Open Thread: What Makes You Valuable?
Posted April 27, 2009 in Business, Open Thread 10 Comments »
The idea of having a unique value has appeared several times before on FreelanceFolder. We’ve previously run open threads about elevator speeches and slogans, both of which center on the idea of explaining the things that make you valuable.
But this time, I want to look at something even more basic than a slogan or an elevator speech — your core value itself. What is the most basic reason your customers come to you? What is that one thing that makes people willing to pay for your services over those of other companies or freelancers? What value do you provide that convinces people to hire you instead of just doing it themselves?
Knowing what makes you valuable is the first step in working to improve and market that value. If you can improve upon your core value, you’ll quickly find that customers will pay more and be even happier with your services. If you can properly market your core value you’ll find a huge supply of clients just begging for work to be done. Fully understanding this basic element is key to being very successful as a freelancer.
So, let’s get to work. Answer the following three questions in the comments, and let’s see if we can make a difference in your business:
- What is your core value? Is it convenience, a unique knowledge, a certain specialty? Something else entirely?
- How can you improve upon your core value? What would make that central element of your business even stronger?
- Knowing your value, how can you improve your business? How can you use the above knowledge to make your life and business even better?
About the author: Mason Hipp is an entrepreneur, marketing guru, and writer. He blogs about life and business at FreelanceFolder.com and is co-author of the Book The Unlimited Freelancer. Follow him on twitter @MasonHipp
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10 Comments
Ed Shems
April 27th, 2009 at 12:32 pmA couple major things I hear often from clients is that they want/need a designer/illustrator who is easy to reach, responsive and thinks ahead on behalf of the client. That’s often the reasoning when I get recommended and it’s the angle I’m beginning to use in my online advertising.
stephanerd
April 27th, 2009 at 12:54 pmLord, this is such a toughie, and probably part of the reason I have such a tough time marketing myself. My attempt to answer your questions:
1. What is your core value?
As far as writing goes, I feel as if my openness about my personal life, and curiosity and willingness to try anything, make for great content. In addition, the fact that I’ve worked on the other side of the fence in books, newspapers, and magazines — making me more aware of what editors and other clients are going through — makes me a delight to work with. ;)
2. How can you improve upon your core value? What would make that central element of your business even stronger?
If I only knew…I think that what holds me back is that I don’t take enough advantage of my personal experiences in order to come up with more pitches.
3. Knowing your value, how can you improve your business? How can you use the above knowledge to make your life and business even better?
I have a pitch spreadsheet, have set myself pitch quotas, and carry around notebooks, but I still fall behind. I think it may just be a matter of changing my mindset…making myself constantly aware of how the things I’m experiencing in my life could possible turn into a story.
Writer Dad
April 27th, 2009 at 1:11 pmMy core value, at least in regards to writing, is honestly. My copy sings, not just because I know how to string the words together, but because I assemble them from my depths rather than auto-pilot. Whether it’s for myself or for my clients, I care about what I’m writing.
Rubber Cheese
April 27th, 2009 at 2:20 pmThis is a really good question, and for graphic designers, im not totally sure if there is a concrete answer. We have been asking ourselves the same question lately to help market our business. We decided to ask ourselves, the questions that we ask our clients when we are researching for projects. One of them being;
“What makes you unique?”
We started thinking about how we work and what makes us unique, and we came back with, “we’re responsive, customer focused, friendly, all-ways there at the end of the phone, creative blah blah blah” We thought, “this is exactly what every designer in the world is probably going to say!”
So we started to think about what benefits we give to our clients. Why should they use our services and I suppose what are we worth to them? We also thought to ourselves, why do we do this job, and what gives us the biggest buzz about our job.
Being a total perfectionist, and never 100% happy with what-ever I do, I realised that the part of my job that gives me total satisfaction, is a happy client coming back to me a few months after the project is finished, saying, “Wow, thanks for the work you have done, we have now gained x-amount of clients because of your work”, or “Our sales have gone up by 500%!”
