Want to thrive as a freelancer? Stop doing these 10 things.
When you’re first starting out as a freelance medical writer, or still in the early stages of business development, it’s tough to know if you’re focusing on all the right things or not. (Hint: If you have to ask, you’re probably not.)
To help you out, I’ve compiled a list of 10 things to STOP doing, based on my own 10+ years’ experience as a freelance writer and 5+ years as a business coach.
Following the principles in this list will help you streamline and up level your business, boosting revenue, freeing up more of your time, and making sure you’re in LOVE with everything you’re doing. Let’s go!
1. Copying others’ websites.
Your business is your business. People only buy from people they trust. But how can they trust you if you’ve just edited or stolen content from someone else’s site and claimed it as your own? While no-one needs to reinvent the wheel and a website doesn’t have to be complicated, the best ones are original and authentic. Showcase your professional and personal identity in a way that attracts dream clients, making your life easier—don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.
2. Saying you’re inexperienced.
When you present yourself as someone who lacks experience, you’re not going to appeal to people who are hiring. It’s that simple. And yet I see so many freelancers out there talking about their lack of experience as professional writers, shooting themselves in the foot at every opportunity. Dig deep to figure out what your unique skills and experiences are that make you valuable to clients, and build your brand around that. Leave behind the “old you” and embrace the new, 100%.
3. Undercharging.
This is a tough one, and I talk about it a lot. If you don’t believe you have self-worth or that your services are of high value to your clients, that’s a huge problem. Undercharging will keep you stuck in a vicious cycle of feeling over-worked and under-appreciated that is really hard to break out of. Set your rates in line with industry standards, so you never feel resentful. And make sure you do the inner work to align with those prices, or they’ll keep coming back to haunt you!
4. Using Upwork.
Upwork appeals to many emerging freelancers because it promises to take a lot of the hard work of finding clients out of the equation. But guess what? It is hard to launch a new business and it requires time and effort to turn it into something great. Not only is Upwork preventing you from building long-standing relationships with repeat clients, it’s also a major contributor for #3 because you’ll be forever competing with other freelancers who try to undercut you in all of your work. Do yourself a favour and stop now, please and thank you.
5. Taking endless courses.
Learning is useless in isolation. You can take courses until the cows come home, but if you never gain the practical skills or confidence to actually implement what you’ve learned, it’s a complete waste of time, money, and energy. We only offer access to our courses (27 and counting) to students enrolled in The ‘Thriving & Free’ Medical Writer Program™—not by themselves—because what makes them valuable is our team of experts guiding them through how to use the principles we teach to actually build their business from scratch and launch successfully. How can you stop buying courses and, instead, start to move the needle in your biz?
6. Ignoring LinkedIn.
You probably aren’t utilizing LinkedIn’s potential. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for many reasons: networking, attracting clients and new opportunities, establishing professional credibility… I could go on. Make sure your profile is fully optimized for your writing business, that your niche shines through clearly, and you’re regularly adding value to your followers and growing your network. Whatever you do—don’t ignore it!
7. Not asking for recommendations.
Social proof is one of the most valuable things any small business owner can have. It goes back to what I said earlier about trust—people only buy from people they trust. So, suck it up and start asking for recommendations or testimonials from people who know you or have worked with you in the past. The worst they can say is “no” or write something bad (which you don’t have to publish). Seriously, that’s the worst thing can can happen. Stop freaking out and just ASK.
8. Shying away from sales.
It’s crazy how many people are afraid of sales and do everything in their power to avoid them—it’s like trying to avoid breathing while you exercise. Just as you need oxygen to keep you alive, you need cash flow to keep your business alive.
9. Claiming you do everything.
This goes back to the trust thing. Would you rather hire a contractor who does everything under the sun (painting, drywall, plumbing, electrics, DIY, construction) or a specialist who’s like “Yeah, all I do is painting and I have fifty 5-star reviews all about what a great painter I am on Google”? Stop saying you do everything, and start opening the flood gates to super aligned, interesting projects with a higher price tag by niching down your entire business around what you do best.
10. Not having a portfolio.
I see so many freelancers who could be soaring in their business but aren’t, simply because they don’t have great samples of exactly the type of work they do to showcase to prospective clients. Just like in the contractor scenario, the one who has fifty 5-star reviews on Google with a bunch of photos from customers of what a great paint job they’ve done IS GOING TO GET HIRED MORE. Clients need to see evidence that you can do what you say you’re going to do really well. So give it to them.
Looking for a personal coach to help you take your small business to the next level? Send a summary of what’s up to sophie@prospology.com and I’ll put together a custom package for you.
