You can find all the steps and questions to ask yourself over in the show notes . So don't sweat trying to copy all this down. Just have a listen first. Yesterday I gave you a dose of reality. Harsh? Maybe. Blunt? Somewhat. But if you are still a skeptic in this whole niching down thing. I want to give you a bit of a game plan so that you can test the waters and see if specializing your business has an positive impact on your business. In business, you need to experiment sometimes. Iâm a HUGE fa...
Aug 01, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 113
------------------- For full show notes, a customized Ask Rezzz playlist , and bonus material, head on over here for it all. ------------------- Let me ask you a question, why are you niching down? What ever that reason is, thatâs your focus. Itâs that âwhyâ that brought you to this conversation in the first place. âWhat got you here, wonât get you there.â Youâve heard this before from Marshall Goldsmith, right? Itâs the idea that sometimes you need to be a bit uncomfortable and out of your comf...
Jul 31, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 112
------------------- For full show notes, a customized Ask Rezzz playlist , and bonus material, head on over here for it all. ------------------- Iâm often asked this question around niching that seems to question either or. Yes, you can pick the type of work you do and specialize your business. Yes, you can pick the type of customer you work with and specialize your business. But, the type of work you do and the type of customer you work with are both part of niching down to specialize your busi...
Jul 30, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 111
Your personal brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room - Chris Ducker ------------------- For full show notes, a customized Ask Rezzz playlist, and bonus material, head on over here for it all. ------------------- Why is the Nike Swoosh so effective? And if you donât think it is, my one year old son points to it anytime my wife and I wear Nike apparel and says âswoooâ. Why is the red for Manchester United or the navy blue from the Yankees so widely recognized? These things...
Jul 27, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 110
But as a professional, itâs your job to protect your time, which protects your profits. And I want to share with you 2 things that I use to keep the conversation going. ------------------- For full show notes, a customized Ask Rezzz playlist , and bonus material, head on over here for it all. ------------------- When you have a phone conversation or video chat, always set a time limit and an agenda for the call. These will be the 2 lifesavers for you to keep the conversation on point, focused an...
Jul 26, 2018â˘6 minâ˘Ep. 109
Before I share with you my answer, are you new to the podcast. Maybe you are simply overwhelmed and not sure which episodes you want to listen to first. I bet you there are a few episodes youâve missed that pertain directly to you and can help you with your business right now! Iâve got the answer for you. You can get a customized playlist of Ask Rezzz episodes based around you, your business, and your experience. This playlist is made by minifigs and gremlins directed by me of course , that are ...
Jul 25, 2018â˘6 minâ˘Ep. 108
Before I share with you my answer, are you new to the podcast. Maybe you are simply overwhelmed and not sure which episodes you want to listen to first. I bet you there are a few episodes youâve missed that pertain directly to you and can help you with your business right now! Iâve got the answer for you. You can get a customized playlist of Ask Rezzz episodes based around you, your business, and your experience. Head on over to askrezzz.com today to get your custom playlist made by minifigs and...
Jul 24, 2018â˘6 minâ˘Ep. 107
------------------- For full show notes, your very own Ask Rezzz playlist , and bonus material, head on over here for it all. ------------------- Having a track record of solid, reliable, work will go a long way to helping you close sales. Having just your own website wonât do. Youâll need to do a bit of hustling, maybe even barter with some folks and trade your skills for an opportunity. Reach out to some local agencies to see if they have any overflow work. Agencies arenât the most ideal to wo...
Jul 23, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 106
------------------- For full show notes, a customized Ask Rezzz playlist , and bonus material, head on over here for it all. ------------------- Todayâs show is going to be a little different. Iâm always asked what I look for when it comes to red flags in talking with leads and clients. Like you, I always try to learn from what other folks do in their business so that I hope not to fall into those same pitfalls. And so when I get asked this question I try to put myself in their shoes. Maybe ther...
Jul 20, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 105
------------------- For full show notes, a customized Ask Rezzz playlist , and bonus material, head on over here for it all. ------------------- Iâve found that freelancing clients are often the ones that need the motivation on the longer projects. They are the ones paying, so really theyâll want that return on their investment as quickly as possible. Iâm always saying âbe consistentâ in both my personal as well as professional life. In fact, âbe consistentâ is just one thing that Iâve been whis...
