He’s a true professional.
Have you ever heard someone talk about a freelancer that way?
I sure have. And you can hear the compliment in those words – the respect and admiration.
Professionalism is something that garners confidence and earns trust. If a client is choosing between two writers, their levels of professionalism are likely to be a factor.
But, if you were asked to describe the hallmarks of professionalism, what would you say?
If you haven’t thought about the practical aspects of being a professional – of how you can show your own professionalism – well, you’re in the right place.
Let’s look at five hallmarks of professionalism you can implement immediately. When you do, it will be easier to attract prospects and land clients.
1. You’re Reliable and Responsive
When someone reaches out to you, how quickly do you respond to their inquiry?
When you say you’re going to do something, do you follow through?
Part of being professional is being someone your clients can count on. Your clients learn this through working with you. You answer their questions promptly. You deliver by your deadline. You do good work. You take feedback with grace. These are all signs of reliability and responsiveness.
But, how do you demonstrate that to someone before you land them as a client?
You have a ton of ways to do this:
- Answer emails and LinkedIn messages within a consistent timeframe.
- Show up on time to meetings and discovery calls.
- Come prepared when you have a meeting or a discovery call.
- If you agree to send someone samples or more information within a certain timeframe, deliver on that promise.
- Set clear expectations. If you won’t be able to get to something for a few days, say so up front. If your email response time is 48 hours, say so on your contact page.
- If you’re active on social media, respond to the people who comment on your posts.
Being responsive and reliable on social media, through email, and on your website signal to your potential clients that they can trust you’ll be there for them… a clear demonstration of professionalism.
2. You Have Well-Established Boundaries
Another way of showing your professionalism is through the boundaries you set in your business.
One of the simplest boundaries you can set is your hours of operation. If you work from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Pacific Time, then you can insist calls and meetings happen within those hours. You can also let your clients-to-be know you answer emails and texts within those hours, as well.
When you put together a proposal for a project, that’s another opportunity to set boundaries. Within your proposal, establish the scope of the work, the payment amount, and the schedule. You expect your client to adhere to those terms, and, in return, you’ll do great work, communicate your progress regularly, and deliver on time. Those are boundaries you both need to respect.
As a professional, how you speak and how you let others speak to you are other signs of professionalism. If you’re careful to treat others with respect, represent yourself honestly, own your mistakes and fix them, and calmly address misunderstandings or disrespectful behavior in others, you convey positive boundaries (and professionalism) to everyone you interact with.
3. You’re Honest and Act with Integrity
Professionals don’t blow smoke.
When you ask them about their opinion on something, such as the best way to approach your content-marketing strategy, they’ll tell you what they recommend based on their knowledge and experience and what they understand about your situation.
Professionals don’t pretend to know more than they do. If you ask them about something they don’t have direct knowledge about or experience with and they haven’t read or thought deeply about, they’ll tell you they don’t know. Or, they’ll tell you what they think, but clearly convey the limitations of their knowledge.
Professionals don’t promise specific results. They can tell you what they’ve seen work and why they think it will work for you. But, professionals know there are many variables when it comes to marketing and copywriting, and they’ll respect those uncertainties.
Professionals don’t try to get you to sign up for the service or product that will benefit them the most. They recommend the best product or service for your situation.
Professionals also give credit where it’s due. If they learned something from another industry expert, they’ll readily acknowledge that expert’s influence on their thinking and approach.
As a digital copywriter, you can convey your professionalism to clients and prospects alike in every conversation you have by simply being honest… especially about your own limitations.
4. You Produce Quality Work
Professionals put forth their best effort. Not a “perfectionist’s” effort. But they give themselves time to do good work. They push themselves to do great work. They aren’t afraid of feedback. And they look for ways to make their work stand out.
When you land a project with a client, you strive to exceed their expectations, finding ways to add value and to really wow them with the quality of work you deliver.
This shows up in the work you do for yourself, as well.
How much time and effort did you put into your LinkedIn profile? Have you taken the time to do a little extra?
What about the last blog post you wrote for your website? Did you dash it out, give it a read-through for typos, and then publish it? Or, did you finish your draft and then think about ways you could make it even better?
How about the last email pitch you sent? Was it personalized and useful? Or, did it sound like the 10 you had sent before it?
You can show your prospects you’re a professional by doing great work for yourself.
5. You Know Perceptions Matter
A final element of professionalism is how you present yourself in all aspects of your business. Be authentic. Give attention to detail. And be personable without being too personal.
With these three things in mind, how does your LinkedIn profile measure up? Your website? When you get on a Zoom call, how does your background look? How do you look? And how do you carry yourself?
Think about what you would like a potential client to say about you, when they know you’re not listening. For example, if I want them to say, “Heather really knows her stuff and she always has an idea on what the next step is and how to tackle it,” then I need to think about how I can convey that through every interaction I have.
Presenting yourself as a professional isn’t hard, but it does take thought and diligence. The good news is, when you put in the work, you’ll find you’ve built a business you’re really proud of.
