Why I don’t compete with other freelancers or solo professionals.
Maybe you think I’m wrong. Maybe you think we all have to compete with other freelancers.
Certainly, we live and work in a competitive landscape. It’s a rare thing to have a client who is never going to be approached by other freelancers. And those companies hiring freelancers are always comparing freelancers, by skill set and by price.
Even so, I don’t compete with other freelancers.
I don’t price my services based on what other freelancers charge.
I don’t try to match the services offered by other freelancers.
And I certainly don’t change my pricing if a client or prospect says something like, “We’d like to work with you, Nick. But freelancer “A” is offering much the same at a price that is 30% less.
That isn’t to say I never negotiate on a deal. I do.
Sounds like I’m just contradicting myself, right?
But I’m not.
Here is the difference.
If I were to compete with other freelancers for work, I would become reactive. I would react to what others are charging, or to the services they are offering. I would react to that client who tells me another freelancer is offering to do the same job for less.
And if my freelance business becomes reactive, then I lose control of my direction. I am no longer in the driver’s seat. I am handing over a measure of control to other freelancers.
No thanks.
I prefer to be in the driver’s seat of my business at all times. I want to be proactive, and let other people react to what I do...if they choose to.
I still compete, by finding gaps in the market and maximizing the perceived and real value of what I offer. I’m being competitive – very competitive – but I never compete in a reactive way. I choose to compete in a proactive way.
Get the difference?
Don’t focus on what other freelancers are doing. Don’t compete with what they do or say.
Instead, remain focused on your own goals, keep building the value you offer your clients, and let others try to compete with you.
Just stay in the driver’s seat at all times.
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