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What do you do if your client wants a bio, to revise their bio, or wants an article written on their latest product or service? The solution is to interview them. You can do this over the phone, face-to-face, or through email — whatever the client prefers. Your client can use the interview to post on their website and you have a guideline for writing a stellar bio or article.

Interviewing doesn’t have to be scary — it can be a lot of fun. Freelance writers who want to exercise their inner journalist will enjoy interviewing. It’s a nice break from writing and you may discover a hidden talent. Once you develop your interviewing skills, you could add this to your freelance services.

Knowing the client will help you with the interview. Look at their website, social media sites, and read any material they’ve written. Pulling information from these marketing materials will help you create interviewing questions.

Listening and understanding your client are the keys to getting a profound interview. Forget about interrupting your client when they’re speaking. Wait for pauses then interject and ask questions. The interview will flow better if you do this.

Tips and tricks to interviewing

1. Be natural when you interview someone. Think of it as having a conversation with a friend and you won’t get nervous or make the client nervous.
2. Ask journalistic questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how and prepare questions ahead of time. However, if you allow the interview to unfold, you’ll intuitively know what questions to ask.
3. Be professional. If a phone interview is scheduled for 2 pm EST and you live in another state, make sure you’re familiar with time zones. Its embarrassing to have a client call and ask you if you forgot about the interview.
4. Expect the unexpected. If the interview gets off course, gently guide the client back to the interview.
5. Phone interviews. Your client may prefer a phone interview because they’ll be relaxed and in their own environment. You may want to use a program called Audacity which is a FREE audio editor and recorder. It works great for phone interviews.
6. Email interviews. If your client prefers email, make sure you know what program your client prefers, i.e., Notepad, the new or old version of Word, or some other program.
7. Face-to-face interviews. This provides you the opportunity to see your client and their facial expressions. Bring a recorder, notebook, and pen. You may want to bring an extra recorder and batteries to ensure the interview is recorded — sometimes technology malfunctions. Make notes as you conduct the interview because they could prompt you to ask additional questions and write down key points.
8. Listen. Know when to interject with questions by listening to definitive pauses.
9. Forget about a set time limit. Avoid using a time limit unless your client is under time constraints. Plan for an hour but if the interview is flowing ask your client if you they’d like to keep going.
10. Transcripts. Some clients will ask for a transcript of the interview. You can either transcribe it yourself, use a transcription service, or hire a local transcriber.

Remember the interview may be posted on your client’s website so ask interesting questions that will engage your client and readers. Boring questions are the fastest way to dash your hopes of a poignant interview. Ask open-ended questions that you can build upon if necessary. Stay away from questions that require a “yes or no” response because they don’t add anything to an interview.

Freelance writers have fun with an interview. Make sure your client is relaxed because it will make the interviewing process easier. Be prepared with you questions, but don’t be afraid to ask questions that you think of as the interview progresses. Good luck!

Rebecca

What was your favorite interview? Share your experience.

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When you speak, do you say what you mean and mean what you say? Nine times out of ten, most people talk in circles. It’s like listening to a politician answer a question about the state budget! Communication is the key in any business, especially freelance writing. If you don’t know how to communicate with people, your writing will suffer.

Freelance writing appeals to most people because they get to work from home. Make no mistake about it, this is a business. In order for you to grow your business, you must communicate with others. However, you must understand their communication style. Some people don’t like the phone and prefer text, email, or IM. How adaptable is your communication style? If you can’t adapt to your surroundings, you’ll die out.

How well do you listen? Do you even know how to listen? Many people don’t have great listening skills. This is due to our “me” society. It’s all about me! Wrong! It’s not about you; it’s about the people who are your potential clients. When you meet people, be quiet. Listen to everything they have to say. Be genuinely interested in what it is they’re saying and you’ll have no problem gaining clients.

You’d think freelance writers would have impeccable communication skills. Wrong again! Many of them are used to being cocooned are from people. They forget what it’s like to have an actual conversation with people. Here’s a tip: get out of the house. Attend a networking event or fundraiser. Mix and mingle with people to exercise your communication skills.

Knowing how to communicate with others is imperative. People are from different generations and have different communication styles and ways of learning. For example, some people are visual learners. Telling them about your business without giving them a website to look at may not yield the best results. Make sure your website is on your business card. This way they can “check you out” and get a sense if your services are a match.

