A successful freelance writing business means being able to sell. You need to sell yourself and your product, and you need to be able to close the deal. If you can’t sell your freelance writing effectively, you’re eventually going to have to look for other work. That’s just the cold truth.
In the world of sales, there are few names bigger than Zig Ziglar. Over the past four decades, Ziglar has traveled more than five million miles giving his messages of life improvement and his perspective on how to win over the customer. He has shared the platform with three presidents, and figures as divergent as Paul Harvey and Dr. Robert Schuller. He’s also been recognized in congress for his dedication to the free enterprise system.
Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned from Ziglar over the years:
1. Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude
How you approach your business on a moment-by-moment basis will play a huge role in whether or not you succeed. Positive thinking doesn’t make sales, but negative thinking can kill them.
2. If you don’t see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner
Self-image is key. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else is going to believe in you, least of all not potential clients.
3. Focus on relationships and not transactions
This is especially true in the freelance writing business. Your customers are not just buying a product: they’re buying you. Freelance writing is a very personal skill, and you need to be able to establish trust and reliability if you’re going to seal the deal.
4. Interpret your benefits, not your features
This is part of basic copywriting principle, yet many freelance writers forget about it when it comes to promoting their own services. Your customer doesn’t want to hear about how your writing is readable; they want to hear about how it will increase their sales, or establish them as an authority in their niche.
5. Every choice you make has an end result
Some choices in your freelance writing business will be good, others not so much. You can’t always predict the result, either. The main thing is being aware that your actions have consequences and doing what you can to make positive, beneficial choices.
6. Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street
Selling means getting rejected. Sometimes, customers pick the other guy. Depending on how competitive your particular niche is, you might experience a lot of rejection. Getting back up on the sales bicycle after a failure is essential.
7. People don’t buy for logical reasons, they buy for emotional reasons
Part of sales is being able to appeal to the emotions. You need to be honest here, of course, and not promise that your product can do something it can’t. But you need to be able to connect with customers on a level that makes them feel something good about you and your product if you’re going to succeed.
8. Success is dependent upon the glands – sweat glands
Yes, you need to learn to become more efficient, to work “smarter.” That’s even one of Deb’s mantras here, and I don’t disagree. But real results require real work. Learn better ways to sell, but don’t forget to sell altogether.
9. When you do more than you are paid to do, you’ll eventually be paid more for what you do
Going the extra mile isn’t just good customer service; it’s also a sales tactic. Don’t let customers abuse your generosity, but do try to do a little bit extra if you can.
10. The way you see people is the way you treat them
If you see your clients as ignorant schmucks, you’re going to treat them that way. People aren’t dumb; they can tell when you’re looking down at them or despising them. Your clients aren’t schmucks, and they aren’t just a meal ticket, either. They’re people, good people, who need your help and who are willing to pay you for it.
Want to get more Zig Ziglar? Here are a couple of places to start:
I was raised in a family of sales, did sales through college and even had the opportunity to hear Zig Ziglar in person when I was teaching ballroom dancing. Great principles for life and not just for sales. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve read the books you mentioned. Both with clients and with suppliers, if there are dollar signs in the eyeballs, it doesn’t work. Relationships have to be win-win.
@Kathryn – I’ll admit, I’m a fan. Had the opportunity to hear him in college, and it was very dynamic and enjoyable. I especially enjoy his anecdotes.
@Phil – People can tell when you’re only out for money. On the other hand, to pretend you’re not also interested in money is disingenuous, and people can recognize that, too.
I do something for you, and you pay me for it – that’s win-win, and that’s the basis of the capitalist system.
This is so true. I see too many freelance writers biting the hands that feed them. They feel “superior” to their clients and go as far as to make derogatory comments on good employers just because those aren’t skilled in certain areas or require some guidance. Then again, what goes around comes around.