Jul 19, 2018â˘6 minâ˘Ep. 104
------------------- For full show notes, a customized Ask Rezzz playlist , and bonus material, head on over here for it all. ------------------- When you put prices on your website, I encourage you to think why? When I did it, it was to filter out tire kickers. I found that I was getting more shoppers than buyers. I was ok with the drop in leads to the business if it meant that more qualified leads were getting through and becoming clients. Pricing on my website sets the conversation around the ...
Jul 18, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 103
------------------- For full show notes, a customized Ask Rezzz playlist , and bonus material, head on over here for it all. ------------------- In episode 91, you heard me talk about finding a quality prospect and how I use a Project Brief in the qualification part of my sales process. I look at sales this way. There are way more people and projects in this world that Iâm not a good fit for. If I can have them figure that out as early on in the process as possible without wasting too much of th...
Jul 17, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 102
------------------- For full show notes, a Choose Your Own Ask Rezzz playlist , and bonus material, head on over here for it all. ------------------- My back story is that in early 2000s I struck out on my own doing freelance full-time. Due to getting laid-off from the consultant firm I was working at. At that time, I thought my path was pretty clear. I had a skill that was very much in demand, at least from what I could see, and instead of getting a job, I would just ramp up my side hustle and ...
Jul 16, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 101
------------------- For full show notes, a customized Ask Rezzz playlist , and bonus material, head on over here for it all. ------------------- I put it out there on the interwebs this milestone episode. And thank you to every one who responded and I will answer them all, as you know. But todayâs question comes from Cameron in the Sustainable Freelancer Facebook Group. The simple reason I picked it was because itâs a good window into who I am and maybe you have similar values and realistic idea...
Jul 13, 2018â˘8 minâ˘Ep. 100
------------------- For full show notes, a customized Ask Rezzz playlist, and bonus material, head on over here for it all. ------------------- Setting boundaries around the type of work you do is at the core of what niching down is. It very much is a mindset that you need to get yourself into. The best way to force yourself into the mindset is tracking your time with everything. Even when you think you are just doing that âone-thingâ for a client that takes 10 mins, Iâd be willing to bet that t...
Jul 12, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 99
-------------------- For full show notes, downloads, and bonus material, head on over here for it all. -------------------- If you are looking to grow your freelancing into building an agency, then you want to take steps that put you on the path to that. If you are looking to grow your freelancing so that you can spend more time at home with family, then you want to take steps to do that. If you are looking to grow your freelancing in a way that puts you in a position to get bought out, then you...
Jul 11, 2018â˘6 minâ˘Ep. 98
As someone who has always said that Iâd rather be the guy in the coffin than the person saying the eulogy, improving my communication and confidence in public has been a journey and still very much is to this day. But if I can get up there in front of a room of 70+ people in NYC and talk, I know you can too. 1. Find a mentor This may sound a bit out of left field, but find someone whoâs a little bit further down the career path than you are right now. Having a mentor that knows exactly the path ...
Jul 10, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 97
When thinking about this question, every time Iâve gone through the process of niching down my business or thinking about adding a new service to my business or exploring a new opportunity, I tend to do the same thing each and every time that I know will help. And so because I want to share with you only stuff thatâs of value, I did a bit of searching around first. Iâm still shocked by the amount of bad advice thatâs floating around on the internet. When I put this question in Google, articles t...
Jul 09, 2018â˘8 minâ˘Ep. 96
The real short answer here is that itâs extremely viable! The first question to ask is what is a front-end web developer and the skills needed for one. Without getting into the weeds too much here, the main role of a front-end web developer is to get the visual elements to actually work on the website. Essentially to turn the design into functional elements. Youâll need a skillset of HTML, CSS, Javascript, some design skills, knowledge around the browsers, and other frameworks to just start out....
Jul 06, 2018â˘5 minâ˘Ep. 95
I talk a lot about finding your niche. I help freelancers personally through Feast and Coaching on finding their niche. But the other day, I had a cup-of-coffee call with a person off my email list. If you havenât heard about those before, I randomly pick 4 people every month off my email list and send out a link to schedule a 15-minute chat. This person asked me how I went about niching down. And Iâm not sure I actually ever spoke about my feelings leading up to it in depth before publicly, so ...
