Playin’ the Role: A Case Study in Credibility
There are times and places for eloquence. This isn’t one. There’s something you need to know and you don’t need fanciful principles, lofty concepts, or useless ideology. This is a report on a case study that will change the way you freelance.
Let’s get down to brass tacks and set a solid foundation with some undeniable facts. You face inherent obstacles that threaten your success as a freelancer. Actually, that’s sort of what this whole blog is about; avoiding the pitfalls of freelancing to help you do it better.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to rehash the same obstacles discussed here on a weekly basis. Why should I? You know them all too well. We’re just going to jump straight to the source of all those woes. It all comes down to perception. How are you perceived? A kid in a basement with a computer? A middle-aged guy living with his mom? A hippie girl with a pen and paper? Fighting false perceptions can eat away at your entire career.
I noticed this issue the first time I mentioned my aspirations to my mother. Her doubtful response was echoed in some fashion in almost every prospect I spoke with, until I made a decision to control outsiders’ perception of myself and my practice.
Playing The Role - Become The ‘Real Deal‘
As my friends would say, I started “playin’ the role.” I started talking and acting bigger than I was. I formed an LLC. I got a business name. I redesigned and rewrote my website. I got a toll-free number. I published prices for my services. I became the real deal.
In the end, I forced my prospects to perceive me in the exact way I wanted to be perceived; credible, dependable, legitimate, trustworthy, safe. How you go about doing this is up to you. There’s no real formula, but there are many wrong ways to do it, so be careful. Jumping too early, too quickly, too presumptuously, or even lacking self-confidence can kill the process, making all your efforts vain.
Why does this work? Because most small business owners would rather work with other small businesses, not lone wolves. There’s comfort in the policies, procedures, and guarantees of working with a small business. When working with a freelancer, there’s always the feeling of risk and uncertainty that comes along.
In this case, it’s better to be someone you’re not.
What are your thoughts?
Scott
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About the author: Scott Magdalein runs Updatable, a privately-held Jacksonville-based web design company. And he also blogs at ReadScott.
8 Rockin' Comments
March 1st, 2008 at 1:33 pm
You’re so right, Scott. That’s why, as a freelance editor, I’ve long had a company name (though my company is a sole proprietorship rather than an LLC), my own domain, a professionally done web site, a dedicated business phone line, and a logo that appears on all the materials that I produce.
March 1st, 2008 at 4:29 pm
I’m already on the path to completing this transition for my own business. Domain name has beeb purchased, design concepts formalized, and a strong collection of articles like this bookmarked to help with the copywriting exercise which will play a huge part in how my future brand is perceived.
Fighting false perceptions can eat away at your entire career.
Is the term freelancer is too vague for this elevator pitch driven world? “They” want to know your job title in 30 seconds or less. Saying all the things you do (project manager, solution architect, graphic designer, web developer and usability expert) sounds like you’re fishing to meet whatever their need of the moment is.
In a corporate world, it would be next to impossible for one person to fulfill all those duties….What makes you, Mr. Freelancer, think that you are capable of being all things to all people? People often forget the second half to the “Jack of all trades” moniker is “Master of none”.
The bottom line is that the issues you speak of all relate to peoples’ overwhelming need to pidgeon-hole. It isn’t worth your time to try and change this tendency, but it is well-worth your time to control how will be perceived and where you will be pidgeon-holed in the future.
March 1st, 2008 at 8:39 pm
This is great - spot on, except for one small item. I don’t think of it as being something I’m not… I think of it as doing everything necessary to become what I want to be, to be perceived how I want to be perceived. In a way, it’s “fake it till you make it” but you still make it and there isn’t anything fake about that! :)
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:35 pm
This is a massive problem for freelancers. The first stage of growing your business is acting like the type of business you want to be. There are loads of methods for appearing larger than you are, including real basic tips like have different email addresses for different departments. You can get more elaborate and use a switchboard type system with different numbers for different departments.
March 3rd, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Whilst I do agree with many of your points you must look at the flipside of the coin… I wrote an article basically arguing for the opposite of what you are talking about here, and feel that we both have valid points: http://pushstandards.com/2008/.....m-we-to-i/
March 4th, 2008 at 6:56 am
I totally second Michael. I was going to say the exact same things on the spot on and the fake it bit.
You know, I’m in the process of updating my online portfolio site and until right this moment (before I read your post) I was still unclear on whether to post my rates or not.
Thanks for helping me to make my mind up and making it crystal clear.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:56 am
@Tom: I don’t see anywhere in this article that suggests one write using ‘we’ instead of ‘I’. The fifth paragraph is dripping with I’s….
A recent Go MediaZine article also delved into these concepts and pointed out explicitly that we is a bad practice for a company of one and suggested ways to avoid it, “You can avoid it by saying “Studio X can help you by doing this…” or “Studio X can handle almost any project…” Don’t say “we can handle any project.” That’s not right.”
The point you make in your blog post about creating a brand are excellent, however how you differentiate your services should be a direct function of the type of clients you want to attract. The more personal approach you suggest will usually not attract as much interest from large(r) organizations who are looking for someone who has experience in a corporate environment.
True, a small-business oriented site does not guarantee that one has that, but since we all know perception is reality you don’t want to give them a reason not to like you.
March 6th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Bang on Scott! You gotta walk the walk if you’re going to talk the talk.
It’s too easy for entrepreneurs and freelancers to not have the level of confidence needed to get the contracts. Just building that “real business” atmosphere gets you a good way there.
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