The most important skill for freelancers

Happy 2021, everyone!

I'm coming out of the gates this year with some tough love for the freelancers out there reading this...

I know we all want to have a big year, put 2020 behind us, and make THIS the year that we point back to and say, "Everything changed for me in 2021..."

I've also written about the golden age we are in for learning anything that we want. And if you're like me, you've probably invested into learning some new skills that help you get better at your craft.

But here's the thing...

The number one skill that a freelancer can master is sales.

If you're trying to make an independent living as a creative, freelancer, independent contractor...you need to be able to sell yourself.

Of course if you do great work, your work can sell itself. But, chances are that you're not quite there yet. To get to a point where your work is selling itself, you need a large body of high-quality work. Not only that, but it needs to be visible! Large clients, a broad reach, and so on.

So to get there, you're going to need to learn how to sell yourself.

SELLING IS NOT A BAD THING!

Let me say that again: selling is not a bad thing.

I don't know what it is about the way most of us have been raised (shoutout to my Midwesterners!) but we seem to become engrained that "selling" equates to forcing a transaction that the other party doesn't want.

Selling isn't that. It shouldn't be that.

Think about walking into a Starbucks lobby. You probably purchased a delightful coffee drink...but did you feel "sold" to?

No! You knew they had something you wanted, and you happily broke out your money to pay for it.

Selling services should be the same way.

You have something to offer. People have a problem to solve. When those two realities match up, a positive, mutually-beneficial transaction is born.

Being good at sales is really rewarding. Being good at sales means that you're helping a LOT of people. And being rewarded for it!

So please. Please make this the year that you resolve to learn sales.

You owe it to yourself to ADVOCATE for your own skills and abilities. You owe it to yourself to tell your friends, families, and advocates that you love referrals.

If you're not willing to sell yourself, don't expect anyone else to be willing to do it for you!

Your success as an independent creative (see what I did there) depends on your ability and willingness to raise your hand and say, "I can help you."

Think of selling as offering (your help).

If you embrace it, you can have a big year.

And if you want my help, this course on selling gets incredible reviews.

Join the community and let's learn together

Convinced that it's important for you to embrace sales this year? Great!

Besides the course I linked above, another great way for us to learn together is to join the Freelancing School community.

Inside Freelancing School, you can ask questions, share your own experience, and connect with potential partners too.

I'm spending a lot of time in that community, so you'll be able to chat with me there directly. And we host periodic meetups!

Click here to join the community

On Creative Elements ??

This week, we're getting existential! I'm speaking with my business and creative coach, Chris McAlister.

Chris is the founder of SightShift, a company that helps ambitious people be courageous and kind.

He’s authored 5 books, spoken to thousands of people, and loves the work of helping others unblock their best leadership.

In this episode we talk about separating who you are from what you do, what it means to be proving and hiding, and why becoming more comfortable with your identity can be key to unlocking your creativity.

Click here to listen

That's it for this week! I hope you're having a fantastic first week back in the saddle (despite the rampant technology outages).

Leave a comment below and let me know if you accept this challenge of learning to sell in 2021. And if you're still feeling stuck on making that commitment, let me know what's holding you back.

Cheers,

Jay

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Hey, I'm Jay! Thanks for reading. I'm the creator of Freelancing School, which provides the training and community to help people make a living freelancing.

I also host Creative Elements, which interviews high-profile creators who have made their own independent living.

You can connect with me on Twitter @jayclouse or sign up for my Sunday newsletter for creatives here.

And if you REALLY want to say 'thank you,' you can buy me a coffee.