How to use the “anti-pitch” to close more freelance deals
Freelancers regularly ask me… how can I pitch better? That’s how I sell more, right? I “pitch” better?
In a word: No.
Saying what you do is not going to help you close more deals—not in the way you think it will, anyway.
You need to focus on the bedrock of freelancing: you are a solution provider. From there, it naturally leads to three different things.
Step 1: Make it about them
Stop talking about yourself. And if they ask about you, keep it brief to start.
This is counterintuitive. How will someone know if they want to work with you if they don’t know about you, right?
I get it. This feels right, but it’s wrong because people hire freelancers first to solve a problem. Only then do they select based on if they like you or feel like they are comfortable around you. Those are important things that come second.
So, here’s what you do:
Start by asking how their day is going (or how their weekend was). Normal human chit chat.
Move into questions about their role: responsibilities? What are they accountable for?
Then think about how their work affects your work (e.g. “As a head of marketing, do you like to write content? Or do you prefer to edit? Or do you want to outsource that completely?”)
After you’ve learned about them (for a couple minutes), start to dive into the next topic: the business.
Step 2: Your job is to diagnose
Imagine you went to the doctor. But instead of asking you your symptoms, the doctor brags about having gone to Harvard Medical School. Irritating, isn’t it?
The same logic applies in freelancing: your job is to learn about your client and diagnose their problems, not share your credentials.
This is when you start to ask about the business:
Big vision
Leadership goals
How those goals tie into your prospect’s department
How it connects to the project they might have for you
Example: let’s say you booked a call because you’re a writer and someone said they needed a blog.
Great! But why do they need a blog? What business problem are they trying to solve that they believe a blog is the solution for?
This is what I mean by diagnosing the real problem. They want X, but only because X is in service of something else. You need to figure out that something else.
Pro tip: all business problems eventually connect to either making more money or saving money. The quicker you can get to that goal, the better.
Step 3: Explain what YOU do in THEIR context
When you know a bit more about their problems and needs, then you start talking about yourself. But make sure you’re explaining things in their context.
Here’s what I mean:
Bad context → “I’m a writer, I’d love to write for you.”
Good context → “You mentioned you’re launching a marketing campaign for your new product. As a writer, I can help you with X, Y, and Z as part of that campaign.”
This example is hopefully obvious. But the logic to apply it to any case is that you are a solution provider. So once you understand someone’s problems, you need to explain how the solution fits into their life and … solves their problem.
Pro tip: If you can’t solve every problem for them, explain what you can solve. That will alleviate their concerns for that part so they can focus elsewhere. That’s still incredibly valuable.
Sales is a game of curiosity
A successful freelance contract comes because you were the best person to solve the client’s needs.
You understood the client’s needs because you asked questions.
You asked the right questions because you focused on getting to know them first rather than just talking about yourself.
It all boils down to curiosity—then wraps back up into revenue.
