Want to go freelance?
Scared of selling?
I've sold over Β£500,000 of projects in the last 4 years.
Here's everything I've learned about getting over sales fright.
A thread.
Scared of selling?
I've sold over Β£500,000 of projects in the last 4 years.
Here's everything I've learned about getting over sales fright.
A thread.
The bad news:
You have to sell as a freelancer.
The good news:
1. It gets easier the more you do it
2. You can make sales without being "salesy"
3. If you learn to sell, you'll be unstoppable
You have to sell as a freelancer.
The good news:
1. It gets easier the more you do it
2. You can make sales without being "salesy"
3. If you learn to sell, you'll be unstoppable
Selling can be meaningful and fun!
It doesn't have to be scary.
Framing is everything.
It doesn't have to be scary.
Framing is everything.
Building confidence in business starts by building confidence in life:
- Hone your skills
- Work on your mindset
- Keep physically active
Invest in yourself.
- Hone your skills
- Work on your mindset
- Keep physically active
Invest in yourself.
Care less about what you think people are thinking about you.
When you have a specific skill you have two choices:
1. Get a job
2. Go it alone
The former protects you from your fear of selling.
The latter teaches you a skill that will benefit you for life.
1. Get a job
2. Go it alone
The former protects you from your fear of selling.
The latter teaches you a skill that will benefit you for life.
The only way to get better at selling is to sell something:
- A service
- A product
Feel the fear and do it anyway:
- Stop avoiding phone calls
- Start asking for what you really want
- Reach out to people and help them out
- A service
- A product
Feel the fear and do it anyway:
- Stop avoiding phone calls
- Start asking for what you really want
- Reach out to people and help them out
Every phone call you take, video call you host and presentation you give makes selling easier.
Instead of running away from these scenarios, run into them.
You'll get better each time.
Instead of running away from these scenarios, run into them.
You'll get better each time.
Before negotiating, think:
- What do I really want?
- What does the customer really want?
Roleplay how things might go to reduce your nerves.
- What do I really want?
- What does the customer really want?
Roleplay how things might go to reduce your nerves.
You can set the tone of negotiation before entering it by having a brand with perceived value.
For freelancers this means:
- A website
- Confident comms.
- Presence on social media
- Contribution to your industry's community
- Proof of work (portfolio, articles, testimonials)
For freelancers this means:
- A website
- Confident comms.
- Presence on social media
- Contribution to your industry's community
- Proof of work (portfolio, articles, testimonials)
When you're part-way aligned in advance, selling is often a byproduct.
5 ways to reduce sales effort:
1. Work for agencies with their own clients
2. Partner with other freelancers who sell for you
3. Ask for referrals from your favourite customers
4. Do great work for growing companies
5. Check in with old clients regularly
1. Work for agencies with their own clients
2. Partner with other freelancers who sell for you
3. Ask for referrals from your favourite customers
4. Do great work for growing companies
5. Check in with old clients regularly
You can sell more than you think without meeting in person.
Remote negotiation is a great place to start building confidence.
Remote negotiation is a great place to start building confidence.
Favour inbound marketing;
The best way to sell is to not sell.
It's the least nerve-wracking way too!
The best way to sell is to not sell.
It's the least nerve-wracking way too!
How to sell without selling:
- Tell people that you like what they do
- Show people what you can do for them in public
- Tell people that you like what they do
- Show people what you can do for them in public
It's harder to convert a prospect who you reach out to than a prospect who reaches out to you.
Before you tell someone what you can do for them, show them.
Create content that presents you as an expert.
Let people make up their own minds.
And be waiting when they do.
Let people make up their own minds.
And be waiting when they do.
A consistent flow of leads will put you at ease.
Place importance on:
- Doing a good job
- Your personal website
- Building meaningful connections
Place importance on:
- Doing a good job
- Your personal website
- Building meaningful connections
Make a habit of talking to people in your sphere of interest:
- Those who do work you appreciate
- Those you can help with your skills
- Those you can teach through your experience
It's good for the soul and it's good for business.
Give and you'll get.
- Those who do work you appreciate
- Those you can help with your skills
- Those you can teach through your experience
It's good for the soul and it's good for business.
Give and you'll get.
5 ways to get what you really want:
- Ask for it
- Ask for it
- Ask for it
- Ask for it
- Ask for it
- Ask for it
- Ask for it
- Ask for it
- Ask for it
- Ask for it
If you don't ask, you don't get.
Don't sell something you wouldn't buy in your prospect's shoes.
Honesty always.
Honesty always.
Stop worrying about how you'll be perceived when selling.
The fact that you care shows that you're not "salesly".
Put yourself and your offer out there regularly.
With confidence and without hesitation.
The fact that you care shows that you're not "salesly".
Put yourself and your offer out there regularly.
With confidence and without hesitation.
When you have a good product or service telling people about it is doing them a favour.
How to make good offers:
1. Believe in it
2. Make the investment clear
3. Make the return worth obviously more
1. Believe in it
2. Make the investment clear
3. Make the return worth obviously more
Reduce sales fear by having prospects come to you well informed:
- Share what you know regularly
- Present your offer clearly
- Leverage social proof
Do most of the work in advance.
- Share what you know regularly
- Present your offer clearly
- Leverage social proof
Do most of the work in advance.
The more comfort you have with silence the less negotiation scares you.
Ask clear questions and let your prospect answer them.
Let them tell you what they want.
Then tell them how you'll get them there.
Let them tell you what they want.
Then tell them how you'll get them there.
5 useful questions in negotiation:
1. "How did you find me?"
2. "Why do you want to work with me in particular?"
3. "What does an ideal partnership look like to you?"
4. "Why do you want to start this project now?"
5. "What do you want this project will achieve?"
1. "How did you find me?"
2. "Why do you want to work with me in particular?"
3. "What does an ideal partnership look like to you?"
4. "Why do you want to start this project now?"
5. "What do you want this project will achieve?"
We're all selling ourselves.
Once you understand that your fear of rejection will subside.
Life is commerce.
Once you understand that your fear of rejection will subside.
Life is commerce.
"I can't go freelance because I can't sell!"
You probably have more sales experience than you think:
- Ever been on a date?
- Ever made a friend?
- Ever landed a job?
Then you have sales experience.
You probably have more sales experience than you think:
- Ever been on a date?
- Ever made a friend?
- Ever landed a job?
Then you have sales experience.
Additional revenue streams are a useful safety strategy.
Diversification reduces risk.
Optionality reduces fear.
Diversification reduces risk.
Optionality reduces fear.
2 proven ways to make selling less scary:
1. Cash in the bank
2. Other projects on the table
1. Cash in the bank
2. Other projects on the table
Save more than you spend.
Keeping marketing always.
Selling is easier when you don't need the work.
Keeping marketing always.
Selling is easier when you don't need the work.
Lastly, be confident in your ability to deliver.
And remember:
1. Some sales anxiety is normal
2. The prospect wants to work with you for a reason
3. There are plenty more fish in the sea
4. Selling becomes fun eventually
5. Everyone is winging it
And remember:
1. Some sales anxiety is normal
2. The prospect wants to work with you for a reason
3. There are plenty more fish in the sea
4. Selling becomes fun eventually
5. Everyone is winging it
If you liked this thread:
1. Follow me @tom_hirst (I post them all the time)
2. RT the first tweet below (it really helps me out!)
Thanks for reading!
1. Follow me @tom_hirst (I post them all the time)
2. RT the first tweet below (it really helps me out!)
Thanks for reading!
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