Clients from hell. We’ve all had them, right?

There’s the client who doesn’t get it, the client who’s cheap, the client who’s nasty, the client who asks too much, the client who doesn’t give us enough, the client who wants it all yesterday, the client who pays in two years, the client who doesn’t understand value, the client who treats you badly, the client who lacks two bits of brain to rub together…

Yeah. The list goes on. Clients from hell are the people we all hope we never do business with. Ever, ever, ever. Continue Reading

There’s a poem by Robert Frost that goes, “Good fences make good neighbors.” What he means is that if you see your 70-year-old neighbor climbing naked into his hot tub, you’ll probably find it more difficult to make small talk with him when you cross paths at the mailbox.

The same is true for freelancers. We sometimes don’t have very good fences between us and the people we work with – our clients, our colleagues, even our families. We often don’t have any fences, in fact.

Those unclear boundaries cause stress that you could do without. Here are some ways to create fences between you and your “neighbors” so you can get the work done. Continue Reading

You’re a freelancer, and you know what your job is. You’re a web designer. You’re a copywriter. You’re a marketing consultant.

Here’s what you probably don’t think about often, but should:

What’s not your job?

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It’s an online world. It seems like everyone blogs, everyone’s on Twitter, everyone has a website. Paper resumes are a thing of the past; everyone sends their job qualifications by email now. Resumes themselves are going archaic among freelancers, who are more likely to have a portfolio to showcase their skills instead.

What’s more, we’re all obsessed with keeping up with the latest in online technology. If there’s a new social media trend, we jump to get on it or debate whether it’s a business-savvy use of our time. It’s vital that we keep up with what’s new.

Maybe it’s time to reverse that trend.

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You’ll hear this term casually dropped on several sites that cover copywriting, but few experts ever go into detail to explain social proof. They mostly say, “Make sure you back up your claims with social proof,” and then move on to discuss something else.

Meanwhile, you’re sitting there thinking, “Great. And social proof is what, exactly? You just implied it was important, so now I’m afraid I’m not doing it. Except you didn’t tell me how to do it. Now I have business anxiety. It’s all your fault.”

Never fear. James is here. Continue Reading

You’ve undoubtedly heard the old adage that it takes ten times as much effort to convince a stranger to buy as it takes to convince a devoted customer of yours to do the same. Usually, this strategy is applied to big companies looking to sell more of their products, but the adage applies to freelancers.

If you’re trying to get a project lined up for next week, it’s going to be a heck of a lot more difficult to find a brand-spanking-new client and convince that person to hire you. It’s going to be a lot easier to convince a client who’s worked with you before, who likes your work, and who already knows that you’re a pleasure to work with.

So how do you get old clients coming back to you when you need them? You perfect the art of the follow-through.

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As a freelancer, you may find yourself either a) too busy or b) too clueless to handle your own marketing. This happens more often than you might think, and even some excellent freelancers with a strong reputation aren’t doing a very good job at marketing.

But you, you’re smarter than that. And you realize you should get some help to rev up your business and take it to the next level. So you start looking for a marketing expert to give you some advice and counsel, and you find what you think is the perfect person for you.

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Human beings are creatures of habit. (Yes, even freelancers like you.) We tend to wake up at the same time each morning, go through the same basic routine of tasks every day, and go to bed at the same hour every night. Routines are comforting and familiar.

Oh, and they could destroy your productivity.

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What’s your attitude like? It’s a good idea to think about the answer, because your attitude is one of the keys to your success as a freelancer.

Take this example, for instance. If you were in the hiring seat, would you want to work with a freelancer who answered you like this?

“I guess I could work on this project. It’s a a tough job, but I might be able to work something out. The worst that can happen is that we have to take another look at it after I try. Does that sound okay?”

I wouldn’t. That person sounds uncertain, unsure and under-skilled.

What about this freelancer? Say you’re just talking shop over coffee. What would your impression be?

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Finding inspiration is a huge topic of interest for creative people. We look for angles to write about on our blogs all the time. Some days, that inspiration comes easily, and we ride the glorious wave of creativity that just seems to flow from our minds.

Other days, we wonder what train our Muse took and when she’s planning on coming back.

You could try the usual tricks to get your inspiration and creativity flowing again. Get some sleep, take a break, quit the coffee or eat almonds. Or you could look a little closer – sometimes, creative inspiration is right in front of your eyes.

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Photo by racatumba.

The right attention to branding can create marvels for some freelancers. Those who’ve managed to build up popularity get mentioned in conversation, and everyone perks up to listen. They have work, they have credibility, they have fame… they have it all.

For most others, though, fame is still something they’re working at. And trying to replicate or mimic the fortunate situation of some who have successfully branded themselves can become a dangerous trap. Some fall in – and then they can’t get out.

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Establishing a brand when you’re a freelancer is a great idea. You create an image about who you are, what you stand for and what you promise to customers. A brand provides consumers with an image and a set of emotional and mental associations that represent you – and that’s what you sell.

Your brand influences people and their decision to work with you based on their perceptions of your image. They may need a page of sales copy, but they’ll want to work with you because you convey a brand image as being the superhero of sales copy, able to vanquish any argument and rise to glorious conversion victory! Or, perhaps your brand image conveys sharp corporate savvy, the ability to hone in and target sales like an archer hitting the bulls-eye every time.

No brand? All you sell is a commodity, just words on paper. Pretty worthless, if you ask me.

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