Here are the Five Secrets of Successful Sales I Learned from the Festival

Show, don’t tell – I learned that if you want to sell something, do it by showing not just telling. The booth next to me was bustling because the owners demonstrated how their product would make potential customers lives easier. They were doing much better than the booth selling a product by explaining why it was good and better than I was giving away my product for free.

Be yourself – I was in awe when I saw the woman next to me work her booth. While I expected people to run the other way when she started her sales pitch to them, I saw smiles instead. Her personality was effervescent and people flocked to her rather than away from her. Her secret was her personality. She was charming, funny and kind. You couldn’t help but want to talk with her. Frankly, I was impressed.

Keep trying - Perhaps the hardest booth, at least in my eyes, was the one that asked for organ donations. I cringed when I looked across at the girls doing it. Even if I didn’t have a tent over my head to block out the sun, I was relieved I didn’t have to do that. Who would stop to fill out an application to be a donor at a festival, in the hot sun, when there were tons of other activities (more fun ones) to do? But again I was amazed when I saw several people not only take their brochure, but stopped and listened and filled out a form. Their secret? They didn’t wait for potential organ donors to say, “Yes, I’ll take that brochure.” They simply passed it out to them. And if they stood long enough to read it, they began their sales pitch. And it seemed to work.

Do your research – Expect questions such as, “How much do you charge?” and be ready with an answer. As the woman of the booth, I wanted to be prepared to represent the publication I was working for. This meant creating possible Q&A’s beforehand.

Offer additional information - My husband joined me for a part of the day and I have to say that I was impressed with his skills. He went above and beyond the call of the duty. Although my main task was distributing free newspapers, he made sure to provide additional information about the paper to everyone he met. As a result, he obtained a potential advertisement from a business and a new contact for the paper.

Do you have any “secrets” that helped you make a successful sale as a freelancer? If so, would love it if you shared that secret here!

Many freelance writers love the flexibility of their job and the creativity with dreaming up their own life.

But the downside?

No more 15 minute coffee breaks with your pal in the next cubicle. Ever watch The Office and actually feel pangs of jealousy?

The good news is that your normal.

All writers feel this way. Even super successful author Robert Bly says in Getting Started as a Freelance Writer, “You may think you’re losing your social skills.” And the Savvy-Writer similarly blogged about, “How to Combat Freelance Writer’s Depression.”

The bad news is that you’re going to have do something about it yourself.

Depressed yet?

Don’t be! There are things you can do to take some of the lonely out of this lonely profession.

Here are a few to get you started:

1. Reach out and touch someone. Connect with old friends you haven’t since you started working as a freelance writer. Remember when you’d had those long hourly breaks for lunch that you’d use to gossip with a co-worker? Well why not make a date with a friend by taking an hour of your freelance schedule during lunchtime to catch up? If you feel like you have too much work or feel guilty doing so, schedule it in as a treat for an hour once a week or even make a date for tea or a walk after your work day is over.
2. Join a group/club. There are sites like Meetup.com that are dedicated to helping people make new friends. There are book, exercise, new mommies, hiking, biking and every other subject under the sun. If you’re interested and passionate about something in particular, I dare you to look. You may find the group you’re looking for. The best thing about joining a club besides having the potential to make new friends is the opportunity you have for networking with other like-minded peeps and having a topic to write for that next article, book or blog post.
3. Meet digitally. I’ve made a few writerly friends on the web who live in other states. While it would have been nice to have coffee with them in person, I didn’t let the distance come between us and I’m glad I didn’t. There are a whole host of people across the country and even in the world that you can connect with. Don’t let distance stop you from interacting with potential writing friends that can offer you a world of support, advice and guidance on your journey.
4. If all else fails, social network. While Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., are not as good as face-to-face interaction, it can be the boost you need in a challenging work at home day. Sometimes we just need someone to vent to, celebrate with or cheer us up. And the fastest and easiest way to do that is through social networking. In fact, while I was scrambling to finish a few projects today, a friend I hadn’t spoken to in ages saw me on Facebook and chatted with me online. It was just for 1o minutes, but it was the break I needed to keep going.

How about you? Any secrets you’d like to share on making freelance writing less isolating? I’d love to hear it.

I’ve always been uber shy.  When I was a child, my mom bought me books where the protagonists are always shrinking violets.  In elementary school, I took a failing grade because the thought of speaking up in public was more mortifying than seeing an F on my report card.  It’s one of the reasons why I took so well to writing.  I could create words on paper and express myself while keeping any verbal discourse to myself.

Yet, somewhere along the line I realized that writing wasn’t just about sitting quietly and typing.  I could write all I wanted, but if I didn’t speak up and sell my writing, I might as well stick to a day job and keep writing as a hobby.

The transformation from shrinking violet to bold lily wasn’t an easy one, however. There were a ton of things I learned in the process.  Things like taking on a fearless persona or asking for what I need.  While challenging, it was all part of the journey.

If you’re hiding behind your own fear and insecurity, read on to learn a few tips that’ll help you get out from under the covers and into the spotlight.  As spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson said, “Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.”  To add to that, it won’t serve your freelance business either.

