8 Characteristics of the Best Freelancers
If you’re thinking about entering the freelancing world, a better lifestyle away from your 9 to 5 job awaits you. According to a study from ReportLinker, 84% of people doing freelance work expressed that they found fulfillment in the freelance economy. The study added that freelancers are living happier and more satisfactory lifestyles than typical workers.
8 Characteristics of the Best Freelancers
However, to experience those things, you need to have the characteristics of the best freelancers in the industry. If you possess each of them, you’ll achieve a lot of success as a freelancer. Being a successful freelancer is the key to a fulfilling freelance experience. If you want to know the characteristics of reputable freelancers, stick around for a bit so we can discuss them with you.
Passionate
Do you have any idea what motivated great freelancers to become freelancers in the first place? If you answer that they want to make a living out of their passion, then you’re absolutely right. Being passionate is what kept them going in their freelance job.
Plus, a job won’t feel like a job if you love doing it. Instead of seeing it as a job, you may see it more as a hobby.
Whatever challenges the best freelancers face in their work, they always manage to pull through because it’s what they live for. As the main character of the 3 Idiots movie said, “Make your passion your profession, and work will become a game.”
Hardworking
The best freelancers wouldn’t be where they are now if they weren’t hardworking. No matter how skilled a freelancer is, he or she will never make it to the top without hard work. As basketball superstar Kevin Durant said, “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.”
In freelancing, it’s not just trusted clients and their projects that freelancers would be dealing with. They also need to review their income, create strategies for promotion, make budget plans, schedule appointments, do bookkeeping, and many more. Those activities force them to work extra hours, which takes a lot of dedication. The bottom line is that the best freelancers are pure hustlers and workaholics.
Open-Minded
Open-mindedness is a trait that every successful freelancer has. Freelancers who can think outside the box and go beyond what their portfolio showcases can become overachievers. The best freelancers are always open to new ideas and techniques. They always seek for new grounds to diversify their skill set and improve their productivity.
The open-mindedness of the best freelancers not only enhanced their capability but also opened countless doors of opportunity for them. They take chances for growth head-on without hesitation.
Resourceful
Successful freelancers today came from humble beginnings, just like any other businessman. At the start of their freelance career, they once struggled to find tools and resources for their work. Sometimes, they borrow equipment and scavenge for materials that are suitable enough. Their resourcefulness helped them achieve the success they have at present.
But, even to this day, profitable freelancers are still practicing being resourceful. They do their best to cut costs by finding cheaper yet high-quality alternative resources. Other than that, great freelancers are also good at tracking more work. They keep tabs of different job platforms where they can attract clients. Good examples of such platforms are freelance websites and social media.
The best freelancers show all of us that spending on expensive resources isn’t always the answer. At times, we have to learn to look for solutions without putting money on the line.
An Excellent Negotiator
Reputable freelancers consistently land great deals with their clients. How do they do it? Well, the answer is simple. They’re excellent negotiators. They are very adept at persuading clients to pay them more money. Their above-average negotiating skills enabled them to settle win-win agreements with their clients. Keep in mind that you need mutually beneficial client partnerships in the freelance business.
To become an excellent negotiator, a freelancer must not only have good communication skills. He or she must also study the nature of contracts, work proposals, project scopes, and the freelance industry in general. Wit and knowledge must go together to win at negotiations. And, through this, the best freelancers became masters in negotiating with clients.
Manages Time Well
Managing time well is one of the essential tips for freelance workers. The best freelancers achieve job security by handling multiple projects, which requires them to exercise time management. Mostly, they create schedules that balance their working hours. But for some freelancers, a simple to-do checklist can help them well enough in managing their time. In general, however, each freelancer has his or her own set of time management methods.
Flexible
It’s a common belief that flexible people can easily overcome challenges. That said, it’s expected that the best freelancers are flexible workers. After all, they wouldn’t be dubbed as the best if they weren’t able to pull through the challenges they faced.
To be successful in freelancing, freelancers need to be flexible or, at least, learn how to be. Clients have different expectations, and each project has its own set of difficulties. Once a freelancer finishes a project and does the next one, he or she is about to battle a different kind of beast.
A People Person
Last but not least, the best freelancers are people persons. In other words, they’re generally good with people. They have excellent interpersonal or social skills. For that reason, they’re able to meet with many clients and establish a positive online reputation. Their people-person qualities also allowed them to make connections with other professionals.
In freelancing, you need connections to many people to help the growth of your freelance business. By doing so, you could obtain countless referrals and invitations from clients through email. Ask long-time freelancers about the importance of connections, and they’ll tell you the same thing.
When you start freelancing, you should adopt the characteristics of the best freelancers if you want to join their ranks. Earning a steady income while enjoying the benefits of the freelancer lifestyle is achievable. All it takes is to model your work ethic with the practices of the best people in the freelance industry.
More in Freelancer
