Has this ever happened to you?

A prospect contacts you, you submit a proposal, the prospect says “Yes, let’s do this,” and then… they disappear.

It’s happened to me twice.

Disappearing Act #1

The first time, the client said “Let’s go ahead. Please write my sales letter.” So I send her my client questionnaire and don’t hear from her for days. When I followed up with her, she replied, “Oh, I found a copywriter who charges less and, you know, things being what they are these days, I’m keeping a close watch on my budget. I hope you understand.”

Well, yes, of course I understand. But she could have told me earlier, right?

Disappearing Act #2

Here’s the second case of my disappearing prospect: Again, she says “Your proposal looks reasonable. Please write my sales letter because the one I have now totally sucks.” I send her the questionnaire and the invoice, and never hear from her again.

I follow up with her after almost two weeks. Because, you know, she might have missed the questionnaire and invoice. After all, those things happen. Still, no response.

So the only conclusion I can draw is that, like Disappearing Prospect #1, she found a cheaper copywriter and decided to go with that one.

Which is perfectly fine with me. Really. I don’t want to work with entrepreneurs who can’t afford me. Or who are less than fully convinced that my work will help them make more money.

The Real Problem

On the other hand, I have to wonder: whatever happened to common courtesy? And word of honor?

Verbal agreements are considered legally binding. So are emails!

What saddens me even more is that these prospects and I circulate in the same virtual circles. It’s awkward because I know some of our common friends regard them highly… and yet I know that they’ve been less than professional with me.

A Message to Outsourcers

If you’re an entrepreneur who hires freelancers, please always be forthright with the service providers you deal with. I know it’s hard to say you chose somebody else, but it’s the right thing to do. Just send off an email that says something like, “Thank you very much for your quotation, but I decided to go with somebody else at this time.”

And when you’ve said that you will hire somebody, please be true to your word. Even if it is a written word.

Or if something came up and you have to change your mind, then please let the person on the other end know. Don’t leave them in the dark. It’s not nice. And it’s not polite.

A Message to Fellow Freelancers

If your prospect disappears on you, don’t jump to conclusions. It’s easy to beat yourself up and blame yourself for what happened.

However, it could be a number of things. They may have missed your message altogether, be going through a really tough time, or a million other things.

Do follow up politely after a reasonable amount of time, say, 3 days to a week. You may or may not get a response. If not, then assume that the prospect has decided to contract somebody else. No biggie. He or she wasn’t the perfect client for you, so move on.

And if you want to learn more about this phenomenon of the “disappearing prospect,” I highly recommend Mark Silver’s post, “Why People Disappear After They’ve Said Yes.” You’ll find plenty of wisdom there.

How About You?

Have you ever had prospects disappear on you, even after they’ve said “yes” to you? How did you handle it? What other thoughts do you have on this mystery?

I’d love to hear what you think.

photo credit: askthepixel

Our monthly challenges are supposed to help you increase your freelancing profits immediately. This month’s challenge will not have a positive impact in your bottom line right away. However, it is very important.

By taking this month’s challenge, you will:

• improve and protect your health
• increase your energy
• make you more productive

And it is utterly simple. This month’s challenge is: get off your butt. Get up and out of your chair more often.

Why? Let me explain.

Why You Should Stand More

Last week, I saw a disturbing article about the dangers of sitting down for hours at a time every day.

It says that sitting down all day puts us at risk of developing obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and, not surprisingly, early death — now matter how much exercise we get!

That’s right. All the sitting around actually undermines the benefits we may get when we do get up to exercise. This may explain the work at home health danger I wrote about in another blog: the average person gains about 30 pounds in their first year of working at home.

This New York Times article hit a nerve with me and @WritersKitchen. As work at home freelancers, we often spend hours at a time sitting in front of our computers. And since my toddler got potty trained, I haven’t had to get up as often as I used to. @WritersKitchen admits to sitting for up to six hours straight sometimes. I totally understand. When the momentum is there, you just want to keep working.

