This is emphasized as the "actual work" of freelancing, even more important than acquisition and selling. The core principle is to make the client experience "frictionless", similar to a five-star hotel. Practical aspects include:<ul><li>Proactive Communication: Reply promptly to client messages (not 24 hours later). </li><li>Onboarding Process: Have a clear process to inform the client about how you work and what to expect.</li><li>Educate the Client: Don't assume the client understands technical details or industry processes. Explain things clearly without jargon.</li><li>Manage Expectations</li></ul>

6. Client Service

Freelancers are often not considered "respectable".People to view themselves as businesses, not just isolated workers, emphasizing that someone earning ₹3 lakh per month and supporting their family is no less respectable than a well-regarded bank manager. This shift in mindset is crucial.

Perception problem surrounding freelancing

Merely doing "good work" allows you to charge market rate. To charge premium, you must go "above and beyond". This involves incremental efforts that yield exponential benefits. Examples include adding value beyond the core service, like understanding a client's broader business needs (e.g., how web copy affects sales), or performing small, thoughtful actions that make the client feel valued and supported.

5. Charging Premium

Understanding the market is crucial. Join communities of freelancers (like WhatsApp groups) and directly ask others about rates for specific services. Research on platforms like Upwork can provide additional data points and help determine a broad range. Once you have a range, honestly assess your own portfolio and skill level to position yourself within that range. While starting cheap can help build a portfolio, avoid undervaluing yourself; the goal is to eventually charge market rate and then premium. Pricing requires continuous attention and adjustments based on market conditions.

4. Pricing

Ask clients for "feedback" rather than just "testimonials". Ask specific questions like <ul><li>"What did I do right?"</li><li>"What did I do wrong?",</li><li>"How can I make it better?</li></ul>to get actionable insights. Make it easy for busy clients to provide feedback, perhaps by drafting a message for them to approve. If the feedback is positive, ask permission to use it on your website or social media.

7. Getting Feedback and Testimonials

A client matching three or more criteria is considered great. Two out of five is decent. One out of five is acceptable only if you need the money. A client who matches none (no creative freedom, no money, no relationship, no brand lift, no visibility) should be avoided. This framework provides a clearer way to assess a client's potential value rather than just focusing on their flaws, as "humans are imperfect" and most clients will have some issues.

Once time is freed up by dropping a client, focus on improving your skill and building a "T-shape skill". This means having deep expertise in your core service (e.g., editing) but also gaining a broader understanding of related areas that impact the client's goals (e.g., an editor understanding social media growth, hook writing, or basic design principles).Understand the impact of your work from the client's perspective (e.g. increases views, or drives sales)Incorporate this understanding into your pitches. Growth requires patience and strategic upgrading of skills.

8. Scaling as a Freelancer:

Start with small projects, even for family or friends. Be "shameless" about broadcasting your work. Share everything you do on all possible platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc.). You never know where your first opportunities will come from. Good work coupled with broadcasting leads to referrals.

2. Getting Started and Broadcasting Work

Focus on addressing client objections. A primary objection is often wanting to see previous work. A powerful technique is to take a potential client's existing work (like a LinkedIn post, thumbnail, or video) and show them how you would make it better. When sending your portfolio, make it extremely easy to access (e.g., directly clickable links in the email, curated links, attach your best work first). Write "hard to ignore" subject lines for emails, like "I Have Made Something For You"

3. Client Acquisition

These services typically require significant capital investment or prior experience/trust before a client will hire you. It's difficult to get initial freelance gigs directly.Examples of Domains/Services:Performance Marketing, Video ProductionPotential Income/Growth:These can be high-paying servicesMight require starting with a job in the field to gain experience and trust before freelancing

High Barrier To Entry

Instead of just listing "bad clients," define what makes a good client. A red flag is a client who expects a "perfect imperfect relationship" – they are disorganized or late but expect perfection from you. Other signs include poor briefing, expecting immediate results while delaying payment, and excessive micromanagement, which shows a lack of trustA framework is suggested to evaluate clients based on five criteria (CRMBV)

Identifying Good (vs. Bad) Clients

<ul><li>C - Creativity: Does working with them allow you to do highly creative work that enhances your portfolio?</li><li>R - Relationship: Is there a strong relationship, potentially built over time? Sometimes you might do a favor for someone who supported you early on.</li><li>M - Money: Do you need the money from this project?</li><li>B - Brand Building: Will associating with this client elevate your brand or signal your capabilities (like working with a big name)?</li><li>V - Visibility: Will the client provide visibility or credit for your work (e.g., mentioning you in captions)?</li></ul>

CRMBV - Evaluate Clients

Freelancing is described as an emerging and aspirational space, particularly for young people in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India. It's part of the gig economy, where individuals hop from one project to another and lack a predictable income like a salary. Instead, they must find projects, get paid, and manage their finances themselves

Freelancing

There are two main paths for growth after starting as a freelancer: Continuing to evolve as a better freelancer or building an agency.

