Are You A Buttoned-Up or Buttoned-Down Freelance Writer?

March 03, 2010

Deciding what kind of freelancer you are can help you define the type of clients and projects that suit your personality. If you can alternate between buttoned-up and buttoned-down, that could be a really good thing. If you can’t, or don’t want to, that can be ok as well. Considering the type of writing work you want will give you the freedom and type of career you want.

Dressing for Your Client’s Personality

Voice is an important aspect of being a writer. Finding the right voice can help you write something your clients will love. Finding the right voice might also be necessary in terms of dealing with your clients in a productive and fruitful way. Some freelancers do well because they’re casual, approachable, ooze with irreverence, talk about personal stuff, and their clients love them. Others reveal nothing about their personal life, and exude professionalism and their clients love them. Where do you fit?

Are you dressing for your client’s personality? If you do, you may develop stronger relationships with them. As a freelancer, how you approach your professional image will dictate what sorts of clients you attract.

There aren’t necessarily black and white lines in terms of how to deal with your clients in general but you may want to consider your voice in your client approach.

Buttoned Up

Positives: Very professional, becomes known as an expert in their field. Often commands higher rates.

Potential Drawbacks: May seems unapproachable. Does not always fit with a client’s corporate culture.

If you’re approaching buttoned-up professionals, you may want to keep your top button firmly in place.

Buttoned Down

Positives: Hip and 21st century. Casual Friday is often the way businesses who use freelancers operate today.

Potential Drawbacks: If approaching corporate clients, you may not be taken as a serious professional. Clients may also think they can pay less because you’re a ‘freelancer’ or because you work from home. Work from home professionals often have a higher overhead than their clients realize.

If you’re approaching buttoned-down professionals, you may be able to be more casual with them.

Note: Casual Friday doesn’t mean missed deadlines, lack of quality, and doesn’t mean they don’t have to pay you a fair wage — — on schedule.

Is Your Dress Code Hurting Your Business?

Some of today’s freelancers advertise that they are work at home moms or Dads or that they work in their pajamas and fuzzy slippers. Some of those freelancers have problems getting their rates up. Some joke about working in the buff and swear like a trucker on their blog but still command really high rates. What’s the right approach?

It all depends. It depends on what type of client you’re going after. If you’re going after another solopreneur that works in their fuzzy slippers, buttoned down might be the way to go. If you want to do corporate copywriting for fortune 100 companies, you might want to sit up straight and button up right to that top button.

I worked for GE Capital for ten years but today I’m wearing pink and fuzzy slippers. But I don’t tell all my clients about the slippers. For me, I find alternating from suit to slippers depending on what sort of client or prospect I’m talking to and who I’m approaching works. I don’t typically swear on my business blog but I do try to understand what my client’s personality type is after starting to deal with them and then I button up or unbutton accordingly.

If I’m dealing with a corporate client I tend to avoid the phrase freelance writer and I never ever call myself a work at home mom. But if I’m talking to a small business owner about their SEO, we may discuss our families and the personal connection we make could strengthen the relationship. I try to let the client take the lead and adjust my approach accordingly. It’s kind of like ghostwriting.

Use Ghostwriting Skills to Find the Best Client “Voice”

Versatility is a good trait when you work for yourself. And, if you’re a ghostwriter, you might find that putting those ghostwriting skills to good use could help you exponentially.

Because people often relate to their own personality type, as you get to know a new client, assume their personality type in terms of how you deal with them and chances are, you’ll find the right voice.

So, are you wearing fuzzy slippers today?