Why You Already Have Skills That a Future Client Wants Most
I am willing to bet you already have a priceless skill set that you are undervaluing.
I am new to writing regularly online, for the public eye. I am used to writing privately, which I have been doing (almost) every day for the last five months.
Three notebooks down and filled with thoughts, jargon, and complete conjecture based on my emotional and mental state at the time. Sometimes it is absolutely illegible but it is for my eyes only so I don't really need to care.
Professionally, I have carried a lot of titles. Stewardess, waitress, dog bather, pet sitter, housekeeping manager, the list truly does go on. What all of these have in common is they are client/customer-based positions.
I am new to writing professionally but I know nothing if not how to think from a client's perspective. It isn’t rocket science but it is imperative.
Semantics aside, clients just want to feel professionalism and comfort at the same time. This envokes trust, which is highly likely to land you that job.
Competency is important of course, but if you are competent and yet lack the art of details, this will show through every time.
I read a lot of articles here on Medium. I mean a lot. I have gained a lot of insight and knowledge from my fellow writers on here (does that mean that I am actually a writer?!?) but there is something I see pretty consistently.
Misspelled words. Punctuation errors. Sentences that run into one another. It always amazes me at the amount of talented, popular, and seasoned writers that make this incredibly rookie mistake. I may be new to public platform writing, but I read, re-read, and send my work to family and friends to edit before I hit that publish button.
Details matter, possibly more than anything else. They show consistency and in most clients, there isn’t many things more valuable than consistency.
I had my own pet sitting business for years and, of course, I was very competent. Who wouldn't be capable of looking after sweet furry friends all while (typically) staying in beautiful homes? To me, it felt like a mini-vacation and a dream come true!
The point is, more than competency (which is important), I was incredibly consistent. In every aspect. Whether or not I was able to take a job, I would answer right away when a client reached out. When I would actually pet sit for a client, I would deliver the same amount of communication and care every single time. This is where the comfort part comes in and leads right to loyalty and trust.
My work in yachting and hospitality taught me another essential skill- reading your client. Being fluid with my skill set so I could individually give the right care.
Perfect example- I had a client once who was always away on business and I would stay with their dog while they worked. My communication style with clients would be more is better than less. I would send photo updates and message details of the day. Most clients feel really comfortable with this, so it was always a good default.
This particular client was far too busy for that, and I could feel it. In the beginning, I would send my business as usual communications, but after feeling this client out on day two, I ended up prefacing it with, “You don't need to respond unless you want/need to, the updates are just for your comfort.”
I cannot tell you how happy this made my client. I got a message almost immediately expressing how this took a lot of pressure away from them and how thankful they were for my intuition and thoughtfulness.
This had nothing to do with my pet sitting abilities and everything to do with my people skills.
Do not underestimate your people skills. They are imperative to freelancing and owning your own business.
I hope this helped you see that you already have an invaluable set of skills that you may not have been aware of. Don’t sell yourself short just because you feel like a newbie. You have most of what it takes already! Go for it!
Feel free to follow me if you want to hear more pointers as a trudge up the hill that is starting my own freelancing business! I also love to share crazy and fervent travel stories, so stay tuned!
