Podcast
Double Your Freelancing Podcast
Hosted by Brennan Dunn, Zach Swinehart · EN
Better Clients. More Money. A Happier Life.
16episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
SEO & AI Content Creation for Freelancers, with Tim Davidson
Jul 1, 202401:31:24Tap to summarizeFull show notes: https://dyf.link/episode143In this episode, Zach talks to Tim Davidson from https://cleancommit.io about effective AI content creation for freelancers.Tim shares his innovative approach to using AI for content that stands out, avoiding the common pitfalls of generic AI-generated text.They discuss the importance of fine-tuning AI models to produce high-quality content, the challenges of using ChatGPT, and how to enhance your content with better prompts and fine-tuning techniques.Tune in to learn how to leverage AI to create impactful content that drives engagement and results for your freelancing business.You can find the AI Content Template here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nNYGqYNXpcUHBeCwqOnK…Tim’s starter “System Message” from the example we covered today:"You specialise in blogging about medical clinics, specifically chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy and alternative medicines.When you're prompted with a headline and bullet points, expand on the topic of the headline and reiterate the bullet points in the voice of Tim Davidson and add more detail so they become full thoughts instead of simple bullet points.Ensure your response is a detailed paragraph between 600 and 1000 characters.Write with a casual, professional tone.Write in British English.Explain your suggestions thoroughly and avoid making unbacked claims." Check out the DYF Accelerator Community at dyf.link/community
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Transforming Client Selection and Crafting an Effective Offer Ladder
Jun 24, 202400:28:29Tap to summarizeFull show notes: https://dyf.link/episode142In this episode, I explore a critical mistake many freelancers make — targeting newbie business owners , and how to build a profitable freelance offer ladder.You'll learn why focusing on clients with established, profitable businesses can drastically increase your earnings and how to structure your services to cater to both high-end clients and newcomers without compromising your income.This episode will help if you're struggling with low-paying clients or want to create a sustainable business model that leverages your expertise and maximizes your profit.I also talk about:The pitfalls of working with newbie business owners and how it impacts your bottom lineThe concept of an offer ladder and how it can help you serve a range of clients effectivelyStrategies for overcoming imposter syndrome and confidently targeting high-value clientsHow to audit potential clients to identify the best opportunities for your servicesBuilding a product ladder to nurture new clients while focusing on high-paying bespoke servicesTune in to discover how these insights can elevate your freelance business, optimize your client selection process, and set you on a path to higher profitability and success.Check out our free “Charge What You’re Worth” Course at https://dyf.link/offer
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2 Big Marketing Mistakes Freelancers Make: Expecting Free Clients & Not Knowing Your Numbers
Jun 19, 202400:30:52Tap to summarizeFull show notes: https://dyf.link/episode141In this episode, I discuss two major marketing mistakes freelancers often make — expecting clients to be free and not knowing your numbers.You'll learn how these misconceptions can drastically impact your business and the actionable steps you can take to avoid them.This episode will help if you're struggling to get consistent clients or want to improve your business efficiency and profitability.I also talk about:The true cost of acquiring clients and why expecting them to be free can hurt your businessThe importance of tracking and understanding your numbers to gain control over your client acquisition processHow opportunity cost plays a crucial role in your lead generation effortsPractical strategies to shift your mindset and approach with client acquisitionActionable tips to optimize your marketing efforts and ensure you’re not undervaluing your time and resourcesTune in to discover how these insights can transform your freelance business and set you on a path to greater success and stability.Check out our free “Charge What You’re Worth” Course at https://dyf.link/offer
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The Delegation Mistakes Freelancers & Agency Owners Make
Jun 10, 202400:18:37Tap to summarizeFull show notes: https://dyf.link/episode140In this episode, I talk about the big mistakes freelancers and agency owners make when they delegate work to team members — and how to fix them.You’ll also learn the things you can (and should) delegate to other team members to free up your valuable time.This episode will help if you’re new to delegation or making one of these mistakes and want to delegate effectively.I also talk about:The importance of delegation in scaling your freelance business and achieving greater profitability and flexibilityCommon misconceptions about delegation and how they can hinder growth and efficiencyPractical examples of incorrect freelancer delegation and their implicationsThe concept of "secret sauce" and how to leverage it in your delegation processActionable steps for reducing variability and delegating recurring tasks effectivelyCheck out our free “Charge What You’re Worth” Course at https://dyf.link/offer