But because we value our health and productivity, @WritersKitchen and I made changes in our working environment right away. You’ll be surprised how simple they are, and you can get started too.

How To Sit Less

1. Sit on a stability ball.

This is what I began doing right away. I used to sit on a stability ball instead of a chair in my last trimester of my third pregnancy because my back and pelvis hurt like anything if I sit on a regular chair.

Sitting on a stability ball makes your body work harder as you keep your balance. At first, I didn’t feel comfortable at all and I longed for the “relaxation” of my regular chair or sofa. But I did feel my back getting stronger and now, I actually enjoy it (and so does the toddler, who insists on sitting on my lap while I’m on the ball.)

2. Take frequent breaks.

The New York Times article cited a study which found that people who frequently stood up to stretch or “walk down the corridor” fared better than those who sat uninterruptedly. So set a timer to go off every 45 minutes or so and get up to stretch, get a glass of water, check your mailbox — anything to get off your butt!

3. Use a standup desk.

@WritersKitchen quickly rigged a standup desk and she’s been working while standing up (I’ve asked for a picture and will add it here as soon as Lorraine sends it). I have started working occasionally with my laptop on the kitchen counter. It’s definitely more physical work than sitting on the stability ball — which is good!

Lorraine and I have also been drooling over these custom-made standup desks, such as one that’s like what Virginia Woolf apparently used. These are handmade by Amish wood workers, made of real wood, and even comes with a brass footrest. It’s the ultimate luxury (at least for me), however, as you have seen you don’t need one as nice as this if you really want to stay on your feet while working.

Some standup desks are built around a treadmill, so you can walk slowly while checking your email, surfing the web, or doing other less demanding tasks on the computer.

The “Ball” Is In Your Court

As you can see, it doesn’t take much to become less sedentary and spend fewer hours sitting on your bum.

Which of these suggestions are you going to start doing today? Do share in the comments below.

PS: Update on last month’s challenge: I joined an expensive online forum and have so far signed up one new client. She’s keen on working with me for the long haul. I’m excited to work with her, because she’s an expert in her field and is highly motivated to have a successful business. Also, and very importantly, she’s willing to invest in her success. And I’m confident that I can help her achieve it.

photo credit: jessica mullen

Bookkeeping and accounting are essential parts of freelancing. Freelancers can choose from dozens of software and web-based services that make bookkeeping and accounting easy and accurate. The Unlimited Freelancer has a good list of what’s available.

In this post, I’m going to share my own journey in organizing and systematizing my bookkeeping and accounting.

A Brief History

When I started freelancing, I tracked my income and expenses on a Google Docs spreadsheet. It worked well enough — until I inadevertently deleted a whole chunk of cells!

After that, I moved onto a $12 account in LessAccounting.com. It was great. I could create invoices, and track income and expenses. I liked being able to email invoices to my clients, with a PayPal button embedded right into the email. However, the reports were limited.

So after a few months, I moved up to LessAccounting’s $20 package. With that, I can create professional-looking proposals and turn them into invoices instantly. More importantly, I can generate the reports I need to prepare my taxes.

Choices, Choices

While I’ve been happy with LessAccounting, I’ve been wanting to use an application I can install in my computer and not have to keep paying a monthly fee.

I’ve spent many hours going over the many solutions available for Macs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find many to replace LessAccounting. Some solutions do invoicing but don’t track expenses. Others do accounting, but won’t let you do invoicing.

• Tinybooks

There is one application I found, which does everything I’m looking for: proposals, income and expense recording, reporting, and invoicing. It’s called Tinybooks.

I downloaded the trial version of Tinybooks, but didn’t really use it. You see, it didn’t have a “pretty” interface that’s common among Mac applications.

However, I just checked the Tinybooks site as I was writing this post and discovered that Tinybooks Pro version 7 was just recently launched. This version is much prettier and has some additional features compared to its predecessor.

