steal this 20 Stories exercise
Austin L. Church
Founder of Freelance Cake — Coaching, coworking, and community for advanced freelancers who want the growth without the burnout | Apply today ↓
Marketing can be a squishy, mystifying concept.
Some freelancers and consultants wave it aside: “I don’t have to worry about it because I get plenty of referrals.” Others approach it with a mix of hope and apprehension: “I know I should do more of it, but I’m not sure where to start.” Still others swear by it: “The best way to get dream clients is to go to them, not wait for them to come to you.”
In my Morning Marketing Habit course, the first thing I do is correct misconceptions and provide simple, sturdy definitions. For example, I define marketing is making something more desirable, spreading the word about it, and giving people a chance to care.
Marketing doesn't have to be big, complicated, or expensive to be effective. It can be as simple as going to local startup events, meeting two new people each week, and keeping in touch with them.
What matters is noticing what works and doubling down on that. This short essay will give you a straightforward, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that exercise to help you do that. And you can get my template, too.
First, let me tell you about Perry.
How do you respond when a potential client asks what you charge?
Clients used to catch me off guard when they asked, "What do you charge?" or "What's your hourly rate?"
Even after I made the decision to pivot away from charging hourly, I'd blurt out an hourly rate. Noooo!!!
These 9 words made all the difference for me, so if like me you believe it's important to shift the client's focus from the up-front cost to the desired outcome, add them to your toolkit.
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After all, it's hard to get to higher value projects if the client uses an hourly rate to compare you to someone with less expertise.
About Austin L. Church
Hi, I'm Austin L. Church, a writer, marketing consultant, and business coach.
I started freelancing in 2009 after finishing my M.A. in Literature and getting laid off from a marketing agency. Freelancing led to a portfolio of mobile apps, tech startup, children's book, branding studio, and consulting practice.
Over the last 15 years, I've made north of $1.8 million as a creative entrepreneur, and looking back, I see so many missed opportunities.
That's why I'm so passionate about stacking up specific advantages and teaching freelancers, consultants, and creators how to do the same.
I want more of us to find our income-lifestyle sweet spot.
You can learn more at FreelanceCake.com.