Value-Added Freelancing – Are Your Clients Getting Value from You?

My previous corporate life taught me a lot about value. Providing value to my customers brought them back, got glowing letters written to my superiors, and helped me feel great about the job I was doing. I felt good when I showed customers ways I'd saved them money or hit corporate goals and stretch goals. I loved getting a "Wow that was fast" or "Dana, you're awesome!" I work hard today to get the same reaction from my writing clients. It's not possible to hit the mark and wow customers 100% of the time but I'm happy to say that most people feel good when they send me money for the service I've provided and most of them come back for more.

Why?

Although I'm a freelance writer and web marketing consultant who has traded dress shoes for fluffy slippers, I've retained my corporate set of core values.
I haven't turned lax just because I'm not wearing pantyhose. Let’s say I wear virtual pantyhose with my fuzzy bunnies ;)

• I ask questions. I make sure I try to gain a full understanding of what clients want.

• I treat their business as if it's my business. That means that even though I might be ghostwriting, I still work to put the same amount of care and effort as I do when I put my own name on it. If someone wants to sell something, I work my hardest to help them do that. I'm exuberant when a client tells me that they've had great results as a result of something I did for them.

• I answer emails fast. People like instant service.

• I try very hard to never make one client feel less important than another client. If your smallest client feels like they're your most important customer they're more likely to become a bigger client for you.

• I give more than I get. Value. I often provide little extras so that customers feel like they've gotten value from me. I love the reaction I get when I tell someone I've done something extra for them.

• I care about the outcome. I want my writing to provide customers with results so that they feel good about what they've spent, they'll want to buy more from me, and they'll tell others about my services.

• If I get it wrong, I do whatever I can to make it right. I've seen writers refuse to step even a smidgen outside the scope of what they feel they're being paid for or become miserable when they have a rewrite request. Of course we'd all love to get it right the first time but the way you react to criticism can make a big impact on a client's perception of you.

How Much Could You Earn if You Stepped Outside Your Comfort Zone?

If you’re an experienced freelance writer, when is the last time you learned a new skill? Could learning a new skill help break some earning barriers for you? Is your comfort zone stopping you from earning the sort of money you want?

I took on a new skill area in November. It was one I really had zero desire to tackle. I had given a job lead to a writer I knew. She was a very experienced freelancer and I thought she’d be better suited to handle a query I’d gotten from someone who’d found my website through some of my marketing efforts. In return, she gave me a lead for some regular work in a new area I hadn't yet tried. I almost said, "No thanks" but something told me to step outside of my comfort zone. In April that new work source sent me a cheque for $1,860 for the work I’d made that month and this month it’ll probably result in about $1,500. This is just one of the many baskets of work I now have.

It wasn’t easy to get over my fears of learning to do something I didn’t think I wanted to do. After the first several assignments I was ready to quit. The client was ready to give up on me, too. But one morning I started earlier than usual in a quiet house and I had a breakthrough. I suddenly realized I could do this and discovered why it would benefit me to persevere. This skill could help me help myself as well as help others. When I calculated the hourly rate I’d make at it, it not only seemed like a good option but seemed like a way to buy myself something that I don’t have nearly enough of --- time. By doing more of this type of work I could work fewer hours and maybe achieve more of that balance I talk endlessly about. Hmm.

Soon I discovered that it wasn’t just better paying but it did something a lot of my other writing work didn’t do--- it really challenged me. At the end of each assignment I felt like I’d accomplished something.

I’m not about to put all my eggs into one basket --- after several years of doing this for a living, I know better --- but expanding horizons and stepping outside of my comfort zone has been a great thing for me. Is it something you should consider?