Job Boards aren't as effective as they used to be.

When you’re starting out as a freelance writer, the default option of choice to find clients seems to be the job boards. You know, Guru, Elance, Rent-A-Coder, oDesk, etc. These, in theory, seem like logical ways to find the people who need you, but many writers I’ve talked with say otherwise.

I’ve heard comments such as, “the only people that contact me are the ones who won’t pay anything for writing;” “it’s hard to make a living from work on the job boards;” “I listed my business and never got one job;” and, “it’s not worth my time to look, because so many expect me to write for next-to-nothing.” Pretty discouraging. Of course, there are the writers who’ve had great success with job boards. But I rarely meet them.

As you may have guessed, I don’t use job boards, although I have gone to the trouble and expense (time-wise) of creating profiles I never published. I simply never felt comfortable in those forums. I also don’t like wasting time, and after talking with other writers, spending time on boards looking for work that would probably not materialize into something real seemed like a bad idea. But what else is there?

Plenty. Let’s take a look shall we?

Face-to-Face Networking

Alright, I know this may rub the perpetually shy the wrong way (and aren’t many writers loners?), but getting out of your comfort zone, whether that be your office, favorite coffee shop or bed, is necessary to drum up business. The best way to meet people is to go where they hang out. A quick search on the Internet on “business networking (your city name)” will probably yield some useful information. If you live in a rural area, you might have slim pickings, but for those of us in more urban/suburban areas, business groups can be plentiful. A good place to begin is your local Chamber of Commerce. They’ll be happy to have you, and many host monthly meetings designed to help members find one another. There are also Rotary Clubs, Business Singles groups and associations such as the American Marketing Association (AMA) in many cities. There’s also Business Network International – BNI for short.

Want to be more targeted? Then look for meetings of groups that you’re interested in mingling with. Associations work well here, too. Look for clubs, trade groups and organizations designed to meet the needs of a specific group, for example, Realtors. Want to only work with women business owners? Look no further than eWomenNetwork or NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners).

Other opportunities exist by attending seminars and conferences – local and non-local. Getting a speaking gig at a live  event is a premium way to network – and be perceived as the expert that you are.

Is this sparking any ideas yet?

Online Networking

Online networking can be effective if done properly.

I can hear a collective sigh as I move back into what many consider a safer space. Online networking IS a viable way to seek business, but you must be diligent about participating. Certainly I’m talking about Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media sites. But I’m also talking about BizNik, Referral Key and LoopDesk – sites that offer features that can rival the social media sites, but focus exclusively on business. The downside with online is that it can be a big time sucker. It’s easy to get lost in the pages and pages of information that you have access to, not to mention Mafia Wars on Facebook. So consider managing your online networking as if it was offline. Set a time for it to start and end, just like an in-person event. Get a timer so you can focus on networking and not glancing at the clock. When the time dings, you’re done. Get up from your computer, stretch your legs, get a drink and then go back to work.

Use Your Mailing List

Oh, you don’t have one or it’s woefully out-of-date? Never fear, you can still use this point. If you don’t have a list sign-up form on your website or blog, get one. Aweber, 1shoppingcart and others offer monthly plans that help capture all those site visitors you’re currently missing. And don’t expect them to sign up out of the goodness of their hearts. Offer them something juicy and unique – not a missive recycled from your blog or website. Also give them a reason to want to be part of your community. Newsletters, motivational emails, auto-responder courses and other promises of communication create a level of comfort and trust. Give them information they can use – don’t simply say, “hey, I’m out here, send me projects.” That won’t work.

Cold Calling <shiver>

If the thought of cold calling makes you weak, you’ve got good company. However, if the electric bill is overdue and your dog needs braces, you may consider resorting to cold calling to scare up some clients. Cold calling is difficult for many, but it can have big dividends. Never just pick up the phone and start calling people randomly. Have a plan. Target potential clients with a specific agenda in mind. Write a script so you don’t forget why you’re calling when you have them on the phone (it’s easy to do, trust me). Practice first. When you’re ready to call, stand up. Standing up prevents slouching in your chair and gives your voice a stronger projection. You can also use a mirror to remind yourself to smile, while also working to reduce the look of terror in your eyes. Cold calling might never get easier, but with practice, you will get better at it.

Keep Working On Your Business

Sometimes it’s nice to have a lull in the business cycle. This is usually a good time to clean your desk, do old filing, straighten up your contacts list and manage online files. It’s also a good time to review your website copy, add new items to your portfolio, update case studies or testimonials and make sure everything is in working order. You can also review your own sales materials and update them as necessary. Just be mindful that the lull is just that and not a business drought.

