1. We’re afraid we won’t get the assignment. It will go to the cheaper guy. 2. We’re afraid of being laughed at. “How much? For that? Are you serious? Wow, you are way out of line here.” 3. We’re afraid the client will say yes to that big juicy fee, and holy crap we’ll actually [...]
What your pricing says about you
What you quote for an assignment will send strong signals to a new client. Or a potential client. Your fee gives off subtle clues about the quality of your work, where you fit among other freelancers. It will even color how much the client likes what you deliver. Most of us, most of the time, [...]
Plan less, succeed sooner.
There must be at least 3,298 articles around the web on “How to Launch Your Freelance Career” or “How to Start a Freelance Design/Copywriting/Photography Business.” Have you seen them? The advice is remarkably consistent and utterly sensible. Have six months of living expenses in the bank. Assess your skills and strengths. Survey the competition. Identify [...]
Seek, and get found.
This is a spooky phenomenon that I cannot explain. Don’t ask me what’s behind it, or how it works. But you can apparently invoke this to your advantage, almost at will. Let’s say your workload starts to slow down. Or you want to expand your stable of true fans. Or maybe you’re just itching for [...]
What your client wants. Really.
Sometimes the assignment isn’t what we think it is. In fact it’s often something else entirely. For me, things tend to go a lot smoother when I remember that. I get more work, more referrals, too.