Athena Santora writes copy that (actually) sells for startups and small shops. She is the founder of Bevy, a courageous digital agency that builds websites for clients in the US, EU and Australia. Over the course of the last year, the company has grown to span five countries and to craft digital marketing assets of all kinds.
Born in the States, Athena now splits time between her hometown of New York City and her new town of Barcelona because she can’t bear to give up residency in either one. An Ivy League graduate and lifetime learner, she is driven by the idea that intentional design and savvy sales copy can meaningfully connect people, even through a screen.
On this episode of the podcast, Athena shares her approach to identifying ideal clients and pricing based on the value she provides. Learn to trust your intuition and get paid what you’re worth!
Key Takeaways
The pros and cons of platforms like Upwork
- Competing in a world economy means you may have to charge less to land projects
- Unless you learn a new way to present your services, you may not make enough to keep the lights on
- Bidding teaches you what clients are looking for and what they need to hear to buy in
- Writing proposals helps you understand what works and what doesn’t when it comes to pitching clients
- Searching open jobs allows freelancers to do market research (demand, pricing, etc.)
The value-based pricing model
- Explore what the client is trying to accomplish
- Determine what reaching that goal will mean for their bottom line
- Charge accordingly
The advantages of a value-based pricing model
- The freelancer has a better chance of charging appropriately
- It builds a relationship with the client rather than focusing on an endpoint to the project
The common pricing mistakes freelancers make
- Getting stuck at a rate based on what other freelancers are charging
- Failing to realize their own value
Athena’s principles of negotiating price
- Start from an uncomfortable place
- Hold strong unless you are working to land an ideal client
- Consider the value the client can offer you (exposure, contract length, etc.)
- Offer incentives to guarantee additional work
Characteristics of an ideal client
- Like any relationship, the ideal client brings out the best in you and allows you to do your best work
- Ideal clients don’t take more than they give back
Athena’s best advice for new freelancers
- If you can be proud of the work you’ve done because you trusted yourself, that will guide you in the right direction
Resources
Laura’s Ideal Client Blog Post & Workbook
Connect with Athena Santora
Athena writes copy that actually sells for startups and small shops. She initially founded Bevy – a courageous digital agency that services clients in the US, the EU, and Australia – to build websites. Over the course of just the last year, the Bevy Creatives has grown to span 5 countries and craft marketing digital assets of all kinds. Born in the States, she now splits time between her hometown in NYC and her new town in Barcelona because she can’t bear to give up residency in either one. An Ivy league graduate and lifetime learner, she’s driven by the idea that intentional design and savvy sales copy can connect really meaningful with people, even through a screen.
She prefers Mac to PC, gin to whiskey, and says ‘yes’ way more than she says ‘no.’