Week 13

I found this quote the other day and immediately wrote it on a sticky note to put up in my office:

Grind.
Embrace the fear.
Let go of perfection.
Allow yourself to fail.
Welcome the obstacles.
Forget the results.
Give yourself over to your passion with every fiber of who you are.
And live out the rest of your days trying to do better.

I read this every day, and recently have been trying to really embrace it.

My goal is to add another client to my book before the end of 2018, so in the past week or so I’ve submitted about 20 proposals. I’m looking for content, social or email strategy or production, for a variety of businesses, services and rates.

I’ve also spent some time recently reading books and articles about building a book of business, submitting proposals, and setting your rate in order to be successful. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up:

• Develop an FAQ brochure. This should be something you can post on your website or hand to someone that explains who you are, what you offer, and what your rates are. You can also share what your applicable experience is, like degrees, XX years in business, key big clients, links to your website and work, etc.
• Develop a pitch template and keep it in your email draft folder.  You always want to have a template available and ready to be customized. It’s recommended to follow the “10 before 10” rule, where you submit 10 proposals or contact 10 potential clients before 10 a.m.
• When pitching: Accurately portray your experience, be personal, be authentic, and follow directions implicitly.
• Rate: If you are writing articles or producing content, I’ve seen a starting rate of $.10 per word, up to $.30 per word. For hourly work, I’ve seen a large variety of rates ranging from $25-$500+ per hour. I’ve started at $30, have worked up to $35, and have submitted a couple of proposals for $40 per hour. It’s about finding your sweet spot for your experience, book of business, and amount of work necessary. I’m still figuring out what that sweet spot is!
• Negotiating:
  • Be confident. You are choosing the clients, and it’s a partnership.
  • Know your worth. Don’t let them negotiate you down if you don’t feel comfortable offering less.
  • It’s easier to ask for more money up front than it is to ask for a raise.
• Ask for a testimonial from current clients. You can use this on your website or freelance profile to increase your credibility.
• Develop a portfolio. Have this on your website and a link to it on the collateral you pass out, like business cards or FAQ brochure. This should be relevant and applicable work you’ve done in the past.

I know part of the business is rejection. I’m not afraid or discouraged by it. In fact, I will now more than ever embrace it. I’ll use it to work on improving my pitch, finding my rate sweet spot, and motivation for continuing work on my website an portfolio.

Building your book of business starts with one client. I’m there! Also – lucky me – I have two family members who have recently launched their own small business. What better way to build my book than go to family members who need help and I can be a part of the strategy from the beginning! Building portfolio = success. New clients = success.

I’ll leave you with this thought:

“What’s the one thing I can do this week such that by doing it, everything else would be easier or unnecessary?”