Ask Rezzz

Documentation!It’s not sexy. It’s not fun, but if you are looking to transition your services into a productized service, you need to  document everything you do.Productizing your service is all about profits and processes. How you trim your processes over time and become more efficient at delivering your service to your clients, you increase your profits.The only way to understand your processes to optimize them is through documentation.You’ll need to document everything from your sales process, onboarding process, how you deliver, and everything in between.There are tools out there to help, but all you really need is Google Drive.This will allow you to share documentation with your team or even if you are by yourself, you can see your documentation anywhere on any device.Please note that when you start documenting, it’s going to add time to whatever task you are doing because you’ll be taking screenshots, copying and pasting things, and bouncing back and forth between windows and tabs.But there’s no better

You don’t need to spend a ton of money on Facebook or Google Ads to generate awareness and grow your business. Look at Dropbox as a simple example.What they did was create a free tool that made it easy for people to download, put on their computer, and share files with others.Simple, effective, and most of all useful.How can you do this with your services? Easy, create something useful for your target client that you can give away for free.Let’s say you are an ecommerce developer? Create a calendar of dates over the year that are important sale days for ecommerce shops to keep in mind.If you are a designer, how many mockups of websites have been tossed aside over the years? Tons I’m sure. Bundle up a few of them and release that as website templates.If you are a photographer, package up a bunch of photos and release them as stock photography.Offer these up as freebies on your website that folks can get in exchange for their email address.You want to make your free thing specific enough to your ideal client so

In business, there is this scenario that gets created during sales that put 2 parties on opposite sides of the table. But the reality of it is that both parties want the same thing. They both want to be successful with the project.When the objections start popping up, I like to bring this up to them. I simply share something that I’ve said for years and it’s this. “I want to get you where you want to be as efficient as we can together. We are both working towards that same goal and both are successful when that goal is crushed.”I had a one-hour coaching session with someone (who I got permission to share this on the show) where she wanted to learn more about how to answer objections of clients and get them to commit but in face-to-face conversations and email.## Need to come into the conversation without biasThe simple reason is that they’re more than likely been here before. Maybe not to the extent or the exact service you are pitching, but the internet is now 20+ years old and no doubt they’ve had their bus

I’ve talked a ton on this podcast about outreach strategies because whether you like sales or not, if you are building a business, you’ll need to do some form of sales outreach.Hate to break the news to you.A lot of people I talk with, and maybe you have this same question too, ask what is the difference between warm and cold outreach.Simply put the difference is how aware is the person you are reaching out to about you and the solution that you provide.Start with warm outreachIf you are starting out, warm outreach is a good place to start because you can build up the momentum and cadence of your sales process.See in warm outreach, there’s less education that you need to do for that person about the problem they have, results they can expect from the solution to that problem, and you being able to provide that solution.In warm outreach, they know you and have trust in you at some level. So you can pay close attention to the language they use, objections they have and improve your sales conversations and proce

In A158 How much money do I need to make?, you learned what to take into account when trying to figure out how much money you need to make.What you’ll learn today is activity based selling. Which boils down to looking at what you can do today, not what happened yesterday, to reach your goals.What it really comes down to is breaking it into chunks. You started off knowing what things you enjoy and totaled all them up into a yearly number. You figured out what your total revenue number is too based on your aspirations and the reality of your expenses.Lagging vs Leading IndicatorsHere’s the shocking point, you have zero control over this number. It’s solely based on someone else handing over money to you. The amount paid to you is a lagging indicator, it’s the output or result. It’s easy to measure but hard to improve or influence because you don’t have the control.The concept of activity based selling is a focus on leading indicators. These are the inputs or effort you put forward. They are hard to measure, but

The mistake most freelancers make after having worked full-time is taking their annual salary and breaking that out into an hourly rate.This is a mistake for so many reasons, one of which is that what you pay in taxes here in the U.S. as a W2 employed person is very different than that of a 1099 self-employed person.You will need to cover things like healthcare, social security, and a whole plethora of other things that often times your full-time employer have covered for you.So before you make that leap, or if you have already and wonder why you feel strapped for cash, this episode should shed some light for you.Personal expensesThis is the biggest nut to crack and the harshest reality for a lot of people. Your personal expenses can vary from what your groceries cost, how much the mortgage or rent is to how much do you often spend on a pair of jeans.Be honest with yourself when exploring this because this is the space where you don’t want to skimp on. In fact, if you over budget here, you’ll be better off.Th

As a creative entrepreneur, you decided to start your own business because of certain reasons. Whether that’s time freedom to spend time with your family or travel or no limit on your income potential, that goal is your own.With all the social media and “celebrity” out there it’s easy to become distracted and get off track.What their goals is not what yours are. Plain and simple.Even if that person’s goal is similar to yours, you aren’t the same person. You may not even have the same type of personality. The way that person does something may not be the best way for you to do something.Look for inspirationComparing yourself to someone else will do more harm to you than good.What you want to do is look at what’s working for someone else and potentially take that as inspiration for yourself.There are many successful folks building businesses based on their personality and being outgoing.If that’s not your style, but you respect the way that they are doing sales or handling customers, use that for inspiration.Ta