An individual license for Tinybooks 7 is only $49 so this is an excellent option for freelancers.

• Quickbooks

After asking several Canada-based freelancers, small business owners and even a professional bookkeeper (Monica Ross of virtualbookkeeping.ca, who is amazing, by the way), I’ve come to the conclusion that Quickbooks is the way to go.

Other applications can probably do pretty much the same thing, but if you’re planning to work with an accountant, bookkeeper or other professional, most of them would be familiar with Quickbooks and will probably prefer it.

I’ve heard many complaints about how hard it is to use Quickbooks. However, after using the UN’s financial management software for years, I’m confident that I can handle Quickbooks.

The good thing about Quickbooks is that it can do everything I need to do right now. At the same time, it can accommodate my home business as it grows.

Conclusion

I thought I had made up my mind to get Quickbooks. But after seeing the update on Tinybooks, I’m having second thoughts again.

I’ll have another consultation with Monica before I make my final decision (even though I’m pretty sure I know what she will say).

Your Thoughts?

How do you handle your bookkeeping and accounting? What software do you use? Do you work with bookkeepers and accountants?

Maybe your comments can help me decide, so do share!

photo credit: word_dancer51

As your freelancing business grows, the inevitable happens: you outgrow clients.

If you’ve been following along with our Savvy Freelancing challenges, you may be going through this right now. Our January 2010 challenge was to increase your rates, so if you’ve increased your fees significantly, you may have outgrown a few clients recently.

It’s scary. You’re losing people who’ve paid you good money in the past. They’re clients who know what you’re capable of. You no longer need to “sell” your services to them.

However, they can’t afford you anymore. So the time has come to let go.

It’s not an easy part of freelancing. But if you are to grow, it’s a necessary evil.

Here are some ways I’ve found that can help make it easier, both for you and your clients.

1. Remind yourself that you’re not being mean.

You’re not doing this because you’re a snob, or because you think highly of yourself. You’re a professional who continues to get better at what you do. You have more skills and experience than you did six months ago, which is why your services are more valuable to your clients now. You give them more value.

2. Give your clients time to adjust.

When you increase your fees, let your existing clients know, but give them an adjustment period, of say one to three months, when they can get your services at a discount.

3. Stay in touch.

Even when an existing client says they can no longer afford you at your new rates, keep them in your database. Let them know of special offers you have. When you’re having a slow period, offer them a new service at a discounted rate. Give copies of any freebies you’ve developed since you last worked together. You never know when your clients will catch up with you and be able to afford you again!

4. Ask for referrals.

Don’t be too embarrassed to ask clients to refer you to other possible clients. One good way to motivate them is by offering a referral commission in the form of a discount or free service.

5. Ask for a testimonial.

It may seem insensitive, but actually it’s a good time to ask for a testimonial after your client says that you’ve gotten out of their reach. At that point, the value you’ve given them so far is fresh in their minds and deep inside, they’re wishing they could afford you still.

Parting ways with clients you’ve outgrown doesn’t have to be painful. And it doesn’t have to mean goodbye forever.

How Do You Do It?

If you’ve experienced outgrowing clients in the past, how did you handle it? What results did you get?

photo credit: E|…|

This post is a continuation of our series on networking. If you’re familiar with Twitter, you know that it’s a micro-blogging service, which allows you to interact with other Twitter users. Today, we’ll be looking at Twitter as a networking tool for freelancers.

In an earlier post, I already discussed the basics of using Twitter for networking. This time I’d like to focus on using Twitter to find prospects and turning them into clients.

Can You Really Find Clients on Twitter?

I tweeted this question myself a number of weeks ago. A handful of freelancers replied to me saying that, yes, they have found clients on Twitter.

In fact, I myself have, too. Or rather, one client has found me on Twitter and continues to hire me on retainer basis. This client alone makes the amount of time I spend on Twitter (up to 1 hour every day) more than worthwhile.

