Jesse Gernigin of Live Gold Rich gave up an entertainment career as a magician to become a professional freelance consultant. But his experiences on the road and in front of crowds didn’t make his freelance transition any easier or faster. He still had to go through the process step-by-step, and the experiences he shares are going to give you a practiced perspective on your own freelance career and choices.

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Jesse Gernigin shares with us:

No matter what career path you choose as a freelancer, every freelancer must experience the journey. You can’t just magically skip to the front of the line and land on immediate success. If you want A-list clients, there are some skills you need to learn and experiences you need to put under your belt first.

Deliberate Practice
Jesse learned early on that it takes practice to get better. How do you think he became a professional magician? He didn’t learn those magic tricks overnight. And he definitely didn’t learn how to be a freelancing consultant overnight either. Jesse put in what he calls “deliberate practice” in order to get to the level he’s at today.

Deliberate practice isn’t necessarily fun to do, but it is necessary. Jesse defines it as facing the things you’re not good at and practicing them until you get better. It’s going to take some time for you to build up your freelancing reputation, so don’t be afraid to invest a little time in doing the research and finding your niche. Learning is a step-by-step process, and you have to approach freelancing one step at a time. Skipping ahead means you are going to miss out on the key lessons that could make or break your career.

You need to go through the transitionary phases, because each phase has different issues you have to learn to deal with.

Only after you deliberately practice your craft will you be able to overload your clients with value. The most important lesson to learn as a freelancer is that you need to offer your clients the most value you can possibly give. You can’t communicate or sell that value to your clients until you take the time to actually learn about your niche, your craft, and how to talk to clients.

Talking to Clients
Now that Jesse is a freelancing consultant, he helps other freelancers and entrepreneurs find and book their own winning clients. He shares some tips today that can help you attract your dream clients, but it’s more than just cold-outreach. The biggest lesson Jesse teaches today is how to talk to clients.

I’ve done whatever life has thrown my way, and part of that is being able to understand what people want…and that’s all marketing is – understanding people.

Jesse wants you to stop relying on digital media and start making your conversations more personal. Too many freelancers treat their clients like a transaction rather than a relationship, but freelancing is all about building relationships. Your networks and your referrals come from your ability to talk to people and sell yourself without sounding like a salesman. In this digital age, the easiest way to do that is to make yourself real for your clients.

Talking on the phone or getting on a Skype video call is an easy way to reach out and connect with clients in a more personal way. E-mails and landing pages will attract potential clients, but those marketing strategies are very one-dimensional. They’re just the first step in the process. Jesse breaks down a few of his own strategies for starting conversations and selling your niche skills so you can start working with the kinds of clients who need your expertise.

For any freelancer, it’s important is knowing what you deliver and only delivering it to the people you can really help with it.

The biggest lesson Jesse teaches today is how to say “no”. Most freelancers don’t want to turn down money or work. We all get worried that saying no too much will dry up our leads and our funnels, but nothing could be further from the truth. As Jesse says, saying no simply opens up the door for the right kind of clients. You want clients who have a big reason for why they’re hiring you, and you only want to work with the clients who will give you the tools that set the both of you up for success.

Study Up
There are a lot of things you need to know before you get started on your own freelance journey, and Jesse is teaching a lot of those lessons today. His three-pronged approach to transitioning into a professional freelance career will provide you with a blueprint to get started. Niching down is obvious, but Jesse talks about how to learn and adapt to the evolving needs of clients in this digital age.

If you can let your natural curiosity fuel you, becoming a freelancer will be much easier than you think. You must keep learning in order to be successful, and most of all – be patient. Your freelance success isn’t going to happen overnight, but it’s never going to happen if you don’t get started. So take a few tips from Jesse today and go ahead and get started on your own freelance journey!

Resources Mentioned:

• Meeting Professionals International
• Ramit Sethi’s ZTL Course
• Dan Kennedy
• Kai Davis
• The Art of Storytelling by John Walsh
• Call to Action by Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg
• The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell

Find Jesse Online:

• Website: Live Gold Rich
• Freelancer Success Summit