The Top Freelancing Mistake of All Time
When you’re starting out on your freelance career, you’re going to make a lot of mistakes. That’s just a part of learning and growing. But there’s one big mistake you need to avoid from day one.
And it starts by asking yourself a simple but important question: Do you sell a service or produce a product?
If you answer that question wrong, you may certainly find work, but you’ll have a much harder time getting the sort of top-notch clients you want. And your paychecks may be limited in size as well.
Here’s the wrong answer: produce a product. This is what most people have in mind when they consider freelancing — writing a brochure, designing a Web site, and creating other “products.” This is what you see many freelancers doing, so it’s natural that you would think this is what professional freelancing is really about.
The problem is that focusing exclusively on the product you produce puts you in a “worker” position below the “boss” who hires you. You’re like an employee who just happens to work at a different location. It means you will probably spend too much time thinking about your “job” and too little time thinking about the client and his or her needs, which is bad for any kind of business, freelance or otherwise.
Now here’s the right answer: sell a service. This is a more professional and profitable way to freelance. Selling a service means that while the deliverable part of your work may be text or design, these things aren’t what your work is really about. Your work is really about helping your client achieve a goal.
If you’re a freelance writer and an insurance company hires you to write copy for a brochure, it’s not the brochure itself that the company really wants. The brochure is just a tool the company’s agents will use to get customers. So your job is really about helping your client get more customers. The brochure copy you deliver is a means to an end. Nearly anyone can write copy. But if you show that you’re someone who can see the bigger picture and help get clients, you become a valuable business partner.
If you’re a freelance designer and a Fortune 500 company hires you to create a product Web site, it’s not the Web site that interests the business. The site is a means of communicating a message and engaging potential buyers in order to sell products and build a brand. You haven’t been hired merely to create pretty pictures. You’ve been hired to help that company accomplish something. Do that, and you’re far more than just another designer. You’re part of the team.
See the difference? If you’re producing a product, you’re just one of millions of people offering to do the same work. If you’re selling a service, you’re more like a business consultant. The difference is not just in the way you approach your work, it’s also in the way people will see you. It will affect the quality of your clients and the level of your fees.
The more you can help clients accomplish goals and achieve dreams, the more professional you will be and the more indispensable you will be.
Want to know some other mistakes to avoid? Over at Freelance Switch, Leo Babauta discusses The 10 Biggest Mistakes Freelancers Make, and How to Avoid Them.
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