I’ve also had inquiries about my services from people I’ve “met” on Twitter. These inquiries haven’t always resulted in freelancing jobs for me. However, it’s safe to conclude that a freelancer can find leads and clients on Twitter.

Let’s Talk Strategy

Disclosure: I don’t have a Twitter strategy. Certainly, when I joined, I only did it for fun. And the profiles of the people I follow and those who follow me, reflect this. They’re a mish-mash of work at home Moms, parents who practice attachment parenting, breastfeeding lactivists, Internet marketers, coaches, copywriters, writers, graphic designers, artists, Etsy sellers, and spambots.

So how does one go about getting clients through Twitter? Based on my observations of other freelancers on Twitter, as well as how I use it myself, I’ve come to the conclusion that you can do it either actively or passively.

Active Client Getting on Twitter

• Promote your services. I see VAs, writers and other service providers doing this. Several times a day, they’ll tweet something promotional about their services. For example, “A VA can respond to routine emails from your customers. [link]” Or something like “Get a free website installation! Offer good until February 28 only [link]
• Respond to tweets looking for specific services. This is like responding to job board ads. You can open a Tweetdeck column for all tweets that mention, for example, “graphic designer,” and if anybody says they’re looking for one, you respond saying, “I’m a graphic designer and I think I can help you. [link].” Twitter is awesome this way because you can literally send a message to anybody, whether or not they’re following you, with an @ message.

The downside is that these tweets usually get plenty of responses, so you’ll have to differentiate yourself from the competition and pitch your services. Well, as I said, it’s just like bidding on assignments on job boards.

Passive Client Attracting on Twitter

• Tweet about your work tangentially, in a way that subtly puts you in a good light. For example, “My client says the sales page I wrote made her cry.” (Ok, maybe that wasn’t so subtle.)
• Tweet about a blog post about your work, such as: “How I tripled my client’s traffic in 30 days [link]“
• Befriend Twitter users who fit the profile of your Ideal Client. This is way passive and your new Twitter friend may never turn into a client. Nevertheless, I believe strongly in the power of investing in relationships. You never know when that person will become a client, or refer prospects to you, or become a joint venture partner. I see only good things coming out of authentic friendships.

Personally, I prefer the passive client attracting strategies. I don’t like thinking of people, Twitterer or not, as dollar signs. I’d much rather look at Twitter as a forum where I can find people to support and likewise find support myself.

Your Turn

Have you ever found clients through Twitter? Which strategies do you use, active or passive? And please share samples of your client getting/attracting tweets too.

Thank you!

photo credit: respres

]]> http://thesavvyfreelancer.com/marketing/find-clients-on-twitter/feed 5 http://thesavvyfreelancer.com/marketing/february-2010-freelancing-challenge http://thesavvyfreelancer.com/marketing/february-2010-freelancing-challenge#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:56:52 +0000 Alexis http://thesavvyfreelancer.com/?p=806

In the spirit of encouraging you to do whatever it takes to grow your freelancing business even if — no, especially if — it’s hard and uncomfortable, this month’s challenge is for you to network.

If you already network, then the challenge is to find a new venue for networking, or to get more active in your current networks.

If you haven’t been networking, then now is the perfect time to start.

Read Up on Networking

There’s plenty of help right here at The Savvy Freelancer:

Start Networking to Find Clients gives an overview.

Networking Tips for Freelancers is an interview of Ryan Healy on face-to-face networking.

Online Networking contains my tips for online forum networking.

Twitter for Freelancers shows how you can find clients on Twitter.

I have to admit, I already have a headstart. Since I increased my rates in January, I realize that I’d outgrown many of my existing clients so I had to meet new prospects. As a result, I’ve joined a couple of new online forums.