Communication is about connecting with people. Become a great communicator by first listening to people and then interjecting at the appropriate time. Many people are tired of being sold to and frown upon dishonesty. Be open and honest about you and your business and you’ll gain clients. Avoid selling to people because it will only deter them from working with you. Learn to sell without selling because it will take you far. Go out there and be the best communicator you can be!

Rebecca

How well do you communicate? Share.

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I can’t tell you how many Facebook Friend and Fan Page Requests I receive from people I don’t know. They don’t tell me who they are or about their product or service. Assuming that everyone will automatically friend or follow your Facebook fan page is a misnomer.

Freelance writers utilize Facebook to market their work. However, before you begin to “friend” everyone on Facebook, tell them who you are and why you’re sending them a friend request. Perhaps you have similar backgrounds or a few friends in common. If they don’t know who you are, chances are they will not accept your friend request. The same applies to your fan page. Who are you and why would a person follow your fan page over another writer’s? What value does your fan page add? What are you doing that’s different from other writers? Knowing the answers to these questions can help your position on Facebook.

Tips and Tricks to Facebook

1. Tell people who you are. Sending out a multitude of friend requests and fan pages could backfire on you. People receive so much information today — they’re on sensory overload! They may discard your requests if they don’t know who you are or what you do.

2. Don’t assume everyone will follow you. This may sting for some people but that’s the way it is. People want to connect with you not feel like they’re being sold to all of the time. Make your request personal and you’ll probably receive a lot of new fans. Don’t assume all people will accept a request because their friends are on your fan page. Some will and some won’t. Combat this by telling them “why” it’s important they become a fan.

3. What value do you add? In order to get people to follow you, make sure you’re adding value to their lives. There are hundreds of thousands of businesses on Facebook. What do you do differently from another company?

4. Create an outstanding ad on Facebook. You’ll have to pay for ad space, but creating a well thought out ad can gain you followers and clients.

Many freelance writers and small businesses are now on Facebook, but they don’t know how to connect with people. Blasting out a ton of friend and fan page requests could work, but sometimes it will not. Personalize your friend or fan page request. Remember that most of the world is desensitized today because they receive too much information in their inbox. You have to capture their attention and interest in seconds! If not, you could be wasting precious time sending friend and fan page requests when you could have been attending a face-to-face networking event.

Remember, people are desensitized today because they receive an alarming amount of information each day. Do them a favor and let them know why it’s important they become of fan of your fan page. They’ll find your approach refreshing!

What approach do you use when connecting with people? Share your expertise.

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I’ve been using Reporter Connection for two months. It was created by Bill and Steve Harrison and is the answer to your prayers. Write a book, boost your radio show ratings, and connect with experts by signing up with Reporter Connection.

What is Reporter Connection?

Reporter Connection is a free service that “connects busy journalists with experts to interview or quote on a particular issue.” You can sign up with Reporter Connection as a resource or journalist. Not only can you be a resource for someone, but you can interview experts for your project.

Freelance writers and Reporter Connection

Freelance writers will find Reporter Connection to be their new best friend. Sometimes you don’t where to find experts to interview for your book, radio show, or website. Reporter Connection connects you to experts within seconds.

I’ve used Reporter Connection three times and have been blown away by the responses I received. I had to stop two of my queries because of the amount of responses I received. In one day, I received 15 responses. The next day, I received 10. God only knows how many responses I would have received if I let my query run. I was overwhelmed and overjoyed at the same time!

If you visit my Screenwriting page, you’ll see the benefit of signing up with Reporter Connection. I met some amazing people who are experts their field. The knowledge these people shared is invaluable.

Sign up with Reporter Connection

Freelance writers sign up with Reporter Connection today and interview experts tomorrow. Sign up as a resource and you could be featured on a radio show! To learn more about Reporter Connection visit the website and click on the FAQs to find out more!

Rebecca

How can Reporter Connection help you with your next project?

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Many people want to become writers. Furthermore, a greater number want to become freelance writers. Why? What’s the appeal of freelance writing? If you focus on the “glamorous” side of freelance writing or being your own boss, you may be in for a rude awakening. Make no mistake about it freelance writing is a business and it’s all on your shoulders. You probably didn’t think about that. Keep reading.

