Jan
08
Posted by FreelanceSwitch.com
Winning a job in the freelance world often comes down to who is the more credible and more professional candidate.
It’s a sad fact, but many freelancers are inconsistent with their customer service and underwhelming with the quality of their work. In the several years that I’ve worked with freelancers, I’ve seen both unbelievably good work and unbelievably bad (as I’m sure most of you have as well).
When it comes down to the wire, your potential clients are trying to figure out which category you fall into: the good or the bad.
So how can you show that you’re an honest and hard-working freelancer? A lot of the time it’s the little things that count the most.
1. Have an established pricing structure
Nothing will help project professionalism more than knowing what your work is worth and charging accordingly. Set up your pricing structure early, and know it completely before pitching to a prospect. If your work requires sending proposals, then be ready to give a ballpark estimate when asked.
I remember the first time I showed up to a meeting with a firm price structure in hand – the difference was night and day. Where before there was bargaining and questioning, now there was acceptance and respect. My confidence convinced them that I was worth what I charged, and knew it.
2. Create a clean and professional brand
Unfortunately, being a freelancer doesn’t give you a get-out-of-branding free card. In fact, it’s just the opposite. With the number of freelancers and small businesses vying for work out there, it’s all the more important to have a professional corporate identity.
So what things do you need?
A consistent logo, proper business cards, and a well-designed website are the foundation of a good identity. I know it sounds a bit harsh, but I usually dismiss potential contractors immediately if they are missing one of the three. On the other hand, if you have all of those, it will go a long way towards showing your professionalism.
3. Pay for a professional telephone service
If you’re anything like the majority of freelancers, you probably have a significant number of calls end up in your voicemail. Unfortunately, a lot of people just don’t leave messages. Even more still are turned off by a home answering machine.
Paying a monthly fee for a phone system can be a great way to boost your professional image, and make sure fewer potential clients get turned away. Telephone systems like these can range from simple call redirection services, all the way to a person actually answering the phone for you every time.
Personally, I pay for an 800 number that redirects the incoming calls to my phone (it also allows me to screen them, forward them, or send them to voicemail). I can’t emphasize enough how much this has done for my company’s image.
4. Show Professional Endorsements
Most industries have a professional association or two that upstanding companies can join. If your freelance work fits into one of these organizations, it can make a lot of sense to sign up and become a member.
Once you’re a member, you can gain some credibility by displaying their seal or logo along with yours. Make sure to do this sparingly, and only on the right materials. For example: I wouldn’t recommend putting another group’s logo on your business cards, unless it’s very important or really small.
This can be a subtle difference, and some people would argue that it doesn’t matter much, but I’ve seen cases where professional affiliations have made the difference between getting a job and coming in second place.
5. Proudly display your previous work
A lot of new freelancers don’t have enough previous work to show, and a lot of crappy freelancers are too scared to show any of it. What would you think of a person who wouldn’t show you a portfolio?
Always be ready to show off your work, and you’ll gain instant professionalism in the eyes of your potential clients.
If you don’t have enough work to build a quality portfolio yet, consider doing a promotion or a few small jobs for free until you do.
6. Proudly display client testimonials and comments
Few things will do more to boost your professionalism than showing off authentic client testimonials. When I started including testimonials in my portfolio, my sales rate literally doubled.
To be effective, your testimonials need to be real – and you don’t even want to think about what might happen if your potential clients get wind of fakes. Make sure they’re real, and include as much of your client’s information as they’ll allow.
7. Dress appropriately for client meetings
Wearing appropriate clothing is very important when dealing face-to-face with clients. Whether we like it or not, people immediately judge us based on what we’re wearing.
In some industries, appropriate dress could be jeans and a tee-shirt. In others, though, a full suit is almost a requirement. You’ll want to spend some time observing and researching so that you can show up confidently in the appropriate attire.
When you get really into it (like me), you might even create signature company colors and outfits.
8. Always be well-groomed
This goes hand-in-hand with wearing the proper attire. Make sure that you are properly washed, don’t smell, have clean teeth, and good smelling breath.
I’ve run into some people who I can smell from 10 feet away. I’m not really sure how their clients can stand it, or how they have any clients at all.
9. Have lots of detailed information on your website
There will never be a brochure or marketing piece in existence that can hold as much information as a website, so it’s important to use that to your advantage.
Digging deep into background information is something most clients will want to do before working with a freelancer. Not having enough information available will put you at a disadvantage. On the flip side, having an excellent page about yourself and your company can give you a lot of credibility.
10. Maintain a confident voice in your industry
Whether you communicate in writing, over the telephone, or in person, having a confident voice about your subject matter is important for your professional image.
Your expertise should show through in every interaction, because it’s that expertise that clients are paying you for. There are many freelancers who are unsure about themselves – you don’t want to be one of them.
Confidence can take time to build – I recommend going to a business card exchange or networking event if you think you want some practice talking about your expertise.
11. Always be willing to say no
As a freelancer it can be tempting to offer anything in order to please your clients, but trust me that it’s not a good idea. You’ll actually sound more professional if you turn down some requests that aren’t in your area of expertise.
No professional in their right mind would claim to be an expert at everything, and you need to show that to your client. You are an expert in some fields, but not all, and your clients will eventually learn and respect that about you.
I have a friend who wanted to cut down his business a bit, because his wife was pregnant. He eventually decided to do it by cutting back his services to a select few (the ones he liked best). Within weeks of limiting his offerings, he had even more business than he had started with. His prospects had bought more of his newly-limited offerings because he had said no to others.
It’s good to show as many signs of professionalism as you can, but make sure you still maintain your own personal style
The higher you can position yourself above the mess of inconsistency and unprofessionalism that is fairly common in the freelancing world, the better off you’ll be.
Mason Hipp is an entrepreneur, small business marketing expert and writer. He blogs about marketing and small business at www.SmallFuel.com.
