Freelance Transformation

In this episode, Matt answers some of the frequently asked listener questions about freelancing.

Does working remotely mean no local clients? How do I start getting clients? What is a fair price to charge? How much time should I spend on client work?

https://freelancetransformation.com/episode80

With connections come opportunities. Connections can lead to mentors, new clients, speaking engagements, publications, and collaborations. But how do you meet people and intentionally build connections?

Michael Roderick is a relationship designer, a master connector. Michael has a talent for connecting people who can mutually benefit from each other's expertise. Here, Michael shares how you can build your own connections, why connections are so important, who to connect with, and how to maintain these valuable relationships.

https://freelancetransformation.com/episode79

There are a lot of great reasons to get industry experience first before setting off on your own. When Ram Castillo graduated from design school, he acquired experience by working at a major agency. How did he get into a design firm when no one was hiring designers? He took a job in the mailroom. While he delivered mail and fetched coffee, he also had conversations with some of the top designers in the world who gave him insight into how projects are run in the real world and how to balance quality with budget.

Ram shares how he rapidly built a career working at major agencies and on major brands, how he created mentorship opportunities for himself at every step, why he constantly stood out, and how and why he transitioned all that into freelancing.

https://freelancetransformation.com/episode78

If you are a small solo operator or you have a small team working on software development, efficient project management is just as important as it is for larger teams in enterprises. However, does it make sense to implement something as heavy as agile methodology, designed for the big teams, if you are small?

Jason Mundok, co-founder of Elusive Moose, has taken the principles of agile project management and rescaled it for his one-person software development consultancy. He shares how using an agile-like approach keeps his projects on track, saves time and money, and creates happy clients. 

https://freelancetransformation.com/episode77

Working remotely is a big part of the freelancing dream for many of us, working from your home office, and having the ability to travel anywhere even with very short notice. The bottom line is that there are some freedoms that come from not having your geography dictate who you can work with or how you work with them. For instance, when you work remotely, you don't end up losing a half day of work every time you have to drive somewhere to meet a client and then realize that the client didn't have all the much to say.

Laura Elizabeth has figured out the formula for working remotely with clients around the world while sitting in her home office in a fairly small town in the UK. Laura has built structures and processes that let her work effectively and efficiently with her clients, independent of geography, while also building amazing client relationships. In this episode, Laura explains why clients hire her instead of someone local, how to deliver on great work, and how to being remote has become an advantage rather than something that gets in her way.

https://freelancetransformation.com/episode76

Brennan Dunn was a guest on Freelance Transformation all the way back in FT 006: How to be a High Value Consultant with Brennan Dunn. Brennan, of Double Your Freelancing Academy, is back again in episode 75 to describe the successes of his students from Double Your Freelancing Clients and Double Your Freelancing Rate.

That's right, episode 75! Of course, we have you, wonderful listeners, to thank! And to thank you properly, at the end of the episode, Matt and Brennan describe a unique opportunity for FT listeners for Brennan's latest course, Double Your Freelancing Academy, a high intensity course that will give you the equivalent of an MBA in Freelancing!

https://freelancetransformation.com/episode75

There are just not enough hours in the day to hustle through client work and also build relationships with prospects. It is easy to neglect one or the other group. But what if both groups were the same, client and prospects? There is so much potential for repeat business and long-term engagements!

Dan Englander, author of Mastering Account Management and The B2B Sales Blueprint, digs into how to manage your client accounts so you can build longterm relationships with your clients. Dan explains how you can build mutual understanding with your client, how to figure out your client pains, how to keep the client form going quiet, and how to decide who to work with.

http://freelancetransformation.com/episode74

Does this scenario sound familiar? A prospective client comes to you with a set of specifications for a project they want done. You clarify the specs a bit, quote the project, hopefully win the work and deliver? What could go wrong?

Plenty. For starters you’re doing the client a big disservice by expecting them to know what they want, rather than you, as the expert, recommending a solution. And you’re doing your own bank account a big disservice as well, since simply executing work a client gives you turns you into a commodity labourer, instead of an expert. That means your rates and ability to attract high quality clients will suffer accordingly.

So what’s the alternative? Figure out what the client really wants and the problem they want to solve.

Eric White, from Think Motile, uses a fascinating framework called Jobs-to-Be-Done to dig out why someone is looking for a product or a service, such as consulting work. Eric shares some of the tools in this framework that you can use to figure out what a client actually wants, what is prompting the client to desire this project, and ultimately how that allows you to deliver much better results for your clients and yourself.

http://freelancetransformation.com/episode73

Finding and on-boarding new clients is time-consuming and emotionally straining. So why not focus on the clients you already have? Chances are, you have much more to offer your existing clients than what the original project addressed which makes existing clients a valuable asset to your freelancing business.

Christopher Hawkins shares how he maintained a six-figure income by selling to existing clients and created a sustainable business and income stream for himself. He explains how he changed his perspective when approaching client projects from looking at his project in isolation to seeing how it fits in with the bigger business goals. He also explains how to build and maintain client relationships so selling to existing clients is more like catching up rather than pushing a sale.

Ready to start selling to your existing freelancing clients?

http://www.freelancetransformation.com/episode72

Today's episode features the story of a someone who is always pushing himself and taking on new opportunities, passionately living in the moment and loving what he does for work.

This is the story of Kevin Rogers, now a prominent copy chief (http://copychief.com/) who connects clients with freelance copywriters and coaches freelancers along the way. But his current position is a long way from the 18 year old comedian who toured the country for a decade in a beat up Chevy Nova, hoping he would have enough gas to make it to the next gig. It was an awesome life for a twenty something, but not sustainable.

Kevin shares why and how he made the transition. Kevin's success can be attributed to his inspiring personality, his desire to strive to be his best and constantly challenge himself, and, of course, the many mentors who showed him what was possible.

(http://www.freelancetransformation.com/episode71)