Freelance writing is appealing because you’re the boss and able to write from anywhere in the world. All you need is internet access, a laptop or Mac, and cell phone. You may choose to rent a flat (apartment) in the UK for six months. All you have to do is let your clients know where you are and that you’ll continue to provide great service from another part of the world.

Before you become a freelance writer, interview a couple of writers and get their story. How did they get started? What obstacles did they face? How did they overcome them? What were their expectations? What training did they have? What business skills do they have? Getting the answers to these and other questions will help you make a decision about freelance writing. It may not be for you and that’s all right.

Freelance writing takes discipline. Are you easily distracted by Yahoo! IM or social media sites? How will you schedule your time? How good are you at meeting deadlines? How well do you handle pressure? These questions are not meant to scare you. They’re meant to open your eyes to the business side of freelance writing. It’s not all brochure copy, headlines, taglines, newsletters, web copy, and other copy writing. It’s your business!

The business side of freelance writing is almost never addressed. What tax form do you fill out? Are you aware of the tax deductions you can take? Do you know what CPA stands for? Do you know when to file your taxes? How good are you with saving? What are your expenses? What are your income projections for the year? You probably didn’t think about these business questions. They’re important to your freelance writing career.

Before you become a freelance writer, speak to other writers and editors. These people have a wealth of information. They can shed some light on the business side of writing. It’s not all glitz and glamour! You may find that you’d rather work as a contractor for a corporation or at a publication. Whatever you decide, make sure it’s the best decision for you!

Rebecca

What is the appeal of freelance writing? Share your thoughts.

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Many screenwriters would like to see their work produced. However, they may not have the funds and require an investor to back them. This can be tricky because most screenwriters are not business people and don’t understand how investors think and work. It’s best to know what you’re up against before you ask for $50,000 to make your short film.

Screenwriters must know that it’s not about them — it’s about the investor. You may be passionate about your short film, but an investor wants to know what’s in it for him. He’ll ask what the ROI (return on investment) is. If you aren’t familiar with ROI and other business terms, a couple of business courses will educate you in no time.

Make sure you have a business plan when you speak with investors. This does not mean you have to give them a 30-60 page business plan (standard), but have an outline or proposal prepared about the project.

Investors want to back a good deal. Screenwriters must prove themselves to investors. What makes your film unique versus another? How do you know your film will make money? Asking yourself these and other questions will assist you when you approach investors.

Information to give to investors

• Name of project.
• Description of project.
• Filming location of project.
• Time frame of project. When does filming begin and end.
• Budget for project.
• Projections. How much will the investor make on the film?

Numbers and the “bottom line” are important to investors. Screenwriters who don’t know what they’re speaking about can kiss an investment in their film goodbye. That’s the way it goes. If you’re not confident to approach an investor, have someone who knows how to approach investors work with you. Otherwise, you could blow an opportunity of a lifetime.

Screenwriters focus on the creative aspect of the “entertainment business” instead of the entire picture. You are in a business of marketing and making films which solves the problem for the general public of what to do on a Friday or Saturday night. The sooner you understand that Hollywood is a business, the better off you’ll be.

Avoid being rude or arrogant when you approach investors. Screenwriters who lack non-verbal and verbal communication skills will benefit from classes on these subjects. Again, you’re in a business and professionalism is required. This may not sound glamorous but it’s part of the business!

Developing and building relationships is part of the entertainment business. If you’re not relationship savvy hang around people who are and learn from them. Taking a few classes on relationship building will not hurt you — it will only help you.

Screenwriters who are serious and want to see their work produced will do what it takes to get their name out there. Whether or not you make it as a screenwriter depends solely on you and how well you communicate with people. Good luck!

Rebecca

How do you approach investors? Share your thoughts.

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When freelance writers, artists, and business owners attend events to sell their product or service, they don’t greet everyone who walks by their table. Yet, business owners, freelance writers, and artists often complain about the little or lack of income they make. How do you treat people when you’re at an event? Do you greet them? Are you interested in speaking with them? Part of your job is to market you and your business. No one else will do it for you, unless you hire a marketing firm!

