Hassaan Khan
Freelancers,
Listen up!
Don’t read this article, unless you’re free, relaxed, and truly want to learn something.
Bookmark it. Save it for some other time…
Because it requires some attention.
So, you’re not giving up on this…
Okay….
Are you afraid of a dark room?
What’s the next thing you would do if a short-circuit cuts off the electricity?
You’d find a torch or grab your phone. Exactly…
You may have the alternative electricity resource and you may want to check up on that in a minute because something went wrong. And it didn’t work.
What’s the point?
The point is, your mind is programmed to grab the cell phone or torch to get the immediate light.
Nobody taught you that. You figured out in the past and you just did it.
Right?
In this article, I’m going to share some of the things you probably know but you never thought that way. The purpose is very simple. I want you to succeed in freelancing. I never listened to anybody who told me to stop freelancing and get back to the job. I never went back and I’m proud of that.
Why am I discussing the psychology here?
Because psychology is everything. Patrick bet-David said in his video that either brain controls you or you control it.
So, what I want you to control your brain.
I want to help you.
I want to tell you something.
I crossed the bridge and I’m running free.
You might be a halfway on the bridge.
Some of you probably never jumped onto the bridge yet… (and thinking what to do)
That bridge is everything to you right now.
Either you cross it or you stay there.
You don’t want to stay there. You don’t like 9 to 5, which is why you’re reading this in the first place.
The idea behind talking about the psychology of freelance business is that a freelancer must know that what it takes to become a freelancer. In fact, I’ll help you in learning that how you can show up confident, trustworthy, and reliable.
Do you know why clients would hire you?
Because you have the ability to help them out.
I will tell you how you have to show them that you have the ability.
At the end of this article, you’ll feel confident and you’ll realize that it’s all in your mind, meaning, it’s just a psychological thing.
Now, the things I’m going to tell you might look a little intimidating at first, but once you keep testing them, you’ll start to appear a little different than the older version of yourself. The point is, it doesn’t mean you won’t get rejected after reading this article, the fact is, you’d know what exactly you would need to do if you ever get rejected. The chances more, your project winning ratio would increase after applying these techniques. So, I’m giving you some psychological tips to start winning as a freelancer that you need to understand and apply:
1) – Don’t beg for a chance
You don’t need a chance. You will win this. Trust me, the asking for a chance shows that you are DESPERATE — means, you don’t have WORK— people are likely to reject you if they see others are rejecting you.
You have to earn the chance. Now, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to reach out to the people and sit tight and wait for a miracle to happen for you. It doesn’t work that way. The point is simple, you don’t have to ask for a chance. The more you desire to win a project, the harder it becomes to get it.
Secondly, when you start to show the interest in the project that is being discussed to be given to a freelancer and you desperately comment and reach out to the employer and ask to give it to you, you somehow lose your first impression. It could have been different. Let me show it to you:
For instance,
Hello, Mr/Ms/Mrs. First Name,
My name is ABCD. I’m a freelancer. I saw your post here. I’m so excited for this project. I assure you that I will give you the best result and you won’t be disappointed with that. All I’m asking is to give it a try. I can provide you my portfolio so that you can go through my previous work.
I’m looking forward to working with you!
Sincerely,
ABCD
This is the first case. This pitch is basically what I’m talking about in this section.
Don’t you see the DESPERATION in the message?
The keenness to win the project…
Do you know what does client see in this?
He/She does need it, probably he/she doesn’t have the work.
Then the client’s mind start to work:
- Why is he/she so desperate to get this project?
- Does he/she have any other project to work on?
- Is he/she really good for this?
- Are others trusting him/her?
- Should I try him/her or reach out to someone else?
It’s totally natural.
The client has to pay for the work. He would think that. He needs the best value in return for his investment.
Whereas, if you write that pitch (email) in a different way, it could turn out differently:
Hello, Mr/Ms/Mrs. First Name,
I’m ABCD. I’m a freelancer and my personal website is www.yourwebsiteaddress.com. I recently came across your Facebook page and official website. I must say, I’m quite impressed with the website design. Surprisingly, I found out that you’re looking for a freelancer in [this area]. Well, I might be able to help you out in this. You can hit me an email and we’ll talk this through. I’ll be so happy to assist you in this regard.
Sincerely,
ABCD
So, did you see that desperation in this pitch?
You didn’t.
