What’s Your Plan?

Recently I had the pleasure of delivering a copywriting webinar with Steve Slaunwhite and Ed Gandia, co-Editors of this blog. Part of the seminar involved a contest where attendees could win several months of one-on-one coaching from the three of us. 

As part of the contest, participants had to answer a series of questions, one of which asked them to briefly describe how they plan to build their business.

Many of the answers included very general, foggy statements, which amounted to, “I plan on using the techniques learned in the seminar.”

A few participants, however, outlined very specific plans of action. A series of specific actions such as “I’m sending out direct mail letters to 30 new prospects each week for six consecutive weeks,” followed by more specifics plans for following up. 

Whenever freelancers ask me what they should be doing to market their business, I first invite them to tell me a little about their current plan. 

Often times, they just don’t have one. And that, right there, is the root of much anxiety. Anxiety which is heightened by tumultuous economic times. 

As the old adage goes, if you’re failing to plan, you’re planning to fail. Not only that, you’re planning to fail in a way that is stressful, frustrating and no fun. 

Freelancers who neglect to create a plan for growing their businesses end up bouncing around from project to project and usually end up taking on work they don’t like, or that doesn’t pay well. 

Freelancers who take the time to create a plan of action for their business succeed. Period. One the best examples of this is Ed Gandia. 

Ed Gandia created his own plan for transitioning to the freelance life while also holding down a demanding corporate job. Once a successful freelancer, Ed created an ebook out of his plan – which is more than 150 pages long! Now that’s a detailed plan! 

However, not all your plans have to be as detailed and meticulous as Ed’s. My current plan for my next direct mail effort takes up just a small corner of my white board, but there it is. A complete plan, clearly mapped out for me to see. 

I love the map analogy when talking about making plans. For me, planning becomes a lot easier when I think of it in terms of just “mapping out” a plan visually. One visual planning technique I recommend is called a mind mapping which is basically a free-form technique where you jot down ideas and concepts anywhere on a page, and then draw lines between ideas that go together. 

What about you – what do your plans look like? Do you have a detailed plan (or map) for marketing your freelance business that you can pull out and look at, or point to on a white board?

My opinion is that the level of anxiety you experience as a freelancer rises – sharply – when you’re just winging it, with no plan in place to follow for growing your business. What’s your opinion?

~

Pete Savage, co-Editor of this blog, is currently planning a big change to his business. Plans which he’ll be sharing this summer, right here on this blog…