Avoiding the #1 Mistake as a Freelancer: Serving Everyone

Are you tired of working on low-paid gigs? Are you trading your precious time for money on freelancing platforms? Are you struggling to attract your ideal client? You're not alone.

Discover Your Ideal Client

As a freelancer, knowing who you're serving is crucial for your success and satisfaction in your work.

And yet, that's the most common mistake freelancer make. Trying to serve everyone.

It's time to step back and assess if you're falling into this trap. Ask yourself these questions:

• Are you trying to please everyone?
• Do you struggle to say no to opportunities, even when they don't align with your expertise or interest?
• Are you marketing yourself as the Jack of all Trades?

If you answered 'yes' to any of these, it's time to pivot and narrow your focus.

The solution? Identify your ideal client, and serve no one else.

Concentrating on a specific audience allows you to become the go-to person for your audience.

That translates into:

• Working less
• Higher paying gigs
• Fulfillment in your work
• Freedom to choose your clients

Earlier this year, I shared with you the 7 steps to help you niche down as a service provider.

And step number 2 is to Define your target audience

There are many ways to do this, and here are the 4 steps I went through:

1. Evaluate your strengths: What are you truly good at? What do you enjoy doing most? Focus on these areas and build your services around them.
2. Define your ideal client: What do they call themselves? Where do they spend their time?  Take a hard look at your current and past clients. Identify the ones that were a good fit and those that left you feeling frustrated. What common traits do your favorite clients share?
3. Define the problem you're solving: It must be something they lose sleep on. Not a nice to have solution. It must be something you can help them fix.
4. Be selective: It's okay to say no to opportunities that don't align with your goals. By focusing on your ideal client, you'll create space for the right projects to come your way.

Remember, trying to serve everyone is a surefire way to dilute your brand, burn yourself out, and ultimately hinder your success as a freelancer.

Get more clarity using Jessie's 5 steps

In today's resources section, I'd like to share some steps from Jessie van Breugel that can help you figure out what problems you solve and for whom.

"Step 1: Describe that one person:

• What do they call themselves?
• Which problem do they have?
• What have they tried so far?

Step 2: Write out their biggest frustration:

• What keeps them up at night regarding the problem they face?

Step 3: Paint their ideal future:

• What does the ideal future look like?
• What does life look like after working with you?

Step 4: Write out the plan:

• What are the 3-5 steps you take them through?

Step 5: Write out the next step:

• What's the one action you want them to take?"
  

Weekly Challenge

Let's change the narrative. This week, block 1 hour in your calendar and use these insights to refine your ideal client persona by going through the steps shared by Jessie and me.

Need help identifying your ideal client? Send me a message.

Remember, you deserve to work with clients who value your skills and pay you what you're worth.

Extra 3

Here are 3 bonus tools and resources I believe you'll find helpful as well:

• Listen to The Nomad Solopreneur Show episode with Chris Do, from The Futur. Chris shares how to go from trading time for money on freelancing platforms to freedom.
• Are you a DIY type of person? Build yourself a landing page in no time to showcase your work. Try Carrd for free or GO PRO at as little as $19/year.
• Need a high-converting Landing Page that will make you money while you sleep? Allow me to Unlock the Full Potential of Your Online Presence!