Three Ways to Sell Yourself as a Freelancer

Hey — It’s Temidayo.

Last weekend, my generator decided to give up on me just while I was trying to meet an important deadline.

I didn’t know what to do because I didn’t have a backup plan.

I had to quickly reach out to my neighbor, who recommended his mechanic to me.

So I called the mechanic and he came over in 15 minutes.

He checked the generator, found the fault, and fixed it.

He charged me a reasonable fee, gave me some tips on how to maintain it, and left.

Although he saved my day, I learned a lot from how he sold himself and his value to me.

That’s why I’m going to share with you today the three (3) ways I’d market myself to clients as a freelancer, so you can start doing the same starting now.

#1 – As a lifeguard

A lifeguard is someone who (doesn’t necessarily have to be the best swimmer in town but) saves lives, prevents accidents, and ensures safety.

The mechanic I hired didn’t sell himself as the best mechanic in town. Instead, he sold himself as the person who could save my day and help me meet my deadline.

Every client wants a lifeguard, someone who can serve them a reliable solution, and a valuable benefit.

When you sell yourself as a lifeguard, you are telling clients that you’re not the best writer, programmer, or graphics designer in town, but you can save them from their problems and prevent them from getting into problems.

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#2 – As a consultant

It is common knowledge that consultants offer solutions that will directly impact the businesses of their clients.

My mechanic didn’t only help me fix my generator. He taught me how to prevent the problem from happening next time.

Trust me, every client wants a freelancer who can help them cut costs. He helped cut future costs by telling me how to solve my problem in the future.

When you play the role of a consultant, you are telling your clients that you’re not only here to help them solve their problem, but you’re there to teach them how to prevent it in the future.

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#3 – As a partner

Apparently, only few freelancers understand what it means to collaborate with their clients to solve a problem.

This mechanic I hired saw that I needed to wash a part of my generator. Instead of doing it alone or letting me do it alone, he decided we should do it together.

While I was frustrated, I found the experience interesting. He partnered with me to solve my problem.

So, by partnering with your clients, you are indirectly telling your clients that they are not alone. You’re telling them that you’re there to collaborate with them to solve their problems.

Those are the three ways to sell yourself as a freelancer, by playing different roles.

Lifeguard, consultant, partner.

Which one do you want to be?

Think about it.

There will be no goody bag today due to digital logistics issues.

I’ll text you again, next Monday.

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