- I ask a lot of questions. Nothing would be clear to their audience if it is not clear to me.
- Work in advance – schedule entire content in advance. Prevents last-minute unwanted stress.
- Give more than I am paid for. I charge high prices, but always make sure they are getting more than what I had committed to. Win-win for both 🙂
Tag: clients
Ironies of life
There is a wonderful client of mine, whose business is making Ayurvedic drinks.
He once graciously sent me a huge pack of Ayurveda drinks, along with two packs of hot chocolate powder and gourmet coffee.
It turns out, everyone in my family loves hot chocolate powder more. Which comes from an Ayurveda drinks manufacturer. Ironies of life.
The other day, I was having that chocolate shake, while my Mom asked, “You’re still working with this client, right?”
I couldn’t stop laughing. Ironies of life – me who was having it once a month, and my Maa who doesn’t have it either – both trying to love the chocolate product of an Ayurveda manufacturer.
PS: Here’s a pic, of that chocolate shake. Enjoy 😊
The best people I work with…
A part of the work I do has these processes:
- Go through the rough draft the client sent
- Create a clickworthy post out of it
- It gets posted on social media.
Mostly, the post is about adding value. Sometimes, that value added comes with some backlash from people (that is one of the secrets of getting viral…more about that later btw :D)
Now, there are two types of people I work with:
- Whenever the backlash from people points at the author (aka yours truly), my clients straight away state that they are the author. I love that so so soooo much! Standing as a guard to protect their people. Awesome folks they are 🙂
- They highlight a tiny spelling mistake for two consecutive weekly meetings. My writing for them hardly generates any virality. Because what they are always talking about is how will the people that know him, will respond.
I just love the type 1 clients. Never argue with them for money. They pay whatever I ask. Never interfere. Rather I request them to interfere.
Find clients like those, and keep upping your game. You will be left with awe, work you love, and most importantly, self respect.
Dealt with bad clients?
“I have dealt with so many bad clients.”
“Not all clients provide creative freedom.”
“I have the mind of steel now, while dealing with bad clients.”
Time and again, I see people documenting their bad experiences with their clients.
However, here is the truth:
They weren’t bad. They were just being themselves.
Maybe they were not trusted with money so they thought it is okay to pass on that belief.
Maybe their work never trusted so they did the same to you.
Or maybe maybe maybe you made the mistake in choosing the wrong professional relationship.
If we are aware, we always know in pre signing up conversations, how the other person is going to turn out to be.
If we truly look back at all our “bad” experiences, in our heart, we knew that before signing them up.
People rarely change.
They just reveal themselves.
It is up to us when we choose to see and when we choose to be blinded.
One question I get asked a lot
One question that I get asked a lot is:
“How were you able to make your career switch? Did you not face any challenges? Did you fail? How did you bounce back?”
This blog, is an attempt to answer that.
Well, to give you a background, I am a Chartered Accountant by profession. Worked in the corporate for five years, and kept writing on the side because I loved it.
In 2020, I quit my job and took up writing full-time.
How was it possible?
Before how, let me address the question of why.
I used to work as an Internal Auditor. Which meant on any given day my high rating would be a function of how many errors and how huge errors I detected. It, in turn, meant that someone else had to screw up badly in order for me to perform greatly.
And I kid you not, I was great at my work.
Sometimes people were fired because of me, sometimes people were issued warning memos, and almost every single time someone else’s annual rating was adversely affected.
With all this going on, I was not very happy. If wherever you go, you are welcomed at a superficial level yet at a deeper level people wished I didn’t come or went away quickly. The money that we earn brings blessings. For me, it came at the cost of many people’s career. My career, no matter how legit, was someone else’s nightmare.
And with my love for writing, it was just nudging me daily to make that move.
So here’s how I quit my job and made a career switch:
- Started freelancing part time. I had already been creating my content – so initially that and a few cold emails served as a starting ground.
- Over a period of time and some force of luck (that always shows up when we do the good old hard work) when I got good clients + I managed to save a year’s worth of expenses, I made the move.
- The expenses that were saved are not used yet, thankfully, and will never be used as an emergency. But that cushion keeps you from making bad choices.
Simple. That’s it.
I did not know this would be the process, I just kept creating content without any direction of where it would go, and soon it did lead to some good places.
As far as problems that were concerned, I solved them the way I solve all my problems – by surrendering them to God. The results are never short of epic.
Try it out! And reach out to me to tell how it was 🙂
I almost forgot…
I almost forgot to write today’s blog post.
And now, while sleeping, reminded of that.
So, what is it about today?
Hmm, I’m thinking of charging for consulting as well over the call. Okay, the client is going to pay me beautifully when the work starts, however why do I behave like a fool and offer 2.5 hours of free consulting?
Nishtha, grow up!
No one will value you if you don’t do that to yourself.
That said, the last leg of brainstorming with the client is left, will seek guidance from God in meditation early morning tomorrow, if it is right to charge or be modest if the contract is already yours.
Chalo, good night peops!
Wow! Just wow!!!
Last Friday, a founder and CEO of one of the groundbreaking startups in India approached me on LinkedIn. He wanted to speak to me for writing content for them.
When I responded to their DM to know more about the work, his first response was: “Thanks for the response,” and then we talked further.
Who does that in a mean world? Such a kind soul! He could write a social media post and get 100’s of writers in less than an hour, and still responding me with kindness? Wow!
So we spoke further and scheduled a meeting three days hence.
Almost two-and-a-half hours prior to the meeting, he sent me an email informing the meeting had to be inadvertently cancelled due to a family emergency. Not only that, he ensured to DM me on LinkedIn as well.
Of course, I understood and replied with an understanding and affirmative response.
That’s not the point. The point is he did not “need” to inform me before not showing up for a meeting, yet he informed me at two places – that too when it was a family emergency.
So so sooo fortunate to be working with such generous and kind folks. People who value the time and work of others just as theirs and not taking their art for granted are a priceless asset. Always.
Just that I got lucky, because the world doesn’t owe us anything. All the kindness and ease from clients like him is always a blessing to be bestowed upon. If you are one such kind soul reading this, thank you to you too! You rock <3 🙂
A Mastery in saying no
The vibe never lies.
Your soul shouldn’t be exchanged even in lieu of diamonds.
In the past two weeks, I said no to two writing gigs that could have made me six figures.
And since the money involved is too big, first response is to ignore everything and jump on it.
However, in both those cases, I realized I wouldn’t be happy or be myself – I would be just putting a price tag on my soul. And that is the last thing I signed up for.
Thus, I said no. Without surprise, felt light and easy beyond measure.
The best Content Writer is also a contented writer – who is feeling contented with every business relationship they have.
That doesn’t mean not having more gigs. However, that does mean feeling happy while doing the work – and trusting yourself, that when you say no when the vibe doesn’t match, much better ones with better vibes come to you.
Standing for yourself is priceless.
The secret about good client relationships
Five ways to have better client relationships:
1. Always give more than you are paid for.
2. Listen to them even though you think you are right.
3. Trust they know their business better – and that trust leads to better work together.
4. If you are not able to deliver work on time, let them know.
5. Work on their work as if it were your own work. What you will see is magic!
Hard work. Work. Execution. Power. Results.
Rinse and repeat.