The Power of Presence - Part II

The Power of Presence Part II
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last issue I suggested that the power of presence via the Internet (email - web sites - blogs) has really changed the face of marketing our services. They all allow us to very easily and fairly passively market our services and information related products.
Certainly there is no excuse not to have customized signature lines in your emails. And if nothing else your blogs can serve as an online repository to some of your writing samples. That way you just direct potential clients to your work with a simple hotlink. As for your signature lines, you might want to consider having more than one, depending on the point and purpose of a particular message to a particular client.

All that said, that is a relatively passive way to market your services. If I were starting my business all over again, I would get my butt out the door and meet people- for no other purpose than to start the process of developing dialogues.

As a starting point I would join two groups. A writing or communications association - such as IABC or STC to name two that have active chapters the world over. If you are keen on freelance journalism - then there are specific writing groups devoted to magazine, science and magazine writing to identify three more. And there are national editing associations also on both sides of the border. You can do the search.

Go to a few meetings to get a feel if there is a comfortable fit for you and your interests.

Then volunteer for any job they've got going. It's the fastest way I know to get to know your writing/communications community, earn brownie points, and meet potential clients. The delicious part of volunteering is that you set in motion a set of events the outcome of which you can never predict. Just do it. It cannot fail to pay off.

But there is a second group I would join. Let's say you are really interested in matters of science and technology. Let's be even more specific - you have a real interest in biotechnology. Dollars to donuts there is a biotech association somewhere near you. I would start with the university closest to you - the chances are pretty good you will track down such a group - made up of all the biotech firms trying to come up with the next cure for aging diseases to meet the demands of the baby boom demographic.

Go to one of their meetings and you will find yourself in a room full of people talking about their passions - their companies and what new discoveries they are working on.

And here's the thing. You will likely be the only writer in the room. Even if you are not a scientist, I bet you could make the case that you could translate what they do into plain English.

Also, see if they have an association newsletter. If they do - ask them if they want help editing. If they don't - suggest they start one - and you would be exactly the person to do the job. They would probably kiss your feet.

Now I am not in favour - at all - of selling yourselves cheap and giving your work away. But I am a big fan of volunteering - in an area that really interests you - as a part of you establishing your presence.

One more thing, don't go into volunteering with the direct expectation that there will be a quid pro quo payoff for you. There will be - if you go into it with enthusiasm and pure of heart - but not so much if your only motive is a financial payoff.

It's sort of like that butterfly thing and happiness. You know the story.

The more you chase after it with an expectation that your are going to catch "it", it always eludes your grasp. Be a little still, and before you know it the butterfly just lands on your shoulder.

Well, ok the analogy doesn't quite work. The point is with volunteering, if you do it with only an end goal in mind - that goal will likely exceed your grasp. But get yourself involved in meeting their needs and you would be amazed at the things that fall right into your lap. Trust me on this. The power of presence - it can't be beaten.



They Need Us More Than We Need Them
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know I have talked about this before. And I know you have read this from other marketing people. I am talking about the mantra that says "in the service sector, people do business with people they like and trust."
Let me give you an example.

A few months ago I got a call from a senior executive who wanted some help with a convocation speech he was to give. It was strictly a word of mouth referral.

Now of course when he called me I wanted his business.

But you know what? He wanted me to be the right person even more. Why? Because if I wasn't, he would have to go through the process all over again and hunt for someone else.

A secret truth here. It is much easier for writers to find good clients than it is for clients to find good freelance writers. And so in a reversal of what freelancers usually think, clients need us more than we need them.

So, did the convocation guy ask to see a whole bunch of work samples? Nope. Wasn't interested. In fact I can tell you, that unless I am bidding on a competitive government job, clients have never asked to see a sample of my work.

I am guessing I had convocation guy landed within the first two minutes because even on the phone there was something he could tell about me that he knew we could work together.

He liked me because he felt I was listening to what he needed rather than me selling him on my virtues.

And that other word you always hear me use - passion. He felt I would be passionate about his passion of the moment - giving the best possible convocation speech he could. And I was.

Sorry to be so repetitious on this matter - but if you bring passion to the table and you perfect the art of listening - guess what - you are likeable. And the deal is done.

The Power of Presence

I don't do any marketing anymore. I market all the time. Huh? A little contradictory.

The second statement reveals a basic truth about the freelance life. You are marketing all the time whether you intend to or not. If you choose to answer the phone and talk to a potential client you are marketing. If you let the answering machine pick it up, you are still marketing your message - such as you can in a short annoying machine message. And if unplug your phone entirely, you are still marketing, albeit in a very negative way by your silence.

When I say I don't do any marketing anymore, I mean in the traditional sense. I don't make cold calls (via the phone or email). I don't go to networking events. I don't belong to any associations. Let me very quickly emphasize that if you are starting out in your writing career these techniques remain a very important part of your marketing arsenal. VERY IMPORTANT. Next issue I will review some of those key techniques for getting a foothold in the freelance writing market.

But once you have established a substantial presence in the marketplace you reach a relatively joyful place where clients chase you rather than you chase them. And when they are chasing you, you have incredible leverage when it comes to negotiating price.

So how do you gain presence?

Certainly by the above noted traditional methods. They are tried and true.

But now, the power of the Internet has changed everything. You can have a Blog up and running in five minutes flat and at no financial cost. You can have a web site up almost as quickly and at reasonable cost. You can write your own newsletter and have it automatically distributed by an internet- based distribution company for incredibly inexpensive rates.

You can cross-affiliate with other newsletters. Or you simply contribute to someone else's newsletter.

Now I can hear your skepticism already? In this day and age, where there are more web pages than there are people in the world - how can you joining the electronic fray make any difference anymore?

What can I tell you? I am now getting clients and referrals directly and indirectly through establishing an electronic presence. They are coming to me. With two newsletters and two Blogs of my own, plus making contributions to two other newsletters - this does take a commitment of time and writing. But let's just say that the effort has more than paid for itself.

More on this next issue.

In Praise of Procrastination

Ask any writer how their writing is going and they will usually mumble something non-committal. Most of us sweat blood when it comes getting words from keyboard to monitor, and many love "having written" - but the actual writing part "not so much." For my part I love the re-writes, but hate getting that first draft - the puke draft - up on the computer screen. Until I get to that "aha, I think I've got it", I am in a very bad place. I pace the floor, do some administrative work, go online to see how meagerly my meager stocks are doing- anything to avoid that blasted keyboard.

Like all writers, I am a procrastinator.

The fact is most of us can't physically write for eight hours a day. Our brain cells won't stand for it. Mores the pity. I find I get my best work done if I am working on three or four speeches at the same time. Well not exactly the same time, but having various projects in various stages of completion can help prevent getting hopelessly bogged down on a single project. It's hard to get writer's block when you have multiple projects on the go.

A writing colleague of mine has quite a tranquil view of the matter. She believes that most of the writing goes on during all that stuff you do before you actually put pen to paper so to speak. She says "give yourself permission to procrastinate." So luxuriate in your down time, rejoice in your relaxation knowing that you are in fact "pre-writing". Now if you can just figure out a way to your pre-writing hours billable hours. Or maybe you do?

At what stage does the billing clock turn on for you? And when do you turn it off?