No business can survive without adequate cash flow. No exceptions. When a freelance medical writer doesn’t treat their business like a business, it fails. Every time. There isn’t a day that goes by when I’m not asked, “how do I get clients?”, “do you know anyone looking for a writer?”, “where do I find work?”, even from freelancers who are coaching others on how to succeed as freelancers… Why? Because they don’t employ effective storytelling in their business, as they aren’t good at sales and marketing.
Luckily for you, Marketing is my middle name! And it’s foundational to everything Prospology does. Just yesterday, we hosted a pop-up workshop called ‘Telling Stories Online’ (shout out to our Success Coach, Elizabeth (Liz) Ahyin Graham, M.A. for preparing and delivering that so beautifully). Inspired by Lisa Bloom, the workshop presented 7 effective storytelling frameworks to get Prospologers thinking differently about how to brand their business and market their services. Now, I’m going to take things a step further by providing examples for each of the 7 story types, based on my own medical writing brand, and explain how to use powerful, effective storytelling to make more money in your business. Are you ready?!
First, a caveat. The examples I’ll share helped me:
- Scale from $0 to $5k per month of steady income in just 2 months,
- Create a freedom-focused lifestyle for myself as a writer, and
- Land a $182k/yr job offer (that I turned down).
Now, I’m 95% Business Coach; 5% Medical Journalist & Media Strategist, so my examples will be provided in the past tense, in the interest of authenticity.
The reason these stories worked for me are because they’re true. You won’t get anywhere by stealing others’ stories and claiming them as your own. But if you study how my stories map onto each of the 7 frameworks, you should be able to think about what true means for you and bring these stories forth into your biz.
The Story of You
This is a story of realization. Why is freelance medical writing so important to you? What drives your passion for it? Who do you serve? What do your clients experience? What benefits do your clients receive when working with you?
Example:
I wanted to find an “outside the box” way to contribute to the healthcare industry that was sustainable and didn’t involve working in a clinical setting. I knew I had a knack for teaching, and have always loved it, but I get tired and drained very easily. Writing allows me to teach with a full (not depleted) cup. As a freelancer, I can put 100% of myself into my work because my needs have already been met elsewhere. I’m also very efficient because communication comes naturally to me.
The Story of What
This is your businesses origin story. What pivotal experience did you have that made you decide to become a freelance medical writer? What happened, who was involved, and what was the impact on you? Why? How did you feel?
Example:
After completing the third and final clinical work placement in my Nutrition & Dietetics BSc program, another student anonymously reported me for breaking confidentiality 5 months previously. I attempted to re-do my final, 12-week placement at another hospital the following year, delaying my graduation. But they’d already been “warned” about me and made my life a living hell, so I failed. I ended up with a Nutrition BSc, no dietetics license, and, thus, no career. I was utterly exhausted, having spent 5 years of my life trying to fit into a box I didn’t belong in. I realized I didn’t want to work for anybody else. Since then, I have given 110% to my freelance writing business because it makes me feel alive and appreciated for my clinical experience, medical knowledge, and writing ability. I love knowing that no-one will ever stab me in the back or take it away from me.
The Story of Who
This story outlines your ideal client. Who is positively impacted by what you offer? Which pain points do your freelance medical writing services address? How can you help someone with these pain points? What do you offer as a solution?
Example:
My ideal client wanted someone who was almost always available, and ready to step in to help out at short notice on virtually any short-term project. They had worked with terrible writers in the past, including unreliable freelancers, and were dealing with rude clients and tasked with meeting impossible, stressful deadlines. They knew I would always accept assignments quickly, let them know what I needed upfront (no chasing needed), and deliver high quality work every time.
The Experience Story
This is the journey of creating your business. How have you already proven your credibility? What makes your experience relatable to companies who hire freelance medical writers? What happened that allowed you to build resilience?
Example:
I left behind a stable, well-supported life in the U.K. to start afresh in Canada as an entrepreneur. My first business was in nutrition consulting and was a huge flop. It just didn’t light me up, and I’d outgrown it before I even got out the gate. Medical writing was different. My biggest client scouted me because they’d heard on the grapevine that I was one of the top 3 medical writers in Toronto. This was after only being in the country for 3 years, and operating my writing business for 6 months. I had gone from 0 to 100 almost overnight, and I loved it.
The Failure Story
This is a story of how you presumed you’d succeed, but you didn’t. What was the unexpected failure? What was surprising and painful about it? What lessons helped you transform the experience? How did you recover? What did you learn?
Example:
When my writing business grew so much that it was barely sustainable, I brought on a business partner and gifted him 50% of the shares. While it was a huge success initially, we soon began to butt heads with our vision for the company. I was forbidden from doing certain things, like writing about personal experiences on LinkedIn, expensing things I was used to, and talking about my coaching biz. Eventually, we went our separate ways. I lost a ton of money and my best friend. The main thing I learned is how capable I am in business and that I don’t actually need anyone to help me, especially in a co-ownership sense. I am a strong, intelligent person with a natural entrepreneurial spirit, which aint goin’ nowhere.
The Vision Story
This is how you desire your future to be. What are the outcomes you envision for your business, further down the road? How would this benefit others, too? How can you invite your clients to participate in the co-creation of this vision?
Example:
I am at my most productive, creative, and effective in situations where everyone works to their strengths, it’s safe and encouraged to communicate and collaborate, and there are high standards maintained at all times. Remote working allows for full-timers and freelancers to meet their individual needs easily so that they can bring their best selves to work. When everyone ascribes to this way of working (and life), we’re all better off for it. Clients’ expectations are met if not exceeded, and everyone is rewarded for their efforts and the results they generate; not how much time they (supposedly) put in. This model of operations is more profitable and sustainable for all involved.
The Proof Story
This is the story of your impact on the field. What tangible stories of effectiveness have you had in your business/career thus far? How did you help past clients get what they wanted? What actions did you take, and which results did it generate?
Example:
I once worked with a company who had told their sales team not to take on any more interactive video script projects because they’d been having such a hard time delivering them to a high standard. When they came to me, they had already worked with three medical writers, were drastically behind schedule, and still didn’t have anything fit to go back to their client. I was able to turn everything around for them very quickly, with the help of a subcontractor I’d trained, and within a week they had given the sales team the go ahead for video scripts again.
So what?
In order to sell consistently and with ease, you need to build trust with prospects who resonate with your core values and are in need of your unique expertise. The heart of sales lies in effective storytelling in your business. Your business’s niche and brand should be derived from your own stories and life experiences, just like mine were. Therefore, using the 7 effective storytelling frameworks above, you can create promotional, yet authentic and compelling, written content for your freelance business to attract a consistent stream of clients organically. Do this consistently, and you’ll have dream clients knocking on your door in no time! Try it out, and let me know how it goes 🤓.
Ways we can help:
The ‘Thriving & Free’ Medical Writer Program (personalized 1:1 coaching, community support, 350+ practical trainings, transformational approach)
Medical Writing Mastermind Group (mentorship, professional networking, accountability, industry-specific live trainings, unlimited growth potential)