January Challenge Update

Speaking of which, I’d like to share with you some of the results of increasing my rates. In a nutshell:

• I earned about 50% more than my average monthly income in 2009.
• I am working way less.
• I’m working with fewer clients, but getting involved in their businesses more deeply.
• I have more time for my personal projects.
• I am discovering a whole new world of prospects, including what they’re really looking for in terms of copywriting and marketing.
• I’ve found that there are people willing to pay as much as $100 for a video marketing special report I give away, without even requiring an email address.
• I’m still NOT doing as much housework as I should.

Your Turn

Will you take the February challenge? Share your exact plans in the comments below.

And if you took the January 2010 challenge, what were your results? I’d love to read about it.

photo credit: Orin Zebest

Last week, I published an interview I did with Ryan Healy about networking to find clients. Ryan mentioned that, if face-to-face networking is difficult for you, an alternative is networking online.

Online networking is quite different than in-person networking, so I thought I’d share some of my own insights about online networking this week.

As a stay-at-home Mom of 3 children, which includes a 3-year-old, I am pretty much home bound. In-person networking events would require a lot of preparation, reorganization and sacrifice for my family, so that’s out of the question for now. Therefore, I’ve been doing all my networking online.

I have to agree with Ryan, it’s one of the best ways to find clients. This is something I discovered by accident, since I didn’t start networking to find clients. I joined forums because I wanted support and guidance in setting up my home business. However, many of the entrepreneurs I met online became my very first clients.

Without further ado, I’d like to share with you my top tips for online networking:

1. Find the right network.

I’m assuming you have a clear idea of your Ideal Client. If so, then you’ll be able to choose the right online networks to join. One way to do this is to go to Google and type “[industry or other keyword] forum”.

Another way to find the right forums is to identify a few people who fit the profile of your Ideal Client. Maybe you see them on Twitter, or Facebook or a blog. And then find out which groups they belong to. You could ask them point-blank or read around their blogs to find any mention of a mastermind or other group where they’re active.

2. Create an attractive signature line.

Once you’ve joined a forum, fill out your profile and write a nice signature line. This is the equivalent of your business card in face-to-face networking events. Once again, your understanding of your Ideal Client will serve you well here. Craft a signature line that promises your solution to your Ideal Client’s pain. For example, at the Self-Starters Weekly Tips Elite Forum (<=shameless affiliate link), my current signature line is “Helping you attract more buyers without sacrificing your integrity.”

Some key things about your signature line: You should use words that your Ideal Client uses. My signature line for SSWT, for instance, wouldn’t work in a forum where people don’t sell anything or know about integrity online.

If you have a freebie for your Ideal Clients, your signature line could be a call to get that freebie, such as: “Click here to download your free web conversion checklist.”

3. Network with authenticity.

Don’t be an obnoxious client-chaser. Get active in the forum. Introduce yourself, what you do and what your goals are (that are relevant in that particular forum). Read people’s posts and respond anytime you see an opportunity to help out. In my case, I always reply when I see somebody asking for feedback about their sales page or squeeze page.

Get to know the other members. Pretty soon, you’re going to click with certain people in the forum. Connect with them on Twitter and/or Facebook as well. Leave comments on their blog. Invite them to guest post on yours. Be a friend.

4. Make an offer.

Before you do this, double-check the forum’s rules to make sure it’s allowed. Most forums I’ve been to have a space for members to offer their services. If yours does, then by all means post an offer there. Even better: offer a discount to the forum members.

5. Be an asset.

Find ways you can be helpful to the forum members as well as to the one who runs the forum. Offer to do something for free now and then. Hire somebody from the forum, if you need to outsource anything. Give forum members free copies of your paid ebook, or at least a substantial discount.

It may seem like you’re doing nothing but giving, but believe me, it will come back to you a hundredfold — or even more.

The point of online networking is to meet people who are your Ideal Client, and help them get to know you. It’s easier to market your services to those who are already familiar with you and your work. The forum also allows you to give your prospects a taste of your expertise. If they like what they see, then they’ll be likely to hire you.

