In today’s Advanced Freelancing podcast, my guest Austin Church shares how he pivoted into providing strategy as a standalone offer. Learn how Austin increased his freelance revenue while working less by offering strategy versus implementation.
Austin shares why gaps and disappointment with freelancers are often due to weak or incomplete strategies and how to communicate your strategy session deliverables to your clients.
You’ll discover what you can offer as a strategist and overcome the mindset blocks of imposter syndrome. Learn how to pivot your business, get the experience you need to confidently sell your services, and how to define your role as a strategist. We share what your clients expect from you and how to listen during a strategy session to give your clients the clarity they need to move forward.
Strategy is something that you are likely doing anyway, and I challenge you to explore strategy as a freelance service to uplevel your business.
Here are some things we covered in this episode:
- Considerations about the end result that you are selling
- Tap into how your clients see you as a freelance expert
- How Austin pivoted into strategy as a freelance service
- The change that Austin made in his business to adapt to selling strategy
- How to set expectations to avoid pushback on implementation
- The benefit of having a network of freelancers to provide the implementation
- Why gaps and disappointment with freelancers are often due to weak or incomplete strategy
- The deliverables and packages that Austin offers as a freelance strategist
- How to define strategy and educate your clients on the deliverable that you provide
- Austin defines his strategy as “The group of decisions that you plan to make to get from where you are to where you want to be”
- How Austin wraps up strategy into an actionable plan for clarity
- Austin shares the one reason that clients need a freelance strategist
- Why you need to own that you are the one with the expertise
- The importance of giving your clients permission on what to focus on and what to let go of
- Making a mindset shift to calling yourself a strategist
- Building the experience that you need to sell strategy
- What to charge for your services
- Defining your job as a strategist
- The type of questions to ask clients to get results for their action plan
- How to become a confident strategist and get over imposter syndrome
- What your clients expect from you
- What to listen for during the strategy call
- Why strategy is something that you are liking doing anyway
Austin L. Church is a writer, brand consultant, and online entrepreneur. After finishing his M.A. in Literature in 2008 and getting laid off from a marketing agency in 2009, Austin started freelancing. He got into iOS and Android apps and eventually sold his portfolio of 30+ apps. In 2013 he co-founded a tech startup called Closeup.fm (touring, ticketing, and communication software for performing artists). In 2018 he co-founded a branding and marketing studio called Balernum. When Austin isn’t helping online creators and entrepreneurs build real brands and make a positive impact, he teaches freelance creatives how to have a record year doing their most joyful, profitable work. Austin, his wife Megan, and their three children live in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can learn more at FreelanceCake.com
After listening to this episode, share your action steps and take-aways with our group:
Mastering Your Freelance Life With Laura
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Laura Briggs is empowering the freelance generation. Through her public speaking, coaching, and writing, she helps freelancers build the business of their dreams without sacrificing all their time, family, or sanity. Laura burned out as an inner-city middle school teacher before becoming an accidental freelancer with a Google search for “how to become a freelance writer.” Since then, she’s become a contributor to Entrepreneur, Business Insider, and Writer’s Weekly. She worked for more than 300 clients around the world including Microsoft, Truecar, and the Mobile Marketing Association. She’s delivered two TEDx talks on the power of the freelance economy for enabling freedom and flexibility and how it’s being used to address the technical skills gap in the U.S. Laura is the host of the Advanced Freelancing podcast, a sought-after public speaker on the gig and digital freelance economy, and a freelance coach focused on aspiring six-figure freelancers. Laura’s books, courses, and coaching have reached over 10,000 people.
As a military spouse, Laura is passionate about serving her community and founded Operation Freelance, a nonprofit organization that teaches veterans and military spouses how to become freelancers and start their own business.https://oembed.libsyn.com/embed?item_id=19656152