All successful freelance writers have one common trait: confidence. Do you feel good about your skills and the direction of your career? If not, you need to do whatever you can to become more confident. Remember this one tip: if you are not confident in your writing skills why would anybody else believe in you?
Over the years I have found that freelance writers who are not confident usually don’t have much success selling their services. It is essential that you believe in your skills, and that you are willing to sell yourself with confidence. If you know you are good at what you do you should not have any problems showing this to potential buyers.
How can I gain more confidence? Unfortunately, this is something that has to come from within. It is easy for me to say that you should feel confident. But when it comes down to it, I don’t know what you are thinking, how you feel about your career, and how you act around clients and potential buyers. It can take some time to develop a high level of confidence, but if you truly believe in yourself this will come sooner rather than later.
It is also important to note that there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. You want to believe in yourself, but you don’t want to go so far as to come across as arrogant and cocky. If you do, it is safe to say that clients will begin to run the other way and new buyers will want nothing to do with you. Remember, it is not fun to deal with somebody who thinks they know everything. Confidence is important, but make sure you draw the line before you get into “arrogant territory.â€
Be confident when it comes to selling yourself. You have a skill and you should believe that others will want to do business with you.Â
