Photo by aymlis.

You’ve got to ask! Asking is, in my opinion, the world’s most powerful – and neglected – secret to success and happiness. – Percy Ross

We work. We work hard! Yet, sometimes we forget to do the simplest of things to advance our business and earning ability. Personally, I’m terrible at networking (quite possibly the single most important act!). Needless to say, I’m awful at making small talk in elevators as well. Typically, I’m that guy who acts as if he’s on the phone – all for the sake of avoiding the awkward silence while waiting to arrive at my chosen floor (Another good trick is to act as if you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to chat. Repeatedly looking at your watch helps.) However, I have learned one extremely important task for any business situation. I ASK.

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Photo by Zach Klein.

I’m not a huge magazine editor. In fact, I typically imagine myself on the other side of the fence – where I’m frantically trying to say something and be employable at the same time. However, from working as the editor of NETTUTS.com, I’ve learned a few things. I’ve realized that, out of the dozens of inquiries I receive in a given week, 80% of them are deleted (usually after a standard form rejection response). It all comes back to Pareto’s 80/20 principle, doesn’t it? In this article, I’ll list the top five mistakes you can make when “selling yourself” to an editor like me.

Number 1: Don’t Make Me Work

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Photo by weimeiweim.

Simplicity is a concept that we all desire, yet very few of us follow. Ironically, despite its definition, achieving simplicity can be extremely hard! We manage to get our stupid brains in the way. The two voices inside our head battle each other out until the selfish one wins. As a result, our job performance suffers and the quality of our lives diminish.

A simple life is vital if you want to maximize your creativity and productiveness. So how can we become simple when our lives our so complicated?

Step 1: Decide That You Want A Simple Life

You can’t expect to follow the forthcoming steps unless you, too, agree that a simple life is what you need. This decision can be harder than you might think. I struggle with it a great deal. On one hand, I love technology and make a living off of it. I’m constantly researching the newest gadgets and salivate when I watch the trailer for Resident Evil 5. On the other hand, I’m sickened by the fact that, by the time the “Indiana Jones” credits are rolling, I’m already checking my email from my phone. You know you do it too! How pathetic is that? Now, simplifying your life doesn’t mean that you ignore your responsibilities. It merely means that, by reducing the stress that fills up so much space in our heads, we can work on our projects with a much greater focus.

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Photo by tylerdurden1.

Let’s face it, being a freelance designer is just plain tough. In what other arena is one person responsible for answering the phones, balancing the books, paying the bills, designing the website, creating the graphics, and working with the customers throughout the entire process?

Yet, despite our amazing ability to juggle all of these duties, we still face one large barrier. We don’t have that glowing brick building behind us, the one that screams, “We are a successful company!” As a result, it can be difficult to “capture” large clients.

Today, freelancers are becoming more and more prevalent. Why not? It is a fantastic job. We set our own hours, we take on only the jobs that we desire, we have artistic freedom, etc. But, the biggest gripe I hear repeated time and time again is the fact that the main client pool consists of people with tiny budgets.

We have to beat the big guys!
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