Generating Work.... making more money.

Let's face it, to be a successful freelancer, you have to make money. That's one of the things that makes a freelancer successful.

I like to think of being "successful" as a life style... sometimes (if I'm lucky) working 7 days a week. But always being around and available when my kids are/were home. Being able to take a day off or a vacation without asking the "boss".

But lets face it you have to generate income.

One of the best ways to generate income is a win-win for your client and you.

I make it a point to try to see what my clients are doing. Do they have a web site? Go to it. Do they have newsletters... check them out.

Sometimes the media that I see is terrific and that's great. But sometimes (not always) I see something that is a disaster. You know what I'm taking about, "It's not an important piece, my nephew did it in Word".

When I point out how it can be improved: the message, the design, sometimes my clients agree with me and I get a "found" assignment.

Bottom line:

It doesn't hurt to talk about it... but don't recommend something just for the sake of getting another assignment. You have to know that you will be helping them... and when you do, it pays off on two ends...

1- you are helping your client make a sale.
2- you just made a sale.

Win-Win.