|
Congratulations, you’re a freelancer.
Now you can work from the comfort of your own home, in your pajamas, while blaring your favorite music so loud your ears bleed.
You can also take breaks whenever you want, schedule your day however you like, and take a two-hour lunch in the middle of the day to chat with your friends on Facebook if it suits you.
Meanwhile, clients are out there searching for a professional in your field who can help them with their problem–an authority in your niche that they can rely on to deliver results.
And while you were chatting on Facebook, they just visited your website’s coming-soon page, have already moved on to your competition’s completed website, and hired them for the project.
The Simplest Way to Get More Gigs
If you’re working for yourself full time (or working toward that end), then it’s reasonable to assume that you’re good at what you do. Perhaps even an expert in your niche.
But do you look like the authority your clients are seeking?
If you don’t, you may be losing business to a less experienced competitor, simply because they look the part and you don’t.
All through my career, I did freelance work, right up until I opened my own marketing company seven years ago. And during that time, I learned the easiest way to get more work from potential clients is to out-class your competition.
In other words, build a brand for yourself that shows off your expert skill level, and positions you as an authority in your niche.
Small Details Matter
The easiest way to out-class your competition is to pay attention to the seemingly small details they overlook.
Below, I’ve put together a list of fifteen specific things you can do to outshine your competition, position yourself as the expert your clients are seeking, and get more gigs. All of them are small details that make the difference between a professional that’s running a business, and someone who appears to be freelancing as a hobby instead.
Detail # 1. Office Hours
Establish specific office hours–then stick to them.
Being accessible to potential clients is important if you want to attract more business. Let’s face it: lots of freelancers mix business activities with personal activities during a typical day (ever gone grocery shopping in the middle of the day?). The freedom to do that makes freelancing fun, but doesn’t help you land more business.
The best way to be accessible to your clients while still maintaining your freelance “freedom,” is to establish specific “office hours” that you communicate to your clients, on your website, and in your voicemail.
For example, you could publish something on the contact page of your website that indicates you’re available for phone calls between 1pm and 5pm Monday through Friday.
By doing that, you indicate two very important things to potential clients that make you look more professional:
- You’re not on-call 24/7/365. You’re a professional with set office hours.
- You have specifically set that time aside during your day to communicate with them.
Of course, once you set your office hours, you need to stick with them or your clients will see you as the guy they can never get a hold of.
Detail # 2. Answer Your Phone
Seems like a no-brainer, until you realize how many small businesses let all incoming calls go to voicemail.
For example, a couple years ago I was in the market for a lawn maintenance company to mow my lawn. I called no less than a dozen local lawn maintenance companies–and only ONE answered their phone. The rest of them let the call go to voicemail. Keep in mind; this was during normal business hours too. Needless to say, the company that answered their phone got my business. Oh, and the companies I had to leave voicemails for? I’m still waiting to hear back from them.
When a client has a problem, they want to find a solution right now–not when you feel like returning their call. So during the office hours you’ve set, answer incoming calls.
Detail # 3. Deliver On Your Promises
If you tell a client you’ll e-mail a proposal to them by close of business today, don’t start rationalizing that they won’t really open it until the morning anyway, and end up sending it at 12 am. Get it to them when you said you would. You never know–they might be working late too.
If you want to build a reputation as a professional that delivers what they promise, make the effort to keep your word–even when it hurts.
A while ago, I hired a freelance copywriter to draft a sales letter for me. He promised me I would have it in my hands on Monday. 45 minutes before close of business on Monday, I received a message from the copywriter saying they saying they wanted to revamp some of the copy, and could they have until Wednesday to do it? And since the quality of the copy was important to me, I agreed to the additional time.
Wednesday came and I didn’t hear anything from the copywriter, so around 7 pm that night I sent a message inquiring about the status of the project. The message I got back was that the copy was done but the copywriter wanted to finesse a couple parts of it, and that I should expect it the next day. I indicated that was fine, but I needed to have it as early as possible Thursday morning because I was now behind schedule.
On Thursday, the same thing happened. No communication at all from the copywriter. So, around 9:30pm that night I again inquired as to the project’s status.
No response.
The copy I needed on Monday finally arrived in my inbox at five minutes past midnight Friday morning. Because they didn’t deliver when they said they would, I missed my deadline, and will never use them again.
Detail # 4. Don’t Skimp on Your Website
It’s appalling how many freelancers have a “coming soon” web page up with some variation of the following statement: “We’ve been so busy working on projects for our clients; we haven’t had time to work on our own website.”
Baloney.
What it should really say is “we’re too lazy to add working on our own website to our workflow. If you want any information about what we do, or want to hire us, I guess you’ll have to call or e-mail us. Sorry.”
If your website is incomplete, out of date, or has one of those absurd coming soon pages, wake up and get it done. When a potential client lands at your coming soon page and there’s no info on what you do, no samples of your work, and no easy way to contact you–they’re not going to pick up the phone, they’ll simply go back to their search results and move on to one of your competitors’ websites.
