Businesses will outsource work to you if you can prove that:
- You can produce exceptional work
- You meet deadlines
- You can achieve what the client wants
- You have existing skills and knowledge matching the project
Price may also play into the hiring process, depending on the client’s needs.
The need to outsource work is growing
The need to outsource work to freelancers has been rising over the last five years, and more laid-off or part-time workers are freelancing on the side. Companies outsource anything and everything, from customer service, telecommunications, transcription services, graphic design, and especially writing and copywriting. Any competent freelance writer can find freelance work and have the opportunity to convince businesses to hire them for upcoming projects.
What you need to work as a freelancer
Besides having the skills and responsibility, you must know how to keep clients happy. Missing deadlines, doing lackluster work, ignoring clients’ emails, or failing to achieve the goals set forth by clients can abruptly end your relationship and tarnish your reputation. The novice freelancer, motivated to succeed, can easily make clients happy, and so can you.
Think of yourself as a writer, marketer, and a vendor in an international marketplace. Self-employed, you are responsible for marketing your skills to small and large businesses and convincing them to outsource work to you, or replying to their job ads with professionalism.
A proven way to convince a business client to outsource work to you is to focus on improving profit and productivity. Show the owner how your writing services can increase his or her company’s profits and improve productivity by hiring you for a series of projects. Customer service is as important; that requires communicating promptly, answering all questions thoroughly, and delivering exceptional work on time.
10 insightful tips to increase the chances of businesses outsourcing work to you
1. Show that you understand the business.
Any client would appreciate talking to a writer who appears to know his or her business and the industry in which it serves. Familiarize yourself with the client’s business and the industry. You may also want to research recent jobs that the business might have posted to determine the type and scope of work.
Learning about the client’s business and its purpose in the industry will help you become fluent in your niche and the content that you write. For instance, you can’t write on real estate if you don’t know the first thing about houses, properties, mortgage loans, home inspections, short sales, and related stuff.
2. Embrace your clients’ objectives.
Listen carefully to what your client wants from you. Sometimes it’s more than writing just great content. Sometimes clients want you to convey their brand and values through what you write. Miscommunication of ideas and goals might cause problems with the finished copy. If you embrace your client’s objectives, you can write copy aimed at what the client wants, not what you think your client wants.
3. Be budget-sensitive.
Outsourced work always involves the issue of cost. Businesses that outsource work have budgets for each project. To stay competitive, find out how much your client is willing to invest per article or per project. As part of your bidding process, also educate clients how hiring you is cost-effective and productive. You may not necessarily be the cheapest, but you are probably the most competent!
4. Clarify and follow the specs.
To be a competent freelance writer, it’s crucial that you’re quick to pick up on the specs of the project. When the client provides instructions, review them thoroughly and make sure you understand everything. If you don’t at first, then ask. Always clarify ambiguous instructions to avoid revisions, rewrites, or delays.
5. Prove your expertise.
Prove to clients that you can undertake the work and deliver what they would expect from a professional freelancer. Clients may be apprehensive about assigning important work to a complete stranger (yes, you!). So, how do you convince them? The best way to brand yourself as a pro is to showcase your qualifications and credentials. Give clients a solid profile of your quality. Provide them with samples, references, and testimonials from other happy clients.
6. Eliminate the risk factor.
Even with cost as a concern, risk is an even bigger factor. Just as freelancers might hesitate in replying to job ads that sound too transparent, clients also hesitate in outsourcing work when they feel unfamiliar with the work freelancers do. Clients know about potential risks, being scammed or deceived. Transacting money online can cause business clients to worry over the possibility of being scammed or deceived from a freelancer with fake credentials and false pretenses.
Do your best to reassure clients who feel hesitant of doing business online. With a solid track record and a clean writing history, you can prove your reliability and trustworthiness.
7. Eliminate the hassles.
Create a hassle-free way of doing business with you. Once you have a client who is willing to “gamble” on you, you’ll want to make a positive first and lasting impression. Be that freelancer who is attentive to their needs, who answers their questions promptly, and delivers an exception end-result.
Doing business with you should feel like a luxury. When clients outsource work to you, they should see the luxury of being able to free up their time to do other important things because they feel they can trust you to complete the project under minimal supervision.
8. Observe the legalities.
When clients outsource work to you, it’s usually covered by the confidentiality clause. Some clients may ask you to sign a non-disclosure agreement or NDA. When this is the case, keep the project private and avoid using samples from the project for your portfolio unless it’s okay with the client.
9. Make work a priority!
An outsourced project means you are the project leader, even if it is just yourself whom you are leading. Once a client delegates work to you, commit yourself to high-standards, follow all instructions, and meet the deadline. First-time clients will scrutinize the way you work, the finished work you produce, and how you handle problems, challenges, and critiques.
10. Be a business partner.
Lastly, help correct the common misconception that outsourcing work can be such a headache! Make the experience a positive one. Convince clients that you are more than just a writer, but also an active participant in growing their businesses and helping them to succeed. You are their “silent partner” (so to speak) in getting “things” done. Show clients how outsourcing repeated work to you can benefit their businesses in the short and long-term.