What online sites do you use to network? How do you network offline? What other options can you think of? Please share below in the Comments.

If you’ve not had a chance to visit the Self Help Gifts Giveaway event, here’s a direct link:  Self Help Gifts Giveaway. There are some great products hidden in the long list.

We each have our own special talents, skills and experiences that set us apart from everyone else. While people may be similar, no one will have exactly the same qualifications or story that another has. This is the whole point of developing your own USP – Unique Selling Proposition. (“But Lis, I don’t sell!”) Yes you do. Every time you bid on a potential project, every meeting you have while networking, every time you write a blog post, you’re selling. If you target your selling from the standpoint of your USP (and your VSP – Value Selling Proposition), you stand a much greater chance of standing out from the crowd and getting noticed. What I’m proposing is different than what you’ll see on many networking and other business blogs. There you’ll read that a USP should be one sentence and be directly about your company. That’s fine – we’ll get to that with the VSP. I propose (and I learned this from Chris Marlow, 20+ year copywriting veteran and a mentor of mine) that your USP is really just for you and should be the basis for your VSP. This means, you USP can be longer than a sentence. In fact, it should be. But it’s just for you, no one else. But you can’t do this if you don’t have a clue as to what makes you unique. Since many writers are solopreneurs, we are our brand. I discussed this point at length in this post. While we may have a company name and logo, what people will remember is us. So, when developing your USP, you’ll want to consider the experiences and knowledge gained that have made you who you are today:

• Where did I grow up?
• What early life experiences affected me?
• What jobs did I hold?
• Where did I go to college?
• What was my major/minor?
• What adult life events have changed me?

While these questions go outside the lines of the traditional USP, there is a reason behind it. All of our experiences, good, bad, happy, sad, mold and shape us into who we are. It’s hard to escape our past, because it informs our present and future. These are things to simply note for yourself, personally, these aren’t things that will necessarily be part of your USP. Next, consider these questions:

• What have I always been good at?
• What topics am I drawn to?
• What do I love to read or study up on?
• What have people always complimented me on?
• What comes naturally to me?
• What would I do, if money were no object?
• What do I love to do?

If you sincerely answer these questions, you’ll now have more than enough material to work with to craft a USP. When I wrote out my USP, I first considered the areas I love to learn/write about:  health and wellness, fitness, home improvement and animals. I can write just about anything, but these topics get me excited. How I settled on a niche to write within was directly linked to these passions. I settled on health and wellness because I was born with severe allergies and asthma. This meant a very limited life. My mom was diagnosed with MS right after I was born, so she had her own health challenges to manage. She chose the alternative health route to help us both. So, I was reading Prevention Magazine at six-years-old and began visiting a chiropractor and having acupuncture treatments at age 7. This was back in the late ’60′s, early 70′s – when these things were “new” to the mainstream. Fast forward to my corporate days – I was in sales and marketing working with Fortune 100 companies as well as small businesses. I was good at what I did, which was listen to client needs and create workable, affordable, successful solutions to their marketing research needs. I’ve also owned more than one small business since 2001. When I considered the above experiences, plus others I’ve not mentioned, I came up with this USP for me:

Why hire Lisbeth Tanz?

Because she’s living proof that the alternative health and supplements industry works. As a child suffering from debilitating asthma and allergies, Lisbeth was exposed to a variety of alternative therapies and supplements designed to mitigate the effects of her ailments. With her mother’s perseverance, who herself had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Lisbeth slowly transformed from an unhealthy child living a restricted life tied to medications, to a healthy adult embracing a life of fun and adventure with little to hold her back. Using her personal experience and her years in corporate sales to Fortune 100 companies, Lisbeth has honed “the art of conversation” and the ability to “listen between the lines.” These abilities have enabled her to be top in her sales field – skills she transferred easily to the written word. Lisbeth’s talent for framing people’s needs as they see them helps her connect with her audience in an intimate and personal way, which ensures the client a healthy ROI, shorter sales cycles and increased profits.

I’m not sharing this to toot my own horn, I’m hoping to illustrate that with a bit of time and consideration, you can also create your own USP that will show you how your unique talents, skills, experience and knowledge make you the best writer for your particular niche or passion. Once you have this information, it’s easy to translate it into a VSP. Which I’ll discuss in another post.