Jul 05, 2018â˘8 minâ˘Ep. 94
Bands tend to spend money on beer, food, and travel - they really donât spend it in their design elements. So you may want to re-visit that niche a bit. Small family owned businesses is interesting though because you are putting âfamilyâ into that niche. Which means that the business may have been passed down for generations, or that only family members work in the businesses. This may be a tough nut to crack if thatâs the case. But if you are targeting small family owned businesses, you know ex...
Jul 04, 2018â˘6 minâ˘Ep. 93
With that in mind, you obviously want to get it into the hands of your target market, if you havenât done so already, with a free trial or some other kind of offer. WHO IS IT SPECIFICALLY FOR? Yes, you say freelancers, but are they aspiring freelancers, have they just started freelancing, or are they experienced freelancers. Each of these 3 types of freelancers have a different need for their business. They also have a much different view on spending money. IN THE IDEA STAGE? EARLY / PRE-LAUNCH ...
Jul 03, 2018â˘6 minâ˘Ep. 92
Before someone reaches out to you to potentially work with them, theyâve made 70% of the decision. Thatâs what all that education and being visible is about. After they reach out, thatâs where more specifics about budget, timeline, goals, what sort of business they are, what they sell, who they are as people, and a number of other factors that can determine whether or not Iâm a fit for their project. I point every single prospect to a Project Brief. The Project Brief does a few things for me. Sh...
Jul 02, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 91
So hereâs the scenario. I will bring you $100,000 in new revenue, what we would offer to the customers? Assuming that I had the customers and you have the service and/or product to sell, what is it that we are selling them? I want you to think about it for a minute, then share on Twitter or post on Facebook your response with the hashtag #AskRezzz But before you do, I donât want to see tweets like: âWeb developmentâ or âWordPress theme buildingâ or âSEOâ Think about this $100,000 in revenue and ...
Jun 29, 2018â˘4 minâ˘Ep. 90
This question comes with sense of imposter syndrome. This is where you get in your own way. You are inside your head and that is what is limiting you. How you pitch them is all about confidence. If you pitch with this self-doubt, itâll show. That self-doubt needs to carry through the follow-up as well. If the pitch dies on the vine and you donât hear back, then move on. Put them into a past lead followup sequence that keeps you front of mind. In this episode, you will learn: The first impression...
Jun 28, 2018â˘6 minâ˘Ep. 89
When you ask for a testimonial you should do so not with the intention of having it up on your website, it should be with a focus around improving your business and the experience you customers have with you. Even though a testimonial is about your business, itâs really about your client and how you helped them. There will be emotional responses as well as facts too. Specifically, if youâve reached very specific and measurable goals. By âemotionalâ I mean that you will hear what the client felt ...
Jun 27, 2018â˘6 minâ˘Ep. 88
Gwen asked this during the Feast Monthly Round Up Call. And I thought that considering I donât consider myself a great writer, that you would get something out of this answer. The Feast Monthly Round Up Call is an open forum call inside the Feast membership website that we have each and every month. Find out more about Feast and how it can help your freelance business define your niche, build processes and systems and get recurring revenue so that you can live your life away from the screen. She...
Jun 26, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 87
In episode 83 , I shared my answer to a question someone ask about wanting to do web and software development along with digital marketing all at the same time. First, find your focus, your core offering, and then branch out into the others where it fits to augment and make your core offering much better. The same is idea applies here. If it is a good fit, then hereâs how you find a partner. 1. Make connections at events 2. Social Media 3. Build relationships 4. Ask 5. Google Be careful with who...
Jun 25, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 86
Today I share with you a very personal story of mine and why I do what I do. It was something that I discovered at a very young age, but my family environment played a HUGE part in shaping me as a the person I am today. Thereâs a reason behind the work we do, especially the work we choose to do as freelancers For you that could be travel, or spending time with family like me, or work on projects that you have a close passion to. What ever that is, if you donât keep that why in focus, youâll de-r...
Jun 22, 2018â˘8 minâ˘Ep. 85
There are different types of mentors though. Virtual Mentors, Personal Coaches, Business Coaches, In-Person Mentors, Mastermind Groups. Some you do have to pay for, some you can follow and learn from just with all the content they provide. To answer the question though, if you really want to make an impact starting your company or your project, paying for a mentor would be the most helpful to you. In this episode I'm going to share with you the 4 benefits of hiring a coach or mentor. Then dive i...
Jun 21, 2018â˘7 minâ˘Ep. 84
