Sticking to the script It’s time for you to do some work. Think of a client you want to sell to (or you want to work for). Run through what might motivate them and how you might stress that what you provide or the way you provide it will meet their need. Write...
The Hierarchy of Needs Your potential buyer is an individual human being. Buyers bring with them their own motivations but they also have motivations inspired by their business. The business, as a corporate entity, will have its needs and these are not necessarily...
What motivates your client? In order to sell you have to think the way your client is thinking. When customers buy a product or a service they are buying what the product or service will do for them - not what it is. When you buy a car you could well be buying a...
Why we must learn to sell Selling – it’s almost a dirty word to us creative types. We tend to be artistic, have flair, create masterpieces. Our work should sell and our talents should be recognised just because. We’re good. We know we’re good. The world just needs to...
Using the law In theory, the law is on your side. In reality, the law sees you and the giant corporation you are freelancing for as two equal bodies. It does not recognise that the bigger organisation has more power and influence, can hire expensive lawyers and can...
What to do when you don’t get paid on time It happens to all of us. In fact, I bet we’ve all forgotten to pay someone for something, sometime, and needed a reminder. So always start out on the basis that it is an oversight – a mistake. Be firm but be polite and...
Fitting in with other people's system Company payment systems are a minefield. Each will have its own foibles and you need to get your head round each and every one of them to get paid promptly. People can be important. Within each organisation there is someone with...
Clarity is key The scramble to snatch up scraps of work can sometimes cloud the details of exactly how much a job is worth and when we are going to get paid. This is almost always a mistake. Negotiate and agree payment terms at the point of sale, not afterwards....
