I have met with, talked with and coached hundreds of freelancers over the years. Maybe thousands.
And if I have learned one thing it’s that the financial success of a freelancer has less to do with his or level of ability than you might think.
Sure, you have to be good at what you do, whether it’s writing, copywriting, designing, coding…whatever.
But if you want to make a strong 6-figure income, what you need most of all is self-confidence.
It’s not the best copywriters who make the most money.
It’s the copywriters with the most self-confidence.
I’ll give you an example. A few years back, when I was still doing one-on-one coaching, I had two calls one day, both from freelancers with about the same level of ability and experience.
Coincidentally, both were working in the same industry, and both had just landed projects writing the e-newsletter for a new client (different companies, of course). One issue per month, every month.
I asked both of them how much they were charging for the work.
One was charging $200 per issue, and the other was charging $2,000 per issue. Same amount of work, but one was earning ten times the fee of the other.
What was that about? It was about self-confidence.
Both freelancers were getting the fee they thought they deserved.
And that’s the thing…as a freelancer you will always make as much as you think you deserve to make.
This is something I went through with my coaching clients for years.
And when I stopped coaching, a little over a year ago, I decided to take everything I had learned and put it together as a program that anyone could access.
That program is called Marketing Confidence, and comprises over 15 video presentations in which I walk you through the process of either building or rebuilding your freelance business.
In the program…
I address the OUTER game…which is all about the practical aspects of how to build your business and present yourself to your prospects and clients.
And I address the INNER game…which is all about self confidence, and how you perceive your own value.
Which reminds me…”perception of value” is one of the huge issues I talk about.
You can buy a digital watch from your corner store for $10. Or you can buy a Rolex for $15,000. Both do the same thing…they tell the time. The Rolex doesn’t do a better job…but it has a much, much higher perceived value.
That’s what I want to do for you. I want to help you become the “Rolex” of freelancers.
Through my program I’ll help you grow your self-confidence, increase your perceived value and build a better and more profitable freelance business.
Marketing Confidence is published by American Writers & Artists Inc, and you can find their information and sales page for the program here.
Related posts and articles:
Marianne rocks it with Marketing Confidence.
Shelley’s Story: Becoming Unstoppable as a Freelance Writer.
Freelancers: Repeat after me, “I am a Rolex”.
Kind words from my coaching clients (from back when I did one-on-one coaching):
“Over thirty years of self-employment I have worked with quite a few consultants and Nick is by far the best. It is very rare to find a coach that is both very motivational as well as highly competent and Nick is one of those rare individuals. If you are just starting your freelance career or even an experienced writer going through some tough times you would be well served hiring Nick as your coach. I firmly believe that his knowledge of the industry coupled with his empathy and compassion has all but guaranteed my success. Thank you Nick.”
Alan Robinson
“Nick’s coaching has been incredibly valuable to me for several reasons. He has challenged me into clarifying my niche and how I articulate it – this is HUGE! He also has boosted my confidence and given me a very positive foundation – now I know I don’t have such an uphill battle for repositioning myself and earning more for what I do! I enjoy his sense of humor and down-to-earth demeanor. It’s been a perfect coaching match for me.”
Pam Foster
“Having Nick as my coach was one of the best investments I’ve made for my freelance copywriting business. He helped me determine the exact niche for my services and the pathway to achieve my goals. His insight, knowledge and expertise definitely speeded up my learning curve, and now I have more clarity and direction than I’ve had before.”
Janice Sakata-Schultze, Schultze Copywriting
“Nick Usborne is without a doubt one of the best Coaches in the Freelancing Industry. He has a great expertise and many ideas of how to help people to find their best freelancing opportunities, especially on the Internet. Revising the notes I took during the coaching sessions is like a never ending generator of new ideas-combinations to my freelancing career.”
Italo Baudo – Scotland, UK
More about my Marketing Confidence program…
“Not only was Nick very helpful to my copywriting business, but he’s also enjoyable to work with — funny, smart, insightful. He knows when to talk and when to listen. He helped me narrow my focus and develop a niche from a long list of career and job experiences. I would highly recommend Nick to anyone in search of coaching help.”
Kevin Short
“I used Nick’s coaching services to help me clarify how to position my business. He was able to offer practical, concrete suggestions on what to do next as well as imaginative ways of approaching business issues I brought to him. The fact that Nick is extremely knowledgeable about social media as well as copywriting gives him a unique perspective on marketing.
Nick gave me many nuggets of advice for my particular situation that I could not have easily gleaned from a book or training course. In addition, he provided a mixture of humor and encouragement threaded with a healthy dose of reality that made him a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend Nick to anyone looking for help in the areas of freelancing, online marketing and copywriting.”
Stan Robinson Jr., copywriter
“I worked with Nick Usborne for one month as I was trying to launch my freelance copywriting business. I had a unique situation, in that I had over 25 years of experience in the banking business, and then 3 years as a fiction writer. Combining these two odd work experiences into a functional and profitable niche in the copywriting world was a challenge. I knew I had good writing skills and years of financial services experience, but was clueless how to go about using them together. Nick helped me recognize and define a way to do that, that made perfect sense, and do it in a way that was achievable.
Nick was great at listening to my thoughts, thinking through the situation, asking relevant questions, formulating a specific niche, and most importantly, then creating a strategic plan for assimilating my skills into a meaningful freelance copywriting business plan. Nick has a wealth of experiences that allow him to evaluate exactly what will work for a freelancer, establish a game plan, and suggest detailed alternatives.
Nick’s style is no-nonsense and straightforward, and I liked that very much. He did not pat me on the back and offer “rah-rah” or “go get ‘em” type of advice. He provided me with actionable suggestions that will go a long way in my quest for success in the freelance copywriting world. It was money and time well spent and I will be going back to Nick again soon for further coaching. Highly recommended!”
Jeff Bacot, author and copywriter
More about my Marketing Confidence program…
“Nick did an absolutely wonderful job at guiding me through the process of navigating the seemingly endless choices when entering the copywriting world. He was very patient and kept me on track throughout. Now, I have a plan and am working hard to making that come true. Nick was/is instrumental to making that come true!”
Dan Paluska
“Hiring Nick Usborne as a professional coach was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my business life. His deep knowledge of the freelance copywriting industry and breadth of experience gave me invaluable insight you won’t find anywhere else — you learn things from him that would otherwise take a lifetime to figure out. And he instills in you the confidence you need to break in and just do it. He’s a stress buster. If you are serious about launching your own freelance business, and you want guidance in building a stable and meaningful business, he’s the man with a plan.”
Melissa Waldron
“I was lucky enough to receive coaching under Nick for my Social Media consulting business. He was always willing to give of his time – no question too minor. He was very encouraging and eager to share his experience and knowledge. You can’t do better than Nick if you want help in growing your freelance business.”
Lydia Mills Ocala, FL
“I want to say that after yesterday’s call, I was just really, really happy with this coaching process I’m going thru with you. I hope you get as much satisfaction out of it as I’m getting. You are really, really good at this. I know we exchanged money for services but I honestly feel I’ve gotten far more than I ever expected. Far more. So thanks for being so good at this stuff…”
Richard Pelletier, LucidContent.com
“Working with Nick has been wonderful. His knowledge, expertise, and compassion for the insecure writer is invaluable. He not only helped to boost my confidence but we created a marketing plan that is already growing my fledgling business; within two weeks of our last call, I landed a client at double my usual fee. I would definitely recommend Nick’s coaching program to anyone who is looking to start a freelance business or grow their existing business. Thank you Nick!”
Krista Magidson