Detail # 5. Get a Logo
You need a visual identifier for your brand. Something that people immediately recognize as you when they see it. That’s what a logo does for you.
If you want to stand out as a professional and show your audience that you’re serious about your business, get a logo. It doesn’t have to be a complex work of art either. It can be an icon, something that includes an image, or just some well-styled type–it doesn’t matter. What makes it a logo is using it consistently to identify your business in print and online.
Detail # 6. Have a Promotional Kit Prepared
When potential clients contact you requesting information about what you do, do you have anything professional you can send them? Or do you just type up a short, plain text e-mail with a couple links?
Why not create a professionally designed promotional “kit” you can send them instead. Make something that describes your services, gives some information about you, highlights the reasons they should hire you, and has samples of your work.
And when you create it, make sure you have a PDF version of it that you can e-mail to potential clients as well.
Detail # 7. Convey Confidence
Clients can sense the level of confidence you have in your own work and abilities. If you want to be seen as an expert, you need to project confidence in your voice, body language, and even your choice of words.
This is especially important over the phone when a potential client can’t see your body language, or look you in the eye. The tone of your voice should convey that you’re confident you can solve their problem if you want to win their business.
Detail # 8. Establish Your Own Policies
Another way to enhance your professional image is to set specific policies of your own for your business.
For example, when a new client wants to hire you, will you require a deposit before you begin work? How many revisions are included with the price you gave them?
What happens if they cancel the project? Do you require payment on delivery, or will you offer net-30 terms?
By establishing your own business policies, communicating them to your clients, then sticking to them, you’ll help build respect for yourself and your business. Plus, your clients will see that you’re serious about your business, and not just “winging it.”
Detail # 9. Tell the Client What to Expect
Your clients (especially new clients) have no idea what steps are involved to complete their project. They also don’t know your working style, workflow, and internal processes.
So to put them at ease and make your life easier, tell them what to expect, and when to expect it.
For example, if a client hires you to build them a website, as soon as you receive their deposit let them know what happens next.
Tell them what they’ll see a proof of first, when they will get it, and what happens after that.
If you tell your clients what to expect, you help ease their fear, reduce buyer’s remorse, and prevent misunderstandings caused by unrealistic expectations.
Detail # 10. Prepare Professional Estimates
One of the easiest ways to land more business is to have a professional proposal that includes more than just price.
Take some time to create a proposal template that includes elements of your promotional kit like who you are, your expertise, testimonials, references, samples, as well as pricing and terms.
That little bit of extra effort helps the client answer the question “why should I hire them?” And since it’s a template, creating new proposals for new clients is as easy as entering the new pricing and changing a few words here and there.
Detail # 11. Ask for the Sale
If you want the client’s business, ask for it. The worst thing you can do is provide a client with a proposal, answer their questions, spend time with them in meetings, then say something like “let me know if you want to get started.”
If you don’t ask for the sale, you’re showing the client that you lack confidence.
Instead, don’t be afraid to ask them to hire you. Better yet, assume they’re going to say yes, and start talking about next steps–specifically mentioning things like signing the contract, paying the deposit, and when you’ll get them the first proof.
Detail # 12. Don’t Be Too Eager
Be careful about how eager you seem in your communication and follow-up with potential clients. If you respond to a client’s e-mails the instant you receive them, call them repeatedly to follow-up on your proposal, and come across as desperate for the work, you could easily scare the client away.
Remember that people like doing business with successful people. If they get the impression that you’re sitting around waiting for their e-mail, they may wonder why you don’t have enough work to keep you busy and assume the wrong things about you.
Detail # 13. Be Consistent
If you want to look like the expert you are, you need to be consistent with your branding. Everything that clients see should be easily recognizable as yours, and every interaction they have with you should leave them feeling like they’ve hired a true professional.
Detail # 14. Create Questionnaires
When you have that initial fact-finding conversation with new clients, or you’re starting a new project for an existing client, do you find yourself asking the same questions over and over? Why not turn those into a short questionnaire that you have them complete prior to your initial call?
Having that preliminary information sent to you before the call can help you ask better questions that are specific to the project, and instill confidence in the client that you’re the expert they’re looking for.
Detail # 15. Be Mindful of Background Noise
When you’re on the phone with a client, certain background noises like barking dogs, running water, washing machines, and screaming kids can all diminish your professional image.
Just because you work at home doesn’t mean your client should have to put up with the noise in your home.
When you know you’re going to be on the phone with a client, find a way to provide a quiet, professional atmosphere for the call.
I’ve even gone so far as sitting in my car during an important call when I knew it was going to be too noisy in the house.
The Bottom Line
Just being an authority in your niche isn’t enough. You need to look the part too.
Presenting yourself in a professional manner that instills confidence in your clients will help you land more gigs, and help prevent less experienced competitors from stealing clients from you.
Your Turn
What defines you as a professional? Share your answer in the comments. |