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Freelancer vs Agency: Understanding Differences & Choosing What's Right for You
Jun 5, 202400:34:14Tap to summarizeFull show notes: https://dyf.link/episode139In this episode, I explain the differences between being a freelancer or an agency owner and why it’s important to choose one of these business models.Both options have their pros & cons, and it depends on which path suits you best.I’ll show you how you can make the right decision based on your lifestyle and business goals.I also talk about:Creating effective strategies that work for your goalsResources for informed decision-making and business developmentKey considerations for scaling fulfillment and lead generationHow your business decisions impact your long-term goalsInsights into lifestyle flexibility, income potential, and business growthCheck out our free “Charge What You’re Worth” Course at https://dyf.link/offer
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S02 Episode 1: Automating Your Sales Funnel with Franz Sauerstein
Apr 20, 2018Tap to summarizeWhat parts of your funnel should be automated? How can you create urgency without building extensive “limited time offer” workflows into your automation? Is it possible to give even better service with less person to person contact? In this first episode of DYF Podcast Season 2 on Automation, Franz Sauerstein addresses all of the various steps in his sales funnel and how he helps others automate thiers. He shares tricks of the trade like getting clients to self-qualify before he even becomes involved. He and Brennan also discuss the next step in optimizing automation: Personalization. Go in depth with Franz as he walks us through his process from beginning to end. Key Takeaways: How to create urgency with self-assessments How to follow up with cooled leads How to provide a better user experience through automation The best way to segment leads following sales calls Franz Sauerstein is a two-time DYFConf EU participant and was a Student Success Coach for the now retired, Double Your Freelancing Academy. His consultancy, Xciting Webdesign, specializes in optimizing European e-commerce stores through automation. By employing tools like Drip (marketing) and Pipedrive (customer relationship manager), Franz’s company primarily takes businesses generating 5 figure revenues and turns them into businesses consistently generating 6 figure revenues. In his own practice, Franz uses automation to find, qualify, transact, and follow up with clients. So how do Franz’s daily workflows break down? Let’s walk through his practices. In the past, Franz has had a very involved process for drawing in leads. Although the steps of this process have not changed too much, the execution of each component has. Franz’s funnel starts with well-centered blog posts which he pays to have appear on social media venues like Facebook. These posts feature opt-ins with content upgrades including pdfs and ebooks that Franz says teach readers “how they can make their stores more successful and live the lives they want.” Content upgrades Franz has used include things like a guide covering “23 Ways To Increase Conversion Rates.” Because the topics speak to his target clients’ needs and provide relevant, accurate information, Franz is able to draw his leads’ attention and foster their trust in his expertise. Previously, when a lead would opt in, Franz would nurture them and after a few weeks or a few months they would fill out a qualifying form and jump on a call. In addition to automating several steps along the way, Franz has flipped the script on the qualification process. Franz now offers a self assessment to the client that will show them how much revenue they’re losing by not acting fast to employ his services. Although there are great tried and true methods for creating urgency on the sales side of the equation (offer a limited sale, create limited availability, offer a bundle discount etc), Franz wanted to create a sense of urgency on the customer’s side. He created an online form with Brevity, Zapier and Drip software. When a customer downloads the PDF, Drip logs the event and triggers a follow up for the following day. Although the assessment is standard, the response is tailored to what the reader’s shop needs. The wording in the follow up message changes based on what else the customer has read and what info they’re pursuing, making this one area Franz has optimized for personalization. The next step in this funnel is that Franz sends a suggestion of a 30 minute free consultation for qualified leads. If the lead accepts, then the workflow is complete and the info is then shuffled over to his CRM. If they don’t take the phone call then he will continue sending automated messages to the lead for 9 weeks with content along the lines of what they’ve shown interest in. These messages build trust with information-rich content and build urgency by asking if the customer has taken action yet. Franz says leads usually respond by the fourth or fifth email but if there is no response after 9 weeks, he will close the file. He says about 50% of the leads who are left by the time he sends the last email do actually respond at that point. Brennan asks Franz how selling has changed for him now that he’s introduced so much automation into his business. Franz says that for starters, sales calls were awful