Sticker shock is real sometimes, but other times this is a negotiation tactic. It’s up to you to figure out.Explain why you are different than others and provide proofThis is where you should be explaining and re-framing the context of your service in comparison with what they’ve experienced in the past and/or your unique advantage.You want to be empathic to their budget restrictions obviously. Simply re-iterate the results you’ve had with past clients and keeping it succinct and to the point that you are helping them accomplish goals and not only building a website, feature, or blog post.All these things they have heard from you before at length so no need to re-hash it all again.Then leave it at that and let them fill in the awkward silence. This will start to tell you if it’s a negotiation tactic or reality.If they don’t have the funds, be understanding and tell them that when they are ready in the future, you are there for them.Scale back the work to meet their budgetScale back scope, don’t discount!If th

Taking payment is complex, but should be the easiest, most frictionless experience for your clients. If you get nothing else from this episode, please take that with you.Outside the U.S.There are all sorts of laws and regulations that complicate all sorts of payments. What I’m sharing applies to the U.S. If you are not in the U.S. these companies and services that I talk about may still apply, but I can’t guarantee it. Please do your due diligence to make sure that this works best for you and where you are.There are a few layers in taking payments that I hope to provide some clarity on. There is accounting software and there are payment gateways. The lines between the 2 have become much more blurred in recent years. What is a payment gateway?The difference between the 2 are important. Payment gateways process payments only. They will not reconcile your expenses, can’t generate invoices directly and easily, and will not give you profit and loss statements.Gateways are companies like Authorize.net, Stripe, and

It’s hard to come up with just one favorite quote, because for me quotes are inspirational when there’s a reference or context to them.I’m going to share with you my 6 favorite quotes and put some context around them. Everyday Life“Two things that you have control over every single day: attitude and effort.” -Andrew McCutchenThis is something that I heard him say in an interview once. Smart man and absolutely right.It’s important to remember that you can only control yourself, what you do and how you act. There’s no point in trying to control someone else, a particular situation, etc. It can’t be done.Show up, give it your all, and do your absolute best each and every day.Competitive“Never underestimate your opponent, never take what your enemy gives you.” - Sean Connery This is from one of my favorite movies of all time. Rising Sun with Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes.In this movie, Sean Connery plays the role of a mentor to an upstart police officer, Wesley Snipes. If you haven’t seen it, definitely queue it

I was speaking at an online conference called Weaver’s Space Online Conference and asked this question during the Q & A portion of my talk.I love Q & A more than any scripted presentation for a number of reasons, but the biggest reason is because I know that someone walked in with something specific they wanted from the talk and walked away with an answer.I’ve had my share of big brands and corporations in my career and it’s definitely a different beast to tackle. It’s hard to break in the door if you don’t already have an in.Unlike small businesses, corporations usually have an agenda and roadmap of projects they need done. They fill the gaps by seeking out vendors, then vetting those vendors and hiring.Once those vendors are approved, they most likely will continue to go back to that well time and time again, so I get the appeal of that as a target client for a lot of people.However that outreach is a hard nut to crack. You essentially have to be in the right place at the right time.Increase your ch

I’m a huge fan of weekly reviews and they are a pivotal part of my business each and every single week.I was having a conversation with a Feast community member and this person had a bad week where things unexpectedly happened and through some plans off track.They said “that they see the value in a weekly review but in practice they would see that plans got thrown off track and would then just work through the weekend to put things back on track.”This is something I’ve done in the past myself. But what I’ve learned from several different people is that during a weekly review, a key point to do is evaluate the week and if something went bad, you need to ask yourself.
“Why did this go bad?“What was the results of this happening?”“How can I prevent or at least minimize the effects of this when it happens again?”Learning is key to your weekly reviewDuring my weekly reviews it’s not just about Inbox Zero and planning the week, but it’s also planning out the future and learning from the experiences of the week.Case

I’ve spoken about cold outreach emails in in episode 127 “How would you write a outreach email” but prior to that, you need a strategy to get to that email right?You can’t convince anyone of everythingFirst thing to remember is cold outreach is a numbers game. If you cast a wide net with no bait, the more likely it’ll be that you need to throw away most of the fish.What I mean by that is, if you have a large list of emails or contacts of a particular industry, most of that list isn’t the right kind of client for you and you are just wasting time.The segment that may listen to you will be small, but even most of them you won’t be able to convince them that what you do is valuable to them.The segment that is the smallest are those that fit for your business, because they see the value in what you do. They are the contacts that you want to target for cold outreach and not waste time on everyone else.Instead of picking an industry/trade/niche and then casting that net and praying for responses and then weeding th

Before jumping into today's show, I want to thank you specifically for allowing me into your earbuds every day for the last 150 days. I don’t take it for granted at all!