You’ll also meet people who may never hire you but send referrals and other opportunities your way. This could be to guest blog in a high-traffic site, joint venture partnerships or other ways you can leverage your time and skills.

Online networks also tend to be much cheaper than face-to-face networking events. Getting just one client on a network could more than pay for one year’s membership in that forum. Consider this an investment that will be pay off immensely in terms of growing your business, as well as your professional and personal growth.

What’s your experience?

Have you ever found a client through an online network? What do you think you did correctly to land that project? Do share your insights.

photo credit: theogeo

A few weeks ago, I bought a copy of “How to Get Your First Copywriting Client in 14 Days or Less” by Ryan Healy, to review it for TheSavvyFreelancer.com readers. I decided to interview Ryan first, because I’m sure you’d like to get practical, actionable client-getting advice right away. So the review will have to wait.

In the meantime, here are Ryan’s thoughts and specific advice on networking to find clients. Ryan has had the best success through face-to-face networking events. On the other hand, I have found networking online to be very effective as well. So this is definitely something you should try, if you aren’t doing it yet.

Let’s hear it from Ryan:

How can we attend a seminar to find clients and not feel icky about it (you know, because we have a “hidden agenda”)?

It’s important to understand that attending a seminar to find clients is not a “hidden agenda.”

If you are a copywriter, it’s obvious that you want copywriting clients. Same thing is true if you are a mortgage broker or real estate agent. You want clients. That’s not a secret.

When you attend a seminar, I suggest you do it with the intent of making connections through networking. If somebody becomes a client, great. And if not, that’s okay too.

If you attend the right kind of seminar — one where your target market gathers together — then it will be hard for you to not get at least one new client.

Obviously, you don’t want to force your service on somebody who’s not in the market. But if somebody is actively looking for a copywriter… and he or she finds you… then you have a match.

It’s not “icky” to provide a service that somebody is actively looking for. It’s the way we get business and help other people.

What do you suggest to somebody who can’t afford to attend, say, a $2000 conference or seminar?

Then I would suggest finding an inexpensive local seminar that you could attend. If you live anywhere close to a major city, then there are seminars and workshops happening all the time.

Just recently, Armand Morin advertised a new event in Las Vegas called “Brave the Wave.” This event was free, so the only costs involved were travel, hotel, and food. The total cost to attend would have been somewhere around $500.

That’s not a lot of money to invest when you consider that you could get new projects valued in the thousands of dollars.

If travel is totally out of the question, then there are other methods a person can use to get clients. Networking can be done in person, over the phone, and over the Internet.

What are your top 3 networking tips for freelancers?

Tip #1: Demonstrate your knowledge by being helpful and answering questions. Don’t thump your chest and tell everybody how great you are. (That pretty much guarantees you’re not going to get any new clients.)

Tip #2: Get connected with a network of people who boost your credibility as an ethical service provider. Avoid associating with people who have compromised reputations.

Tip #3: Get connected with a network of people who can refer potential clients your way. As an example, you might network with graphic designers so you can refer clients their way and they can refer clients your way: a symbiotic relationship.

What about people who are shy? How can they network effectively? Do they need to just “fake it till they make it”?

Shy people may actually have an advantage because they’ll be able to shut up and let the other person talk.

Here’s the only question you need to remember to network:

“So, what do you do?”

Then let the other person respond. Be interested in the other person and continue asking questions until the person decides to reciprocate. They will usually ask you the same exact question:

“Well, tell me what you do.”

And right then is your chance to share your copywriting services, how you help online business owners generate more sales online, or whatever the case may be.

You mentioned the need for a hook. Is the hook the same as your USP? What makes for a good hook?

The hook and USP are sometimes the same, but are more often slightly different.

The Unique Selling Proposition (or Unique Selling Position) is often some claim of superiority or uniqueness. For instance, Bill Cates calls himself “The Referral Coach.” This is his basic USP.

