Post #2 – Getting work and securing repeat business
Getting work
Everybody says it’s about word of mouth and they’re absolutely right of course, but that’s not so helpful when you’re starting out is it?
If I could travel back to November 2018 and give myself one piece of advice it would be this:
The people who will give you work are those you have worked with before.
It’s blindingly obvious, isn’t it? But I didn’t see it at first. I think you should approach offering your skills for hire in much the same way as you approach fundraising. Not with a cringey, ‘pleeeeease help me’ but with a clear and simple proposition – email people and say, ‘I’ve got some spare capacity coming up so I can help if you’re short-staffed or if you have a project you want to get moving’. You are helping your clients push their work forward in a flexible, cost-effective and simple way – never forget that!
Keeping clients and securing repeat business
If you are considering striking out on your own, then the chances are you’re pretty good at what you do. Alongside your technical skills and knowledge though, how you behave during assignments is critical to the value you can add.
If you are consulting, then be really clear about the scope of work and deliverables. Understand how much time the client can give you in the immersion / research stage and be clear about the need to talk to other colleagues too and not just the hiring manager. Then deliver – on time, every time (outside of force majeure events).
If you are plugging a gap and providing interim support, (try and) be a delight to work with! Leave your ego at the door, roll your sleeves up, take on all projects and find ways to create small improvements in processes when you can alongside your core delivery. Be a good teammate and also remember that senior managers at charities are running from meeting to meeting and have some difficult conversations during their working week – don’t let one of these conversations be with you unless you can help it!
Ask for a testimonial at the end and let them know that you’d be delighted to help again in the future should the opportunity arise. If you are working through an agency or other consortium, keep them up to date with contract timings and debrief (and thank) them at the end of the assignment. More on working with others in the next post #3…
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