Here’s a test you can do the next time you’re at an event. Walk by tables and notice how many people take an interest in potential customers. You’d be surprised how many business owners, freelance writers, and artists have selective customer radar. It’s interesting because they complain to others that business is slow and they can’t find leads or customers. Perhaps the reason has to do with how bad you want to be noticed. How important is it for you to support yourself with your work? Maybe you secretly desire not to be successful. You could be sending the universe mixed messages!

Most successful people surround themselves with successful people. No wealthy person has made it on his or her own. Take a look at the people in your life and gauge how successful they are in their life. Of course, everyone has different meanings for success, but most people equate a healthy income stream with success. If your income stream is a slow trickle, you could be sabotaging yourself by hanging around with people who don’t share your beliefs about success. They may not have a desire to be monetarily successful. If your contacts and friends are broke, how will you learn to rise to a higher level? It may be time to change your circle of friends and contacts.

Freelance writers and artists often hear “the starving artist” remark from family and friends. In fact, you may have heard this as a child. It has been programmed into your mind that you can’t make money from your work. This is nonsense. You have the power to delete any negative or self-defeating thoughts and create new ones. There are artists and writers around the world who make a living from their work — they just know how to do it. Plus, they have other streams of income.

Take inventory of the messages you send on a daily basis. What are you thinking? How do you think? If you constantly think, “…I want success, but it will be difficult,” you just cancelled your desire for success. You can’t have a “positive, ambitious thought” and expect to receive your desire if you replace it with a negative thought. The universe doesn’t work that way!

Freelance writers, artists, and business owners, the next time you’re at an event, acknowledge the people who walk and stop by your table. You never know who you’ll meet. You could blow an opportunity of lifetime because of your communication skills. Perhaps it’s time to strengthen those skills with a class or two. It couldn’t hurt!

Rebecca

What mixed signals have you sent? Share your thoughts.

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Many small business owners, including freelance writers, believe they can build their business alone. Building a solid business requires people. You could go it alone, but the road may be winding and long. Success could take its time to grace you with its presence. When it does, you’ll be tired and won’t enjoy it that much!

Building relationships is like dating — it requires interest, patience, and care. Don’t rush people and immediately begin telling them about you and your business. Get to know them first and exchange phone numbers and emails. Set up a time to meet and go from there. Go slow and take it one step at a time.

Tip: When you meet people, ask what you can do for them instead of what they can do for you. Yes, it sounds like Kennedy’s famous speech but it’s true.

Freelance writers often work alone and may not be skilled in the art of relationship building. Don’t panic because you are capable of developing strong relationships. When you attend networking events, make sure you get to know people before you ask for business. Take time to get to know people first and business second. After you get a sense of how you can help, ask to schedule a coffee or lunch meeting. Listen to what they have to say before giving your 30-second elevator pitch. Many people hear, but they do not listen to what others are saying. Pay attention when someone is speaking then ask if you could offer your advice and services. If you receive a “yes,” explain how solve problems and add value to clients. This is where freelance writers can fall short because they believe they’re in the writing business. See What Business Are You in Today? for more information.

Tips for Building Relationships

• Get to know people before you ask for business. Ask people about their families, hobbies, or how they got started in their business. Don’t go for the jugular as soon as you meet people.
• Take it slow. Just like dating, you don’t want to propose on the first date! Ask for a coffee or lunch meeting to gather more information about a potential client’s business. After you collected the information, let them know how you can be of service.
• Get out of your comfort zone. Freelance writers are artists are solo professionals. The thought of meeting new people terrifies some of them to death. Take baby steps and join one or two business groups to gain your networking legs. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be attending three or four events a month.
• Be sincere. There’s nothing worse than a phony. People don’t like being taking advantage of and it could ruin your reputation. Remember “word-of-mouth” is still a viable means of advertising. Be genuine and take an interest in people. Everyone wants to know they matter and are making a contribution to the world.

Freelance writers remember that it’s not about you. What can you do for potential clients? What problems can you solve? How will you add value to their business? Think about these questions before you whip out your business card and tell people you’re the most wonderful freelance writer in the world and that’s why they should hire you!

Rebecca

How has building relationships affected your business? Share your thoughts.

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Many people comment on blogs for different reasons. Readers comment to gain backlinks, others like to “spread spam” around the internet (spam is deleted), and some want to connect with the blogger and readers of the blog. Whatever your reason is for commenting, you have the option of leaving your website URL. Unfortunately, you may be asked not to enter your URL.