But his hook — what gets people to read his sales message — might be totally different. Right now, the headline on his web site is: “Giving Financial Professionals the Tools to Create an Abundance of Referrals.”

This is a reiteration of his USP, but it combines a promise aimed at his target audience: financial professionals.

Then, below this headline, there is an animated box that continues to draw prospects in by addressing their core problems and concerns about getting enough clients.

This is a very big topic, so I’m just summarizing here and using an example to illustrate. But generally a USP is more succinct while a hook can take many different forms and may or may not include the USP.

You recommend writing a sales letter to promote our services. How do you write copy for yourself? (I do but I always hate it!)

How do I do it? Very slowly and with much second-guessing.

Seriously. Writing copy for yourself is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do.

It’s better if you get a lot of client feedback because then you can write your letter based on the positive things they’ve said about you.

If you are new and don’t have clients yet — then you have to think about what you want to stand for. Your sales letter becomes a promise to your clients AND a promise to yourself! Now you have to follow through.

I strongly recommend that you write your sales letter, then spend a week or two away from it. Come back with fresh eyes and see if you still agree with everything you wrote.

With the handful of self-promotional letters I’ve written, I spent weeks sweating over every word.

At some point though you just have to say it’s good enough. Publish it, drive traffic to it, and see what happens. It’s always easier to adapt and improve once you have some results to base your decisions on.

Any other advice for freelancers?

Yes. The prize goes to the freelancer who’s committed to succeeding for the long haul. I’ve personally witnessed dozens (if not scores) of copywriters who came into the market and dropped out just as fast.

You really have to have some staying power so you can see your hard work pay off. Even when clients start coming in fast, it takes time to build your reputation — and build a real business that produces clients consistently.

Ryan Healy is “The Most-Referred Direct Response Copywriter on the Internet” and author of “How to Get Your First Copywriting Client in 14 Days or Less.” You can download his free 39-point copywriting checklist on his business growth blog.

If you’ve been following this blog for some time, you know that I’ve recently increased my rates. In fact, this is The Savvy Freelancer’s January 2010 challenge.

I’ve been increasing my rates every few months for the last year or so. And the results have always been positive, bringing a stream of new, higher-quality clients.

Despite knowing on a logical level that this move is good, the decision to increase my fees created a lot of anxiety in me. You see, I didn’t raise my fees by 10%, 20% or even 30%. I raised them by 84%!

Doing something bold and scary like this is one way to dig up one’s emotional baggages. Immediately, I was besieged by feelings of inadequacy (“I don’t deserve this), fear of poverty (“Nobody will ever hire me again”) and lack of trust in divine providence (“I’m on my own now).

On one hand, this is good. I’ve learned a lot about myself recently, and I’m seeking (and receiving) support from my different networks. On the other hand, it makes for stressful times.

I promised myself many years ago never to make decisions based on fear. So I didn’t allow all the negative feelings I’ve dug up to stop myself. In fact, I used them to challenge myself even more, if only to see if my fears are warranted.

And it’s paid off. Check this out:

• I pitched a guest post in a very successful, very busy blog. Scared the heck out of me, but guess what – my guest post is going to be published soon! I don’t want to jinx it by announcing it already, but I’ll definitely let you know when.
• In the last quotation I submitted, I would have been perfectly happy to do the task at my old rate (it’s for a favorite client), but instead I used my new rates as a basis. A bit of haggling ensued, but in the end, we still agreed on a fee that’s 20% higher than what I would have “settled” for.
• I’ve decided to embrace an even narrower niche in copywriting and online marketing (you can read all about it at my copywriting blog). Just when I did, I discovered individuals and networks of people who share my marketing/business principles and beliefs.

Am I still scared? You bet.

But I’m also excited. I’m finding that the more I value myself, the more others value me.

More good things are to come.

What are your thoughts? Do share in the comments below.

photo credit: Swamibu