Paths for Growth: Freelancer vs. Agency

Building an agency is as very risky. It involves significant administrative burden, expenses (like salaries and real estate), and a constant pressure to secure work to cover costs. Agencies can easily take on too much work and recruit based on peak loads, leading to difficulties and potential losses when work decreases, as it's hard to lay off employees quickly. While it can lead to different kinds of opportunities and scaling, it moves the individual away from the core execution, which might not suit everyone.

Building An Agency

The freelancer path to growth requires a "very, very hard thing" that many people cannot do: dropping a client. To grow income and level up, a freelancer needs to free up time, which often means letting go of existing clients, even if it temporarily reduces income. This is seen as taking "one step back for two steps forward". The newly available time shouldn't immediately be used to find new clients, but rather to re-assess and upgrade skills.

The Freelancer Path

There are several key strategies for success in freelancing:<ol><li>Choosing a Domain</li><li>Getting Started and Broadcasting Work</li><li>Client Acquisition</li><li>Pricing</li><li>Charging Premium</li><li>Client Service</li><li>Getting Feedback and Testimonials</li><li>Scaling as a Freelancer</li></ol>

Key Strategies for Freelancing Success

Focus on creative free-lancing services. These services are in high demand because every company is becoming a "media company" and increasing content creation drastically. Domains are categorized by their barrier to entry:<ul><li>High Barrier</li><li>Medium Barrier</li><li>Low Barrier</li></ul>

1. Choosing a Domain

These fields require renting equipment, convincing clients to invest more, or collaborating with others. The initial hurdle is higher than low barrier but lower than high barrier.Examples of Domains/Services:Video Production, CinematographyPotential Income/Growth: These fields have high potential. Video editing for podcasts and ads shows significant price increases.Suitable for individuals who can potentially access or rent necessary equipment or have connections.

Medium Barrier to Entry

These are services that require minimal initial investment beyond a phone and internet. They are presented as the most accessible starting point.Examples of Domains/Services:Content Writing, Designing, Video Editing, Social Media Management, LinkedIn Management.Potential Income/Growth: Starting rates can be around ₹1000-₹2000 per social media design, potentially earning ₹40,000-₹80,000 per month. Video editing can start lower and scale significantly with experience and complexity (e.g., podcasts, ads).Ideal for those with limited capital but access to a phone and internet

Low Barrier to Entry

👉 Listen to this on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1aJowYy0XqbNKBmNd2s1JV?si=s7NvscVZTiulOcEIKEw4TA 

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👉By Think School: https://thethinkschool.com/

👉VIDEO INTRODUCTION:

What happens when a teenager from a small town starts earning ₹6 lakhs a year,  not from a job, but from YouTube and freelancing?

Meet Ayush Wadhwa, a creator, entrepreneur, and founder of Owled Media. From humble beginnings in Rohtak with nothing but a webcam and curiosity, Ayush turned his passion into profit, cracked the code of freelancing, and scaled a one-man hustle into a 75+ member creative powerhouse.

In this episode, Ayush opens up about everything, how to start freelancing with zero capital, land high-paying clients without a fancy portfolio, and the brutal truths no one tells you about the creator economy. He also breaks down the biggest scams in the industry, the psychology of pricing, and why most freelancers fail to scale.

If you're a college student, an aspiring freelancer, or someone figuring out how to monetise your skills in the digital age, this conversation is pure gold.


►►Check out Think School: https://thethinkschool.com/sp/communication-masterclass/
►►ThinkSchool English 
https://www.youtube.com/@ThinkSchool


►►Check out Zerodha - https://www.youtube.com/@UC59YUBhNLMkS2Q8NBWBGHAA 


00:00 - Trailer
02:09 - Zerodha
02:27 - Introduction
06:48 - Ayush’s freelance journey
25:25 - Put yourself out there 
29:46 - Which freelance domains can you build a sustainable business in? 
38:04 - How much can freelancers earn in the creator economy?
48:20 - How to spot fake freelancers
1:00:48 - Negative perceptions about freelancers
1:08:30 - Strategy to get Clients
1:14:50 - Building Your Mock Portfolio
1:16:10 - Why Testimonials Matter 
1:25:20- How to do Client Servicing 
1:42:05 - How to price your services as a freelancer 
1:49:05 - Adding value beyond deliverables
1:55:13 - The harsh truth about freelancers 1:59:56 -  What is effective client servicing?
2:09:50 - How do you grow as a freelancer?
2:14:27 -  Freelancer vs. Agency Life.
2:16: 34 - Better Skills = Better Service
2:19:57 - 3 Red Flags in a Client
2:26:53 - What Makes a Great Client 





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