When you leave a comment, you have the option of entering your website’s URL on the comment form. It’s a great way of saying “thank you” to visitors who take the time to read your blog. If this is true, why would a blog administrator email a reader and ask her to “kindly stop leaving your business website URL on the blog posts? It’s very perplexing. Aren’t business owners allowed to comment on blogs? Perhaps the blog is following the “No Follow” rule.

No Follow: “nofollow is an HTML attribute value used to instruct some search engines that a hyperlink should not influence the link target’s ranking in the search engine’s index. It is intended to reduce the effectiveness of certain types of search engine spam, thereby improving the quality of search engine results and preventing spamdexing from occurring” (from Wikipedia)

Some websites use the “no follow” rule which is fine. However, when you use a comment form box that includes a space your website URL, the rule becomes confusing. It makes more sense to take out the website URL from the comment form to ensure visitors do not enter their website URL.

One reason to eliminate the “website” URL option is you’re afraid of competition which is why you choose to use “no follow.” You can say it has to do with page ranking, but what’s the real reason? Maybe you’ve built it up in your mind that visitors will not stop by your website if you allow readers to leave their website URL. You don’t want visitors to leave a link to their website because you’re afraid they may not come back to your website. This is hogwash. There’s opportunity for everyone on the internet. How many times have you visited a blog/website that didn’t fit your needs? What did you do? You probably looked at other websites!

The next time you post a comment and leave your website URL, you may receive an email asking you not to do that. FYI to owners of blogs/websites who request readers not to leave their website URL: take out the option to leave a website URL!

Rebecca

What are your thoughts on the No Follow rule?

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Many small business owners are not making money on the internet. They have a website, but it’s sitting in cyberspace among other websites. Your website is part of the equation to making money online, but there are many factors involved. For example, do you engage in social media? If you don’t, you could be missing out on money making opportunities.

Making money on the internet comes down to the following formula: Find It, Like It, and Buy It. Your customers find you (website), like your product or service, and buy it. That’s it! The formula is very simple. So why do many small businesses and owners make little or no money online? There are threes reasons: businesses don’t not have a proper website, they don’t know how to market to their target audience or they don’t know who their target market is, and they don’t take the right action.

3 Keys to Making Money on the Internet

1. The right website goes along way. You can have a beautiful website and it may not receive any traffic. SEO (search engine optimization) concepts can boost traffic to your website. Hire a freelance writer who knows and understands how to write for the web. It’s different from writing for print. Paragraphs are shorter, to the point, and filled with keywords (not too many — that’s keyword stuffing). When a prospective buyer types a keyword or keyword phrase into Google, your website will come appear in the search. Many small businesses like to be on the first page, preferably in the #1 spot! This could be done, if you use the right keywords and have a strong web presence.

Make sure your website is easy to navigate. Adding Adobe Flash to your website is fine as long as you don’t go overboard. Remember that peoples’ web browsers load at various speeds. A slow loading website will not do well. Visitors will click off and find another website.

2. Know how to market to your audience and know your target market. You may be targeting the wrong people. Hire a marketing person who can help you determine your target market. This way it will be easier to market your products and or services to them.

3. Take the right action. What action are you taking? Are you involved in social media? Do you network? Are you offering great deals and discounts? What sets your product/service apart from the competition? Without knowing the answers to these questions, you could be expending a lot of time and energy on the wrong action! Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are easy to join. Spend sometime developing an “online presence” and get to know people within your industry. You could also offer articles or a blog on your website or have a link to a blog. People love FREE information and will consider you to an authority or expert in your field.

Join networking groups with “like minded” people who want to grow their business. Establish relationships with others first then do business. How can you help them? Surrounding yourself with positive, industrious people who are serious business people will gain your referrals and vice versa.

What’s the formula?

Find it, like it, and buy it is the formula for making money on the internet! You can have the most boring website without a lot of “Flash” and perform better than your competition. It’s about presentation and what you offer that your competition doesn’t. This includes great customer service in addition to quality products and services. Before you set out to make money on the internet, make sure you go the right formula for success!

Rebecca

What has been your experience with making money on the internet?

Bonus!

Develop your niche market…sometimes the most boring products sell!

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