Yesterday, I was supposed to publish the first issue of my new publication “The Freelance Magazine”
Unfortunately, due to some internal hiccups with the design team, we weren’t able to publish it.
One of the team members was in the hospital with his mother.
We are all praying for her speedy recovery.
Anyhow, this magazine is a good initiative.
Something that I am really proud of myself.
Back in 2014, I launched a coupon magazine.
In which, there were only design coupons.
It was a physical magazine.
I was still in college at the time and wanted to do digital marketing badly.
Unfortunately, I stopped publishing that magazine because not many people used the coupons.
Why?
Because coupon magazines thrive in a recession, and there was no recession in 2014.
There are other reasons why that magazine was not a success.
But this issue isn’t about coupon magazines or even my freelance magazine.
It is about Frederik Baun. The man of the hour.
Frederick and I were connected through a mutual friend Nico.
We had to postpone 3 scheduled calls before this interview happened.
And honestly, it was worth it.
Frederik is very nice. Super humble. And he has good humour.
That is why we talked for more than 30 minutes.
A short introduction to Frederik.
- Has billed $200k on Upwork.
- His Client Profile on Upwork has $50k in spending
- Managed a team of 10 writers before COVID
- Former agency owner, now going solo
- He charges $75/Hour on Upwork
And he does a pretty good job of convincing people, hence the copywriter.
Unfortunately, I don’t have the audio recording of the interview because my AI video recorder wasn’t working. So there will be no audio.
I had to ask Frederik to share his AI notetaker’s notes.
Key Insights from the Interview
When you get on a call with someone, you get to peek inside their brain.
Their thought process. Inner workings. Approach to life and business.
If you listen carefully, there are many words of wisdom for you.
Following are the words of wisdom from my call with Frederik.
Pivoting in Times of Crisis
Covid was a difficult time for many.
For some, it was the end of the world. For others, it was the start of a new chapter.
Lots of businesses shut down. And lots of new opportunities came up.
During a crisis, the hardest part is pivoting when your niche collapses.
Smart people like Frederik pivot and adapt quickly. He went from fitness and events copywriting to SaaS copywriting during COVID-19.
Lesson # 1 – When a market shuts down, adapt quickly to new opportunities.
Leveraging Automation
I am a big fan of automation. Everyone is.
But not everyone is making use of it like Frederik did.
Before Covid, he was managing a team of 9 people.
Now, he has replaced them with automation and systems.
He closed his agency and focused on solo business using AI and automation tools.
Lesson # 2 – Before delegating, think if this can be automated. Managing fewer people reduces stress and increases efficiency.
Pricing Strategy
I was curious about this as well. What’s his pricing strategy?
According to him, fixed rates beat hourly rates.
With a set process, you know the work involved. Fixed rates protect your income and avoid client dissatisfaction from time-tracking issues.
Lesson # 3 – Justify your rates to clients upfront.
The Value of Upwork
A lot of freelancers are hating Upwork right now.
Which has opened up a lot of opportunities for smart people like you and me.
Instead of seeing current Upwork policies as crisis, see this as an opportunity.
Despite higher costs, Upwork provides warm leads with high buying intent.
This beats the effort needed for cold outreach on platforms like LinkedIn.
And if you do the math, Upwork is still pretty cheap to get leads.
Compare it with Bark or LinkedIn.
Upwork’s warm leads are pretty cheap.
Client Relationship Management
Every successful Upworker has one key skill.
Building strong client relationships. This is possible, when you:
- Understand your clients personally.
- Pay attention to details, meet deadlines, and maintain a friendly demeanour.
- Ask questions upfront to clarify expectations and show genuine interest.
These basics set you apart.
Lesson # 4 – Strong client relationships depend on strong people skills.
Productivity Tips
Whenever I am on a call with a writer, my favourite question is, what is the best writing time for you?
I am genuinely curious about this.
Frederik writes in the morning. I too write well in the morning. Most writers don’t. Some write well in the evening and some write well in the morning.
It’s all about finding your optimal work times.
Track your energy levels and schedule demanding tasks when you’re most productive.
Editing is crucial; refine your work to improve quality. Use tools like ChatGPT for feedback.
Client Acquisition Strategies
Humans are greedy. And when it comes to sales, we want to get as much as we can possibly get as soon as we can.
On Upwork, this approach won’t get you anywhere.
You have to start simple and upsell.
Hook clients with a small project, identify additional needs and offer more services. This builds long-term client relationships and increases revenue.
Lesson # 5 – Start simple and upsell.
I will only be publishing Upwork interviews which are worth your time.
In the end, if you are not learning anything from this Leadership Insights Series, there is no point in having these calls.
If you have any questions, do let me know.
Waiting,
Talha X
Dreamer & Founder @ The Notion Millionaire.
