Begin Your Passion Driven Lifestyle AND Keep Your Clients Happy
Tactics I used to begin my Passion Driven Lifestyle
It can be intimidating to transition into a Passion Driven Lifestyle (PDL) even as a freelancer. Whether you’re coding the next snapchat or having a photo shoot to catch the next Kate Upton, clients can be just as demanding as being tied to a desk for 40 hours a week.
I’m going to share with you some of the tactics I used to begin my PDL by separating myself from clients while keeping them happy.
Provide An Open Schedule
One of the biggest principles of a PDL is to liberate yourself. Working outside the four walls of an office building can quickly trick you into thinking you’re not tied to your work. Whether you’re getting barked at from a manager or a client, it’s all the same. Don’t expect a client to treat you any different than a manager if you tell them that you are going to work with them on Mondays and Tuesdays then tell another client you’re going to work with them on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It might not be the same manager looking for you as if you were in an office building, but it still is the same shit, just a different day. Which is something that should never have to be said by someone living a PDL.
By not specifying the days you’ll be working on the clients project, you’re not only freeing up your time but giving yourself an opportunity to make the client feel like they’re getting more of your time than they actually are. If a client feels they’re getting a “week” worth of work from you, the perceived value of what you provided will seem greater than if you delivered the same work and they think it took “two days.”
Value Based pricing vs. Hourly Rates and Line Items
When providing prices to a client, it’s important to think in terms of the value you’re providing the client rather than the time it will take you to complete the project/task. Here are two examples.
When developing an app, the success and wealth a client will receive once it’s downloaded/bought is important, not the time you spent building it.
When having a photo shoot, the fame the model will receive or the amount of issues sold by the magazine is important, not the time you spend taking photos.
When pricing a project for a client, try to focus on the value you are providing rather than the time or effort you’re going to dedicate to it. Value-Based Pricing will keep you from undervaluing your work, help you make the same amount (if not more) money, allow you to dedicate less time to client work freeing up time to explore your passions.
Disclaimer: This Isn’t For Everyone
To clarify, I’m not recommending that you sacrifice quality for your clients. In order to use these tactics and keep your clients satisfied, they need to have been happy in the first place. I streamlined my process to separate my income from an hourly rate while providing the same value, if not more than I was before.
One of the goals of a PDL is to not have any clients at all. This article is just the beginning to eventually separating yourself completely from your clients. To help you free up your time, begin following your passion and to make your passion the source of a passive income.
