How I Changed my Mindset to get Clients
I used to fear writing because I thought it was hard to get clients.
It’s no secret that creatives struggle to get work and get paid well. I know first-hand because, for a long time, I was the creative without any clients struggling to find my place in the world.
But what about if you’re not just struggling with getting work but also struggling to write? What if your writer’s block is so bad that it keeps you from ever writing anything at all? I’ll tell you how I changed my mindset and got out of my own way to find work as a freelance writer.
One day I realized that the only thing keeping me from getting clients is my fear. So now, every time I feel a bit nervous about writing something new, I think back to how awesome it felt when someone paid me for my work. Believe in yourself; persistently follow-up with publications you are interested in or pitch any ideas which come up after much thought — make sure they know your voice very well (after reading this article, of course!).
That’s all it sometimes takes — just remembering that feeling and knowing this might be the last time they’ll need help with their content marketing strategy or writing needs.
Knowing that you need to hustle today to get work tomorrow is the fierce mindset I had to change to get clients successfully.
Showing your value is a mindset I had to shift into as well. Being someone that also dives into other areas of expertise with my various other talents (check out my art here), I’ve also come to realize that showing your value before you land a client is important. This comes in the form of (at least for my business) creating or improving on things they need/have already and sending it to them with a pitch.
This makes you memorable and stands out from the crowd. Writers are no different, though we’re not looking to give out free samples here. Writing something based on the publication's needs and teasing with the first paragraph or two will let them know how you write and show your creativity in being versatile and up to date on trending topics.
If you’re still struggling with your own fears or doubts about taking on new projects or working on your blog posts more often, you can also shift your mindset by looking at each project or writing goal as something you need to see as a job and not as a hobby.
Sit down every day and write, even if it’s just for yourself.
The best part is that once you get over these hurdles and start seeing written work as an opportunity rather than a challenge or chore-you’ll find yourself much more excited about putting something out there. Remembering why we started writing in the first place (to share our ideas with others) will give us a fresh perspective on what we do each day and make any tough times seem less daunting than before.
I’ve seen many blog posts about getting writing clients, but they all focus on many different things. Sure, you need to have splendid work samples and smart marketing tactics, but that’s not enough these days. I’ve found that you need to take your mindset to new levels to really “get” clients.
It doesn’t matter what anyone else says or does if you’re unwilling to do the work! So here are some tips for changing your mindset so you can receive more writing clients:
- Make sure your expectations are realistic; forcing yourself to write 10k words each day when you have the energy for 2k can cause burnout.
- Stop looking at other writers as competition; they’re fellow travelers on this journey and worth learning from.
- Set deadlines for yourself even if you enjoy seeing them whoosh by.
- Please don’t wait until someone contacts you first; it takes 7 touch points on average to make a sale/successful pitch.
These changes should help make it a little easier for shifting into that mindset and gaining clients. Remember this key phrase as well:
Comparison is the death of creativity — Sarra Cannon
If you compare yourself all the time, you’ll fail to see your own strengths and struggle with who you are as a creative instead of focusing on how you can be unique.
I used to be scared of writing because I thought it was hard, but then one day, I realized that the only thing keeping me from getting clients is my fear. So now, every time I feel a bit nervous about writing something new, all it takes is remembering that feeling of excitement over each article that gets published.
This might be the last time they’ll need an article. But you, with a shifted mindset, will bring everything to the table for each client, and eventually, you will find confidence in both yourself and putting yourself out there.
Follow me here and check out my website! Let me know with comments what you think; I would love to hear from you!
If you’re interested in my articles, please subscribe to my newsletter and follow me both in email and here!