before he automated. Without the trust and the qualification that he has since built into his automation, Franz found it hard to sell clients on strategy. He was also getting the wrong kinds of leads. Like most of us selling services, he doesn’t want clients who want to DIY. Instead, Franz needs clients who want to focus on other aspects of their businesses while he implements the strategy they’ve agreed to. The self-qualifying questionnaire helps ensure Franz is getting the leads he wants and clients know want to expect from his services before getting on the first sales call. One of the best changes Franz made was replacing the phone number on his website with an email form. It may seem counterintuitive, but with the emails, Franz was able to offer better, more personalized customer service. How can service be more personalized when it doesn’t even involve direct interaction with a person? First, Franz’s email form asks for a quick description of the client’s project. He has then set up an auto-reply for these incoming messages which reads, “That sounds interesting, I have a few more qualifying questions…” The tone of the auto-reply, coupled with the fact that it is sent within 5 minutes of the initial message means Franz is now able to engage with customers even if they are in another time zone, or just checking out his site at 3 am, or even if Franz is away from the computer. Early engagement increases conversions so this can be a big help later down the road. Clients also have time to get the wording on their requests precise instead of struggling to articulate on a call, and Franz has a reference he can look to if there’s ever a risk of misunderstanding. Lastly, anyone who doesn’t want to fill in the second form, probably isn’t that committed to using Franz’s service. This tactic quickly weeds out those dead end leads, saving time. Less wasted time means more time to spend on paying customer’s projects which naturally improves the client experience. Once all of the sorting and qualifying has happened and the lead requests a call with Franz, a Drip follow up is sent with instructions for working out the logistics. Brennan advises tracking call statuses and clients via a CRM like Close.io. Unlike Pipedrive which has a mostly linear funnel, Close allows Brennan to have a “Booked Calls” section in which he can rate the call and Drip will respond accordingly. After a call, Brennan will go into Close and select “good fit,” “bad fit,” or “no show.” That status prompts Drip to move the leads to next step which might be a roadmapping session promo for good fit, the newsletter for bad fit, or calendly for re-booking if the person is a no show. Some parts of the sales funnel should not be automated --often, namely, the sale. While some products like online courses can run on sales automation, most consulting and service products like Roadmapping sessions, development, and even full audits must be done manually There are some things that can make these processes easier though like ready-made templates. Brennan mentions an SEO audit he recently hired an expert to conduct on DoubleYourFreelancing.com. The auditors clearly had a template they use for every gig that includes best practices and suggestions for each area they grade. The gig-specific information is then added so that the nuances of each recommendation are most apparent without having to re-write the guiding principles for every deliverable. Nusii proposal software has a reporting system with a similar guiding process that allows users to load in a report which they will use to build a template. That document will include standard next steps and best practices but allows room for users to fill in the blanks with project-specific suggestions. All of that can then be used as a template for a roadmapping deliverable. Franz uses Pipedrive and Drip to remind him to follow up with people after roadmapping to send them an invoice or reach out. The first two projects (roadmapping and whatever comes out of that) are usually low margin or low revenue so Franz knows the value of automating these processes. Return customers are more profitable so getting hands-on at this later stage is more financially worth his time. Brennan asks Franz what is left that he’d like to do in his business that he hasn’t yet. Franz is certain that more can be done with the amount of data he has on his leads and visitors. In the future he plans to optimize conversion rates and plug the few leaky spots in his funnel. Franz is looking towards more personalization alla Right Message and is planning to test Right Message with a client first (since their need is more urgent than his own). Franz notes that personalization is built on account-based marketing strategies that have existed for decades and are now being merged with and facilitated by technology. He intends to start adding information about leads he meets in person to the data set he’s gathered about leads who have found him online. Franz believes that short of Amazon, personalization is still a pretty under-used practice in Europe and he’d love to break this new ground in his market. Franz’s funnel follows a classic and effective trajectory. It starts with paid ads featuring content upgrades and opt-ins. Next, leads complete a self qualifying form. Leads who are on Franz’s page can email him and receive a near-instant response asking for more info. Leads then book a sales call or receive follow u...
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