Look at these two questions and spot the difference:

“Would you like a coffee?’

Versus:

“I’m having a coffee. Would you like one too?”

One of these questions will get you to a “yes” faster. It uses a technique called the presumptive close.

Learn how to use the presumptive close to grow your business.

Define your offer so that prospective clients understand what you can do for them.

There are many ways to do this. Pick one that works for you. This is your “elevator pitch”.

It may take some time to put it into simple language. You should be able to do it in one concise sentence. Work on it until you get it there.

Scope creep is a problem for many freelancers and small agencies. Projects just keep growing without further budget.

In this excerpt from the book How to Become a Successful Creative Freelancer, I tackle the common causes of scope creep and how to prevent them.

Learn how to get paid for all the work you do while keeping clients happy and coming back for more.

As a freelancer, how will you find new clients?

Freelancers talk about getting inquiries through social media.

More experienced freelancers get many of their new clients through referrals.

Others get leads through their websites.

All of these are passive ways of attracting clients.

But maybe you should be using active techniques. This post gives you all the details of both passive and active new client tactics.

This book is for freelancers who are just starting or in their first few years of freelancing.

It’s packed with tips to help you set up for success. Lots of ideas you can use immediately.

You’ll also learn how to attract bigger clients—ones that give you one project after another. Spend more time billing, less time hustling.

Networking lessons from an 80-year old successful businessman.

How to look at networking, why luck increases with the size of your network, and how to start your networking relationship.

Tip: Treat anyone you meet as a friend as soon as you meet them.

There’s power in networks. If you want to grow your business, grow your network.

Here are 5 ways to use the “Rule of 5” to make more money as a freelancer.

1. Reach out to 5 prospects

2. Connect with 5 old clients to see about more work

3. Raise your quotes by 5% every month

4. Connect with 5 other freelancers to work together

5. Work on your business one day out of 5

All the details are here...

Eight financial management tips for freelancers from an experienced freelancer and agency owner.

Review the tips and apply the ones that are valid for your current situation.

Get a start on implementing them today. Consider the other financial tips for future planning.

As a freelancer, you’ve probably experienced the “feast or famine” cycle. Too busy one day, crickets the next.

Usually, when you’re not busy for a day or two, you know there’s more work coming.

But what if there isn’t? How do you stay motivated when work is slow? Let's figure that out...

Making more money as a freelancer depends on your answers to these five questions:

Who do you work for?

What level of services do you provide?

How much can you charge for your work?

How many clients do you have?

What are your work habits?

Here are the answers...

Over the years I had clients where we enjoyed working together so much that there was no competition. I didn’t have to worry that someone else would under-quote me. The clients didn’t call anyone else.

Sound too good to be true? Nope, I have had many clients like that. I was their “preferred vendor”, their “agency of record”.

I worked hard at building those client relationships. Here's how I did it.

Budgeting and financial planning are challenges for freelancers. It’s hard to budget when your income is irregular, but your expenses are predictable.

Some months, your income is great. Other months are like tumbleweed rolling across the desert.

But every month the rent is due and groceries need to be paid.

I'll show you how to stabilize the incoming and outgoing to make both more manageable.

Are you starting as a new freelancer and need to find clients? Here are the steps to take for the best chance of success.

I'll help you make a To Do list and guide you through the steps of other successful freelancers.

This is no "6 figures in 6 months" pipe-dream. It's real-world tactics for successful freelancing.

Freelancers should consider LinkedIn as an important source of new business.

But don't just wait to be contacted. Use this step-by-step guide to the sophisticated LinkedIn search tools to find and connect with prospective clients.

There's even a pitch template you can customize to reach out to prospects.