Of course you can’t always take all the credit, because at the end of the day, if it is a really good product or service, then it will sell. But, maybe it wouldn’t have sold so much, if we hadn’t of given them the tools to sell it in confidence.
Then I cam up with this quote, that I thought we could maybe use:
“A designers success is only as good as their clients success”
Its a bit cheesey but we might use a version of it on our own marketing materials. Anyhow, before I blabber on anymore, I think having an external company that cares deeply that their client succeeds in the market place must have some worth and value.
I think talking about your clients success and being open about it, can only show to other potential clients, what your true value is. It’s unfortunate, and im going to stick my neck out here, but I would say that most (not all) business people cannot see the value in design, all they are interested in is facts and figures, profits and loss.
Sorry for the long post everyone, I got a bit carried away!
John Soares
April 27th, 2009 at 3:24 pmMy core value is specialization in the college textbook supplements field and the ability to get work done well and quickly.
What would help me most is making this as clear as possible to current clients and potential clients.
Steve Atkinson
April 27th, 2009 at 4:20 pmCore Value:
I try to put myself into my client shoes and to give the best advice that i can in terms that they understand. I explain terms and acronyms in plain terms and if possible in ways that they would.
Colin Wright
April 27th, 2009 at 10:00 pmMy core value is definitely my problem-solving abilities…I make it a point to be able to figure out what a client’s problem is, identify the best solution for it, and then carry out that solution.
In an effort to keep up this multidisciplinary value proposition, I’m constantly taking classes, attending seminars, reading books (and ebooks!), writing, documenting, talking, photographing and and number of other active verbs in order to keep myself up to date with what’s going on in the world and learning new skill sets.
I’ve been working to improve my business by taking the information and skills that I’ve accumulated and starting up sub-businesses under the umbrella of my main business. My newest endeavor, 3rd Education (http://3rdEducation.com), will be documenting my travels around the world while striving to optimize my mobile lifestyle (and working the whole while!). In May I’ll be launching Least You Need To Know, which will be a launchpad for a series of free e-books on various topics (the first being Personal Branding, which is getting polished up to release as we speak), and Verdant Collective, a virtual studio I started to take on larger, multi-contractor jobs than I would usually take with my main business, Colin Is My Name (http://colinismy.name).
Great post! Lots of good stuff to think about!
Catherine Cantieri, Sorted
April 28th, 2009 at 9:57 am1. Core value: This might sound weird, but I think my core value might be fun. Most people don’t think of organizing as fun (they’re all tragically mistaken, of course) and feel a sense of shame if they think they’re disorganized. But by focusing on the positive, reassuring them that they’re doing fine and making them laugh during the process, I like to think I can share my sense of joy in organizing with my clients.
2. I can improve on the fun by alleviating my *own* anxiety about getting prospects and clients. Anxious people aren’t fun to be around.
3. Reading my blog, I’m not sure my sense of fun comes through. I need to find a way to blend a voice of expertise with a tone of fun.
Troy Peterson
April 28th, 2009 at 5:56 pmOne of my strengths has always been my communication with clients.
The ability to take complex or mis-understood web technologies and concepts and explain them in a plain English manner.
This was started in my earlier days as a Tech sales rep and grew with my Web Operations manager experience at a publishing company.
Bhuwan
May 5th, 2009 at 6:07 amWhat is your core value?
———————————————
Communication skills, subject matter expertise, 10+ years of experience of working with MNCs, Creative and Technical skills
How can you improve upon your core value?
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i think… i need an international degree in knowledge management …… dunno what else …. :(
Knowing your value, how can you improve your business?
———————————————
since i have worked on many cutting edge projects (involves huge budge) for medium and big companies, i can offer the same solutions tailor made to smaller companies which fits in their budget and this is my USP. i can now brainstorm with the customer on what are his real needs and a better solution for the same rather than just making a flash website for him(just because he wants fancy flash website for his company)