Category Archives: Mindset

Ed Gandia

# 242 The Greenest Grass in Town

When your business gets really challenging, it’s common to want to move on. Move on to a different target market. Or start offering a totally different set of services. Or move out of freelancing and into a traditional …
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Ed Gandia

You’re Undercharging

Every day, people call the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta to book a room. And every day, dozens of people decide not to book at the Four Seasons because they think it’s too expensive. They end up …
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Ed Gandia

#241: Drama-Free Decision-Making

Every once in a while, you get an opportunity that’s just too good to pass up. The opportunity has great money and good people. And maybe it’s something you’ve wanted to do for a while. You want …
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Ed Gandia

#240: Flying Closer to the Sun

You might be surprised to hear this, but I’ve always been somewhat shy. And I was often afraid to try things for fear of failing. Looking back, it’s funny how these childhood fears and insecurities stayed with …
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Ed Gandia

Where to Look for Prospective Clients

I’ve talked many times about the importance of prospecting for new clients to keep your pipeline full. It’s all part of a broader strategy to grow your business and land progressively better (and better-paying) clients. Because there’s …
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Ed Gandia

#238: Jude Charles on the Power of Video Storytelling

We work in a copycat economy. So it’s gotten harder and harder to differentiate yourself in the market. It seems like everyone can claim that they’re a great writer. They do excellent work. They deliver on time. …
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Ed Gandia

#237: Is Warm Email Prospecting Still Effective?

Every few weeks, someone will ask me whether warm email prospecting still works. Based on what I hear from freelancers all around the world, in dozens of different target markets, I can tell you this: Yes, warm …
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Ed Gandia

How to End Prospect Discovery Calls

A discovery call is your first conversation with a prospect. The call where you learn more about what they need. And the most important element of this call is how you wrap it up. Because the last …
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Ed Gandia

The Freedom Triad

If you’re good at what you do as a writer, copywriter or marketing consultant, you’ll eventually reach an income ceiling. People often top at around $12-15K a month when they stick to their existing model. Fortunately, you …
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Ed Gandia

#236: Adding Priceless Value to Your Clients

I recently watched the docuseries “Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music.” It was fascinating. And if you love music, I strongly recommend it. One of the many insights I walked away with was the value …
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Ed Gandia

How to Shift the Conversation from Fees to Value

For years, the first question prospects asked me was “What are your rates?” This opening question is a drag. It immediately shows that the client is more interested in your pricing than your expertise. And it puts …
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Ed Gandia

#234: How to Get More of What You Want in Your Business

Zig Ziglar was a popular salesperson and motivational speaker for many decades. He used to tell a powerful story about two railroad workers. And that little anecdote had a big impact on my attitude and work …
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Ed Gandia

#233: Want to Convince Your Prospects? You Must Convince Yourself First!

Some writers hesitate to reach out to prospects and clients and offer to help with writing projects — especially in today’s environment. These writers fear they will come across as greedy, insensitive, or out of touch. If …
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Ed Gandia

How to Narrow Your List of Prospects

I often talk about the importance of prospecting for new clients — even when you’re busy. And generally, it’s not that hard to do some research and find lists of companies in your target market. But once …
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Ed Gandia

4 Pricing Models

Writers typically use one of four different pricing models. Many writers charge by the hour. Some charge by the word. Some charge fixed-fees. And some use value-based pricing. Each model comes with its own set of challenges. So which one should …
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