Today’s going to be very different because it’s my birthday today. And if you aren’t listening to this on Sept 20, that’s ok too.It’s going to be a quick one for you and I hope that it’s going to be helpful for you as well.When it gets close to your birthday, don’t you get asked this question? Especially from family members or close friends, right?I always find this a little awkward because I don’t ask for things. Yes, I’m a gadget geek, love the Mets, and all types of toys from the 80s that I grew up with, but they are all things that aren’t necessary in my life.To be honest, I’d much rather have folks if they must spend some money, either give to a charity they can get behind, or spend it on my son TJ.So you are probably wondering where’s this going, Jason?Well, since it’s my birthday today and I am always in your corner to help you any way that I can, I want to share a gift with you. The gift of vision.This is going to sound pretty basic and crude, but I tell you, it works.Grab yourself a post-it note and

Not everyone is meant to be a freelancer. It’s not easy. There was a time in my career that I questioned if it was something I was meant to do. Multiple times in fact.It’s something that many wrestle with especially in the bad times, myself included. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that either.People with a full-time job and a classic 9-to-5 wrestle with what they are doing every day as well. It’s a natural feeling people have.Being a creative person and going against the grain is something that comes naturally. Having a regular 9-to-5 job seems just that, “regular” and you may think the grass is greener. Becoming a freelancer is a career choice that has to be made based on you and a soul-searching exercise that is true to you.Here is an article I wrote on the 13 reasons [Why Freelancing Isn’t For You](https://rezzz.com/freelancing-not-for-everyone/). - Don’t have a good support system- You need benefits- You don’t have patience- Can’t say “no”- Aren’t objective- Don’t like to continuously learn- Don’t

Creating goals can be overwhelming for some. But it doesn't have to be if you make it fun, exciting and don't forget that it's all about growth.Today I’m going to share with you the structure of creating a goal that will put you ahead of the game of most people.If you haven’t yet listened to A142 How do I set a goal? go do so. It’s a quick 6 minutes where you will learn what a SMART goal is and the important 3 pieces about SMART goals to pay close attention to.This structure can certainly be used for any goal of any type, but for the sake of this example, let’s assume that this will be a goal for your business.Example of a SMART GoalThis first thing you’ll want to do is give your goal a name. Give the goal a name that’s positive and specific.Don’t just name your goal “Make $100k” Instead name it “$100k in a year to help others and my own business grow”Brings that element of feeling into the goal that creates a sense of attachment.The second part is the type of goal. What kind of goal is it, let’s assume it’s

Today I’m going to put an end to this conversation once and for all. I’ll be the first to admit I spent to much time on this question myself, and so I don’t want you to.For a very long time, I’ve wrestled with the idea of what should I call myself. Should I ever use the term “freelancer.” Should I call myself a “consultant” or “web developer.”In Episode 61 What is freelance?, I dove into the negative perception of the word what you can do to change that perception.A lot of my friends online have said in some shape or form to never call yourself a freelancer. For a very long time I would jump on this to train as well.Does calling yourself a ‘freelancer’ matter?But to be honest, I don’t think it really matters all that much, and I’ll explain why that is here in a minute.But before I do, I just want to say that I’ve had some amazing conversations about this with so many smart people that I absolutely respect. Because of these conversations and what resulted from them, is the basis of this episode.The funny and i

I posted a question in our FB Group, Sustainable Freelancer. Which is free by the way, get in there if you haven’t done so already.The question was "What do you see as your biggest hurdle in growing your business?" and someone PM’d me instead of replying to the post itself saying “My biggest hurdle is me, I’m an introvert and I always seem to have a problem with my confidence. Self-doubt always creeps in and I’m not sure how to get away from that.”Out of respect, I’ll just refer to this person as “he”. But I did get approval to share the conversation on the show because this is something that I talk about and write and share my own battles with it pretty frequently.My initial response to him was that he does outstanding work and from my point of view, you have nothing to lack confidence in.But we all can get into our own heads a bit from time to time regardless of how well everything else sees us?“I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on eve

If you don’t work take your business as serious as your clients’ well you won’t be in business for long.Have to be disciplined on protecting that time.As I mentioned in yesterday’s episode, when you are freelancing or consulting, you have to be extremely mindful of your time. It can quickly get out of hand where you spend a tremendous amount of time on things that you shouldn’t be.Now working “ON” your business really isn’t something that is a choice if you are running a business. But I get the idea here.The question basically is asking about doing all the sales, marketing, support and administrative work that isn’t your client’s business.It ultimately comes down to having discipline. Willpower if you must.Carve out and schedule the timeWhat I did very early on in my career was block out time on my calendar and get up an hour earlier every day.Just knowing that I wasn’t taking time away from clients but still moving the business forward allowed me to not feel guilty and build my business.Now there are whole d