The Freelance Writer's Guide to Dominating Your Writing Market - Part One

10/28/2014

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The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Dominating Your Writing Market - Part One

Ethical Standards is the New Form of Competition

By Freelance Writer and Author, William Ballard

I am super excited about sharing this new series with you. This is the start of a four part series of articles that will not only teach you how to dominate your market, but also how to leverage the power of ethics to be the one writer that your top clients want to do business with.

And some of the principles and points I will share with you will even help you make money in the process. You’ll actually be paid more to be more ethical in your business dealings.

Let’s start with the first ethical principle to start winning over your dream clients for your freelance writing business that pays:

Never Compromise Integrity for Growth

This is a principle I learned during my tenure at a very fast growing network marketing company. I wrote an article on Entrepreneur entitled, “2 Principles that Will Change the Life of Your Business”, which highlight this point to the “T”. I recommend you go and read that article when you get a chance.

What more can I can say about this point that that article above doesn’t already address?

To answer that question, there are volumes more that I can add to this point that makes this principle that much more vital to the success of your freelance writing business.

Such as…

Integrity Requires Honesty

According to Dictionary.com, Integrity is defined in this way:

Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: “to preserve the integrity of the empire.”
A sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: “the integrity of a ship's hull.”

Despite what any other freelance writer wants to tell you, honesty is still the best policy (I will be talking more about this in the final article of this series, so you will want to stay tuned).

Sometimes, it appears that honesty is becoming more and more outdated. However, don’t be fooled or bamboozled! People (prospecting clients) can tell a liar from a mile away. In fact, this works both ways. You can tell when a salesperson is being honest with you or is just shooting a lot of smoke up your butt, can’t you?

Well…don’t you know that it works the same way with your article pitches?

As you can see form Dictionary.com’s definition of Integrity above, the integrity you have in your freelance writing business speaks volumes about your character and moral compass. No one wants to do business with someone with weak character.

Also, integrity is the lid to your professional jar of powerful qualities. As Dictionary.com states above, integrity is the fullness or wholeness of who you are and what your writing business is. In other words, without integrity your freelance writing business is incomplete.

Integrity Requires Transparency

This is a point I will be touching more throughout this series, but for now, the idea that I want to get across to you is this: Being in business for yourself is similar to living in a glass house.

Although, the majority of people want to be private, for a business owner, being private is that much more difficult.

Now, I know that there is a lot that can be said here about this topic of being private and many may not agree with my ideals about this area (and that is okay), but it is important that you take away this point with you: To be a successful freelance writer and business owner you must be transparent.

For example, I like to be private too, just like you do, but I know and understand that I am living in a glass house (especially while serving in ministry) and that I must be an open book to people.

In other words, I don’t want everyone to know everything there is to know about me, but I also know that I have to be open and honest. Anyone that can’t be open and honest, obviously, has something to hide.

One way to master the power of ethics in your freelance writing business is to practice what you would expect from other business owners.

What You Can Learn from Other Business Owners Ethical Failures

If you are like me, I am constantly evaluating the service I get from just about every type of business that I encounter. Whether it is in person, over the phone, or through an email, I am constantly judging the service and trying to determine if there is a better way of doing things.

How many of you do the same thing? Answer in the comments below.

Well…if you have ever felt that some business owner has not been ethical with you chances are they haven’t. And if you are judging the service you get from these types of companies, believe me when I say that your clients and potential clients are judging your service just as much as you are judging the service from whatever business dealing you are experiencing.

So, here is an exercise I have for you, take a moment to put yourself in the shoes of your clients or your potential clients. Approach your freelance writing business the same way they would. Step into your sales funnel the same way they would and find out what areas of your marketing and follow up systems are presenting unethical warning alerts.

Also, take this exercise beyond just your sales funnel and your follow up systems, but even go into the areas of providing and delivering what you promised.

I believe that practicing this exercise not only helps you but it also helps your clients, and takes the experience they have with you to a completely new level.

The Law of Accumulation and What it Can Mean For Your Freelance Writing Business

In fact, I wrote another article for Entrepreneur not to long ago entitled, “How to Apply the 'Law of Accumulation' to Your Business and Your Life”, that really highlights the importance of putting this exercise to practice. The points made in that article do not outright mention freelance writing, but the points made can be addressed to freelance writing and your writing business.

(Side note: The Law of Accumulation article above was Tweeted out 1,000 times on the first day it was published, and currently it has now been Tweeted out 4,000 times.)

If there are areas of neglect within your business system (which could also be ethical areas), you could be missing out on a lot of business.

The Law of Accumulation is twofold, one negative and one positive. If the negative side has to do with neglect, then the positive side has do with proper maintenance and management.

Today’s Take Aways and Action Steps

Learn from Other Business’s Ethical Failures - Make a list of things that you have experienced from the service of other businesses, both positive and negative. Come up with ideas that you think could make that service or that experience better, or if you feel that the experience was top notch, find out what made it that way and try to implement such practices into your freelance writing business.
Study and Practice the Law of Accumulation – Whether you want to believe it or not, the Law of Accumulation is already working in your business. How it is working in regards to your freelance writing business is the question. Is it bringing negative results (in the case of neglecting certain areas in your business such as ethics) or is it bringing positive results (you are practicing proper maintenance and management)?

Now Over to You...

If you have never considered these important areas in your business, then I submit to you today that you should be focusing your efforts on bringing to light the areas where you are ethically falling short and resolve today that you are going to be more ethical in your business dealings from here on out.

Has this article added value to your freelance writing or writing business? If so, please share how in the comments below. And don't forget to share with those you think might benefit from these tips.

This article is part of the Freelance Writer's Guide to Dominating Your Writing Market series.

Series Table of Contents:

The Freelance Writer's Guide to Dominating Your Writing Market - Part One (This Article)
The Freelance Writer's Guide to Dominating Your Writing Market - Part Two
The Freelance Writer's Guide to Dominating Your Writing Market - Part Three
The Freelance Writer's Guide to Dominating Your Writing Market - Part Four

Recommend Resource:

The 21 Qualities of a Successful Writer: Develop Them and Become the Writer Everyone Wants to Read

Becoming more ethical in your business dealings really boils down to the qualities, character, and core values that you live by.

I have written a short e-book (42 pages of invaluable content) that will guide you and encourage you through the development of the successful writer that dwells inside you. And who is just waiting to be released.

For just $4.99 you could be well on your way to developing the qualities that every successful writer has.

For more information CLICK HERE

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About the Author
William Ballard is the proud author of, "The True Writer's Life: Discovering the Author and Finisher of Our Faith".

He has been writing professionally for over 10+ years and has much experience within the industry, both in publishing and in freelance writing. He has successfully self-published over 10 books and eBooks. Visit his Amazon Author Page to see list of his most recent projects.

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