Blog

We wanted to get to know Laura Pennington Briggs (NAIWE’s Business of Writing Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

Consistent client service and automation, how do these align for today’s freelancer?

It’s important to provide a good client experience to everyone, but it’s hard to do when you’re busy marketing and also serving clients. When you get more of your time back, you show up more effectively for your clients and also feel better about your work.

 

Most freelances may not know that a sales pipeline system and outstanding client service go hand in hand, but do they?

They do! The more you can automate and systematize your pipeline and how you handle current clients, the more you maximize everything you do and get the most out of your time.

 

Is there a routine yet creative way to drive clients to your services/products?

It’s actually not super creative. Pick a platform or method of marketing and show up to do it everyday, even if only for five minutes. This can really help build consistency and snowballs over time. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold pitching, scanning job boards, TikTok, LinkedIn, or circling back with a former client, they are all valuable when you take little actions over time.

——————

In this training, we’ll discuss key ways to provide outstanding and consistent client service while building automation or systems that save you time, as well. We’ll discuss three big ones worth upgrading or creating for 2024: sales pipeline systems, onboarding, and offboarding. Make a better impression on your clients and earn repeat business and referrals while spending more of your time on billable work.

You can join in this conversation on January 17, at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on streamlining your client service to save you time and make clients happier. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Laura Pennington Briggs is the founder and CEO of the Freelance Coach. A two-time TEDx speaker on how freelancing is changing the economy and the host of the weekly Advanced Freelancing podcast, Laura has helped over 15,000 freelancers start and scale their business. She’s an expert on systems, project and client management, marketing a solopreneur business, delegating to team members, retainers, and developing multiple income streams for writers of all stripes. Laura is the author of five books, including the Six Figure Freelancer and How to Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business. She’s also the founder of Operation Freelance, a national nonprofit providing free entrepreneurship training to military spouses worldwide.

We wanted to get to know Jeanne Grunert (NAIWE’s Branding & Marketing Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

What is personal branding?

Personal branding is the art and science of developing a brand presence online. It’s an intentional effort to position yourself as an expert in a specific niche area to help generate positive awareness for your work, talents, and services. Just like a company builds a brand so that its brand recognition acts as a sort of shorthand for their products and services, your personal brand becomes a shorthand for what clients can expect from you.

 

What are the components of personal branding?

Many people think of branding as just a logo, or a visual identity, or a logo and a tag line — the slogan a company uses along with the logo. But branding encompasses much more than that. It is not just the visual representation or the written slogan, but the interactions and delivery on the brand promise itself that encompass a full brand.

There are many components of a personal brand, but the very first step is to understand yourself as a brand. Who are you? What do you deliver? What makes your services or writing unique? Who do you sell it to?

From there, you can develop your own “brand statement” and a “tag line” that sum up your brand promise, along with the ideas you wish to convey that accurately represent YOU. A personal brand must be a strong, clear, and true representation of yourself and your services to be effective. (If you put on an act, it won’t stick — it won’t feel right to you or to your customers if you try to be something you’re not or build a personal brand around attributes you just don’t have. I made this mistake for years until I learned how to find my authentic self and build a brand around it.)

 

What are the benefits of building a personal brand?

There are many benefits of building a personal brand as a writer, editor, or service provider in our industry. Whether you publish fiction, nonfiction, ghostwrite for others, or write commercial copy, personal branding will help you to:

• Increased Visibility: Personal branding helps you stand out in a crowded marketplace, making it easier for people to notice and remember you, whether you’re a job seeker, entrepreneur, or professional.
• Career Advancement: A strong personal brand can enhance your career prospects by showcasing your expertise and unique qualities, leading to more opportunities and promotions.
• Trust and Credibility: Building a consistent personal brand builds trust and credibility with your audience, as they come to rely on your expertise and authenticity.
• Networking Opportunities: A strong personal brand can attract like-minded individuals and open doors to valuable networking opportunities, enabling you to connect with influential people in your industry.
• Monetization Potential: A well-established personal brand can lead to various income streams, such as speaking engagements, book deals, sponsorships, and consulting, turning your expertise into a profitable venture.

——————

Jeanne Grunert will lead Part 2 of the workshop. In Part 2, participants will be encouraged to review their results from Part 1 and identify their own unique personal branding “calling cards”. Then, through various exercises, participants will develop their personal brand profile and leave the workshop with several ideas on how they can share their personal brand profile.

You can join in this conversation on November 9, at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on branding your freelance business. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Jeanne Grunert is the president and founder of Seven Oaks Consulting, a business-to-business content marketing agency. She is an award-winning writer and direct marketing expert with over 30 years of writing, marketing, and business experience. Prior to founding Seven Oaks Consulting, Jeanne led marketing for divisions of McGraw-Hill Education, Teachers College Columbia University, The College Board, and retail, publishing, and financial service companies in the New York City area. Known worldwide for her exceptional leadership and communication skills, Jeanne works seamlessly across cultural and corporate barriers to achieve outstanding results. She holds an M.A. in writing and an M.S. in direct and digital marketing (awarded with distinction) from New York University, as well as certifications in social media marketing, content marketing, adult education, and personal branding. Originally from the New York City area, Jeanne currently resides with her husband, John, and many pets on a 17-acre farm in rural Virginia. When not leading marketing teams through her work at Seven Oaks Consulting, she enjoys gardening, reading, cooking, and writing mystery novels.