I'm Back + How to Get Over Discovery Call Fear
Hi There,
How is this the second part of January already?! Time is just flying...
In case you haven't noticed, I've been missing in action since the end of 2022. From this newsletter, at least. Don't worry, I'm back. (I bet you were really worried. *insert sarcastic tone*)
My 2023 started out on an extremely busy note.
Last January was the complete opposite. In January 2022, within a few short weeks, I lost two clients due to COVID (one closed her business due to long-COVID, another one paused content for similar virus-related reasons) and one of my major clients decided to cut content production in half. I lost a major portion of my work an income.
By February, everything was back to normal. I got new clients and new projects and made up for all January-income-loss by the end of February. But January started with a panic attack and less work.
This year is the complete opposite. My clients are on fire. They are full of new ideas and project requests. I've received so many referrals and emails from prospective clients. I held discovery calls. I did (paid!) trial projects. And I unboarded some awesome new clients.
(I'm still very much committed to not hustling and overworking, so this newsletter suffered. I didn't get to it until now. I wasn't going to skip my running time, 5 Rhythms dancing, or an excursion to the Bobblehead museum. Yes, there is a Bobblehead museum in Milwaukee!)
Speaking of discovery calls.
I used to HATE them. Let's be honest. They are still not my favorite. If I can work with a client without an initial call, I will do it. I have clients I have never spoken with. But some just feel more comfortable hiring someone once they know you are a real person. So I'm willing to do a short discovery phone or video call if the client prefers it that way.
And I learned something over the years: There is nothing to fear!
So many of us, writers, (especially introverted writers, like me!), fear that we will be too awkward. I was afraid they wouldn't like me. I don't know where to look in my camera. I'm not pretty enough. I'm extremely awkward. I'm weird. I have an accent. What if I say the wrong things? What if I forget to ask the right questions?
Stop it. There is nothing to fear.
Your clients are humans too! They won't be perfect. Many people I speak with are also awkward. They also don't know where to look in the camera. They don't have an influencer ring light. They don't use makeup. Many of them are disorganized. Many of them don't even know what to ask. All they know is that they prefer to hear your voice before hiring you.
My awkwardness, my accent, my weird personality, or my lack of Instagrammable-beauty has never been an issue. My pricing has been too high for some, but that's not a call-related problem. That just means that I have competitive rates.
So if you are nervous getting on the call, remember: your clients are only human. Some of them are also nervous. Many are also awkward. And most also make mistakes.
And if a call doesn't go well, it's not the end of the world. There will be other calls. Other clients. Other opportunities. And you will gain more experience and confidence (and "I don't give a sh*t" attitude) with each call.
I hope this will help a bit when your next discovery call comes up.
I believe in you,
Kat
Learn how to build a sustainable freelance writing business, check out my course: https://nohustlefreelancer.com/no-hustle-freelance-writer-course
Follow my on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katgal/
Read my blog: https://nohustlefreelancer.com/blog
Today's pep talk:
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt