Improve your chances of landing that lucrative freelance writing job by getting a face-to-face meeting with your prospective client.
People prefer to work with people they know and can relate to on a personal level.
Prepare for your meetings with potential clients the same way you'd prepare for a job interview or presentation.
Learn about the prospect and the prospect's business before you meet.
Find out who will be at the meeting.
Make sure someone authorized to contract for freelance writing services will be present.
Call the company and try to find a helpful person.
Larger businesses generally have public relations departments that can tell you about the company, as well as send you marketing materials and other company publications.
Human resources departments are often less helpful for freelance writers.
Medium-size and small businesses often don't have these types of resources.
Before the meeting, try to find out about: 1.
Products.
What are the company's products and services? 2.
Freelance projects.
What do they hire freelance writers to do? Types of projects? 3.
Assignments.
How do they assign jobs? Would bringing a team be helpful? 4.
Decision makers.
Who's in charge? People to influence and impress? 5.
Departments.
Who's in communications, marketing, or similar departments? 6.
Hot buttons.
What are the hot buttons, industry jargon? 7.
Issues.
What are the timely issues everyone is talking about? 8.
Trends.
Trends, upcoming events, product releases, competition to know about? 9.
Project basics.
What basic project information is available by phone? Then, make sure you: 1.
Samples.
Get samples of completed projects and other materials.
2.
Online information.
Find out about the company online.
3.
Research.
Do enough research to be able to ask intelligent questions.
4.
Inside information.
Elicit "insider information" from that helpful person.
Do you know enough to be almost over prepared for the meeting? Do you feel confident? Know what questions you want to ask? Have ideas about the specific benefits you can provide if you get the freelance writing job? What kind of an image do you project? Are you a professional writer? Are you easy to work with, capable, dependable? Do you have a reputation for meeting deadlines and producing quality projects? Can you get a referral or two, some testimonials to have available for your meeting? How well to do you market yourself and your services? Do you land as many to-notch projects as you want? Has your freelance writing career reached (and even surpassed) the six-figure income range?
People prefer to work with people they know and can relate to on a personal level.
Prepare for your meetings with potential clients the same way you'd prepare for a job interview or presentation.
Learn about the prospect and the prospect's business before you meet.
Find out who will be at the meeting.
Make sure someone authorized to contract for freelance writing services will be present.
Call the company and try to find a helpful person.
Larger businesses generally have public relations departments that can tell you about the company, as well as send you marketing materials and other company publications.
Human resources departments are often less helpful for freelance writers.
Medium-size and small businesses often don't have these types of resources.
Before the meeting, try to find out about: 1.
Products.
What are the company's products and services? 2.
Freelance projects.
What do they hire freelance writers to do? Types of projects? 3.
Assignments.
How do they assign jobs? Would bringing a team be helpful? 4.
Decision makers.
Who's in charge? People to influence and impress? 5.
Departments.
Who's in communications, marketing, or similar departments? 6.
Hot buttons.
What are the hot buttons, industry jargon? 7.
Issues.
What are the timely issues everyone is talking about? 8.
Trends.
Trends, upcoming events, product releases, competition to know about? 9.
Project basics.
What basic project information is available by phone? Then, make sure you: 1.
Samples.
Get samples of completed projects and other materials.
2.
Online information.
Find out about the company online.
3.
Research.
Do enough research to be able to ask intelligent questions.
4.
Inside information.
Elicit "insider information" from that helpful person.
Do you know enough to be almost over prepared for the meeting? Do you feel confident? Know what questions you want to ask? Have ideas about the specific benefits you can provide if you get the freelance writing job? What kind of an image do you project? Are you a professional writer? Are you easy to work with, capable, dependable? Do you have a reputation for meeting deadlines and producing quality projects? Can you get a referral or two, some testimonials to have available for your meeting? How well to do you market yourself and your services? Do you land as many to-notch projects as you want? Has your freelance writing career reached (and even surpassed) the six-figure income range?