In fact, that tone of discussion actually makes the prospect realize that he has other things to do in line and someone would definitely hire him. That confidence cuts down the clutter and walks the prospects through the portfolios phase, where he asks you to actually show him some of your previous work.
If you’re lucky enough, you skip past through that and directly move towards the project discussion.
2) – Start doing what you are good at
It’s not just about following the passion. Choosing something you love is a slightly different thing. We’re here talking about stepping up and start doing it.
The concept of this point is to assure you that success does come if you start moving, if you don’t start moving, you’re not going to make it. You can sit back and wait for things to happen for you.
When I decided that I want to pursue my career as a blogger back in 2010. I didn’t back off after that. I kept on working. I knew that I wasn’t good at it but it didn’t bother me, all I was looking at the success. When I sold a blog for $1000 to an American buyer, I realized that I took the right turn.
In 2013, I started stepping into freelance writing, and in 2015, I removed a call-to-action button called ‘HIRE ME’ because I wasn’t able to handle the clients. The abundance of projects was quite an achievement and I wanted to focus on the lesser clients and deliver them well. So, I almost stopped taking new clients and when they didn’t stop coming, then I started referring them to other freelance writers I knew that time.
The point is, you should not stop believing.
You don’t have to quit on your dreams no matter what.
The message of Simon Sinek ‘START WITH WHY‘ might blow your mind.
Because he believes that a very people know that why they do what they do…
By referring to the WHY, he clarifies that it’s not about profit, in fact, the profit is the result of what they do.
Now, come back to my point as I was saying that start doing what you believe in.
You might want to design some logo designs for the brands because you think that brand logos that you come across don’t really represent the true creativity that they possess. It could begin from your personal logo. Then you could start making logos and publish on your personal blog, Behance, Instagram, and Dribbble.
You may want to stand out of the crowd by start writing unique content for the clients. Write your personal blog as well as publish on Medium and LinkedIn Pulse.
Always remember this quote:
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. – Arthur Ashe
3) – Become a problem solver for the community
You don’t know where your first client is. All you can do is, start helping people.
Help people in any way you can.
People will start remembering you, then they will start remembering what you do for a living, and at some point, they will start referring you.
I have never seen someone more social, down to earth, and welcoming person than Mr. Hisham Sarwar. He is one of the finest freelancing Gurus in Pakistan.
He often does Facebook live and YouTube video streaming for the budding freelancers to help them get started.
If you have read the book Give and Take by Adam Grant, you can picture Mr. Hisham Sarwar as a perfect example of a giver.
I’m discussing the art of establishing a freelance business here.
You can go 180 degrees opposite to this by leaving everything I said behind and start focusing on the networks like Fiverr and Upwork. There is no problem with that. I’m sure there is a complete science involved in getting success on those freelancing platforms.
But I’m a believer of building a brand on your own rather than opting the platforms.
I believe in starting from scratch and becoming an authority.
I love building a personal website, then becoming an online brand.
All this happens, when you’re ready to share whatever you know.
We don’t know everything, this does give us the opportunity that others might don’t know what we know, so by telling them, we actually help them solve their problems. In return, we earn respect, loyalty, and trust.
The Last Part
THINGS WORKED FOR ME.
And I don’t have any problem in sharing with others.
In fact, I feel privileged when a small advice starts to impact someone’s life.
The question is, will this article change your life?
The answer is, no.
Because you control your career.
You have the remote control of your career.
The purpose of this article was to tell you that either you keep accepting the NORMS that you see or you start doing something a little different being a creative person.
The next thing you might think: “I’m not a creative person”
I bet you are. You just don’t know that.
What do you think why I told you these three points?
1) – Don’t beg for a chance
2) – Start doing what you are good at
3) – Become a problem solver for the community
I told you because you have to become the first person to start believing in you.
The moment you start thinking that I CAN DO THIS, is the time you set yourself free from the certain mindset. Freelancers aren’t jobless losers who find clients at home, they’re hybrid entrepreneurs who enjoy the lifestyle of an entrepreneur and work like a boss.
Or
Maybe, they think that way… whatever… (laughter)
I told you it’s all psychology.
Accept it. You’d start winning.
Did you not hear the story of cornered tigers? Maybe, in the next article…
If this article helps you in understanding the concept of freelancing, then let me know in the comments section.
I’m waiting…
About Author
Hassaan Khan is a blogger, freelance writer, and a personal branding enthusiast. He writes content for many brands to help them achieve their content marketing goals. Download his free guide to building a personal website and start knowing about Personal Branding. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.
