Starting a new partnership brings both excitement and uncertainty. First impressions for client and contractor clearly went well, otherwise there’d be no project. But, you’ve never actually worked together, so who knows how this thing’s really gonna go? I’ve written before about the importance of managing expectations. What some people don’t seem to realize…
Welcome to the second part of our contract miniseries for budding freelancers. Part 1 covered how to develop a proposed scope of work for new projects. Here, we’ll dial into the piece of that proposal that tends to cause the most angst among new independent contractors: the fee. Honestly, unless you’ve done this before…
Having been in the freelance circle for a while now, I’m always happy to share my experience with those toying with the whole gig economy thing. Now’s a good time to return to this as we close out 2022 in case there’s anyone out there planning to use the new year as a clean break…
Sales and marketing materials aren’t always easy to create. If they were, people like me wouldn’t really have, you know, a job. Granted, it’s not all I do, but helping companies position themselves as more attractive partners is a big part of my thing. In doing this I tend to spend an inordinate amount…
Ever heard of the Doolittle Sales Pitch? Probably not since I just made it up. (Boom, trademark.) I’m not referring to the guy who talks to pets. I’m referring to the guy who bombed Japan. Jimmy Doolittle was the WWII Medal of Honor winner depicted by Alec Baldwin in the 2001 Affleck flick…
We all know that there’s as much offline, behind-the-scenes work during a B2B negotiation as there is formal discussion. In order to reach that point, though, sales teams need to make a good first impression. This applies even in situations when you have a referral or a direct connection. After all, not everyone on the…
This country has produced volumes of oratorical masterpieces. Speeches like Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” and MLK’s “I Have a Dream” sit firmly on the pantheon of great American discourse. But, even among these pinnacles of persuasion there rests a humble standout: The Gettysburg Address. Honest Abe didn’t have much…