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 of a music producer.
A good music producer can make or break a new album—and turn a good artist into a worldwide sensation.
In this short podcast episode, I draw a comparison between a good music producer and a good content marketer or writer.
And I take away a few lessons for how we assess the value of our work.
The notes that follow are a very basic, unedited summary of the show. There’s a lot more detail in the audio version. You can listen to the show using the audio player below. Or you can subscribe in iTunes to get this show delivered straight to the Podcasts app on your smart phone, tablet or iPod.
George Martin was the music producer for The Beatles.
In his hands, The Beatles became the biggest musical sensation ever.
But it’s not like Martin wrote or performed the music himself. Instead, he would suggest a few tweaks here and there.
His results, however, were transformational.
Here’s the connection I made when I watched this documentary: the value that good producers delivered to their clients is immeasurable.
And those seemingly minor “tweaks”—and sporadic spikes in value—are enough to justify their fees ten or even 10,000 times over.
My $5 Million Suggestion
About 12 years ago I had a similar experience. Except it was ME giving advice to someone who wasn’t even a client of mine.
I was at a conference and ran into an investor of a business I knew very well.
I suggested something that I thought his company should be doing and backed it up with some quick facts.
Turns out, this piece of advice helped that business generate more than $5 million over the past 12 years!
I didn’t do any of the work. I just offered the right idea at the right time.
Shift Your Thinking
And this is how I would encourage you to think about yourself, your business, and the value you add to client engagements.
Ninety-five percent of the time, you’re adding good value. You are doing the work and delivering a good product.
And that’s all good!
But don’t forget about the five percent of the time where you deliver massive value.
This isn’t something I’m asking you to implement. It’s not a formula or a process.
Instead, it’s a mindset shift.
It may take some time for this concept to sink in.
But wherever you are in your journey, I would like you to start thinking of yourself as someone who delivers amazing value and recognize that this value doesn’t get delivered evenly.
You might work on a project for 20 hours. But one idea, thought or tweak (that only takes one minute to execute) can make a real difference to your client’s business.
Bottom line: stop thinking about hours. Stop thinking about how much time you spend on a project or per-word pricing or whether you should charge $3500 or $3800.
That kind of thinking keeps you in a place of struggle.
Instead, think differently about yourself and your value.
Because once this idea sinks in, you’ll never be the same again.
By the way… whenever you’re ready, here are 4 ways I can help you grow your freelance business:
1. Grab a copy of my book for ESTABLISHED writers.
You’ll discover a different way to think about your challenges during this crisis. Plus you’ll get clear recommendations to get you through the storm safely … and to come out the other side stronger than ever. — Click Here
2. Download a free copy of my book for writers who are NEW TO FREELANCING.
I’ll show you the 3 things you need to do to get your business off the ground safely and land your first paying client faster. — Click Here
3. Join my implementation program and be a case study.
I’m putting together a new implementation group this month. If you’d like to work with me to grow your income quickly with better clients (and become one of my new success stories) … just hit reply and put “Case Study” in the subject line.
4. Work with me privately.
If you’re a 6-figure writer who’s trying to earn more in less time, with less stress, I might be able to help you get there faster than you think. Just hit reply, put “Breakthrough” in the subject line, and I’ll back to you with more details.