Let your inner diva shine! Everyone has one.  Even Beyonce admitted to it and named her Sasha Fierce.  As for me, I was nervous Nelly right before my meeting with a prospective client.  I was trying hard to portray confidence the way my husband rehearsed with me the night before.  Then, it suddenly hit me.  I didn’t have to fake confidence.  I already had it in me.  It’s there when I ask for what I need with loved ones and when I’m participating in an activity I love.  I didn’t need to fake it.  I just needed to embrace it.  The result?  I got the job I wanted.

Stay true to yourself. You know how much you’re worth.  Don’t settle for less.  The times when I’ve taken the risk and asked for what I needed, I’ve gotten it.  It’s actually the times when I took jobs that compromised my time and money that ended up being the most problematic.  It also made me resentful in the end.

Be willing to say no to be able to say yes to better opportunities. Recently, I had a chance to work with a nonprofit organization.  I was thrilled because as someone who’s either volunteered or worked for a nonprofit during most of my life, it truly felt like my career was coming full circle.  There was one snag, however.  The organization was unable to compensate me even at the very low end of my pay scale.  I was torn.  On one hand, I really wanted to work for this organization.  On the other, I knew it would take considerable amount of my time.  This meant that I would be unable to fit other higher paying writing jobs.  In the end, I decided to walk.  Imagine my surprise then, when the organization came back and met me in the middle.  I think this goes back to staying true to your values.  When you’re clear about your needs, the decision becomes easier.

The takeaway?

Be clear about what your worth and have faith that you will find other people who will respect your needs.  Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.   If you project inner confidence, are honest about your needs and decisive about your expectations, you will find that people will respect you more as well.

And as for that shrinking violet.  She’s still there, but I only let her come out on Halloween.

This post was first seen on writer Jesaka Long’s brilliant blog, “a.k.a. writer.” I must thank Jesaka again for asking me to be a guest blogger and for all the help she’s given me as a fellow freelancer. Thanks Jesaka!

My husband and I hobbled on over to a used car lot recently. The reason for our less than enthusiastic attitude was our fear of encountering the dreaded stereotypical used car salesman. The man with a big persona (a.k.a. desperate man who talks too much).

You know the guy. The one who hunts you down and seems to pick up your scent even before he sees you. A swarm of salesman suddenly encircles you all in business suits, all waiting until fatigue and desperation gives way to a sale.

Okay it might not be THAT bad! But if used car salesman can smell fresh new meat a mile away, then I can tell desperation from afar as well. When a guy comes running towards me asking to show me his car without even knowing what I’m looking for, I run the other way. Desperation is not attractive when dating or when selling.

I felt sorry for the guy. He may have had the car of my dreams and I would never know it because his desperation to sell me anything made them all lackluster. Instead of giving us time to look at all his cars, he hovered over us. In the end, we really couldn’t get away fast enough.

It’s the same thing when selling your business. You may need the sale, but don’t let this on to your potential clients.

Some writers query publications mentioning how much they need this article or book proposal. That may be true but it won’t get you the deal of your dreams. In fact, it may have the opposite effect.

Think of this way. Would you rather date someone who was self-assured and confident or the other guy who calls, texts and emails you five times a day telling you how much they want to go out with you? It’s the same for your business. If you have something great to sell, let it sell itself.

The bottom line: Companies care about what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. Figure out what unique experience/skill you can bring to the table to help solve their greatest problem and you’ll win the sale.

The two guys who showed up were really nice and all and all I felt comfortable and supported, but it just wasn’t a good fit. The one thing that stayed with me was something one of the members said. He commented that a lot of poetry was “self-absorbed.” That stuck with me and made me question how much of my own writing was a form of narcissism.

The desire to be heard, the glory of the written word and the recognition that writing sometimes brings, all makes writing a self-indulgent gift. Yet, none of it has to do with making a living as a freelance writer or does it?

If you are just starting out, you may have to take a step back. Think about what you can provide for your client instead of what your writing can do for you. In one of my favorite books Steering by Starlight, Martha Beck says to think up 3 words to describe your perfect life (career, relationship, etc.). Then visualize bringing them into the worst parts of your life.

I think that also applies to your freelance writing career. If, for example, I want to provide a service, be inspirational and informative, I need to focus on writing for others instead of writing for myself. Visualizing being helpful, bringing something to the table and providing a service in an area where my career is lacking has definitely helped me to tackle new opportunities in a more positive, rewarding light.

That doesn’t mean I can’t write a self-indulgent poem here and there. I think writing for the sheer pleasure of it is an important part of keeping writing fresh and inspiring to you. But when you transform your life from writing as a hobby to writing as a career, you may need to give up your ego so that you can inspire and touch a bigger audience.

As a freelance writer, sometimes you work with people who are unprofessional or difficult. Is it ever a good idea to state honestly how you feel about the working relationship or is it better to cut ties cleanly and quietly?

What do you think?

Better to be honest and state what’s not working (e.g. low pay, unreliable client) or end things without saying a word?