Author: Frances Dredge

By Novelist, Trainer and Journalist, Sue Walker

Networks, chance meetings and speculative approaches

Who do you know?

Yes, working in the creative industries is indeed about having, talent, skill and great ideas but that old adage of who you know is as true now as it’s ever been.

It's a freelance’s bounden duty to themselves (if they want to keep working) to forever look after their networks and contacts: cherish existing ones and create new ones.

This may seem (and is) common sense but a significant amount of us find this a challenge, especially if there have been a lot of knock-backs and struggles to keep in work.

The notion of ‘using ‘ contacts can be uncomfortable for some but successful freelances know that they need to keep each and every avenue to work open.

So, it’s wise to make a point of reviewing your existing contacts on a regular basis. An email, or invite for coffee, does no harm and can do you a deal of good. If there’s no response, then leave it for a bit and try again. Chances are, you are not being rejected – your contact may be busy with work and personal life. Persistence (without nuisance) is usually required.

Opening new territory - who do you want to know and who do you want to know you?

There’s no doubt that making your mark online and via social media to sell your wares is the way forward but it’s not the only way and, it may have an unforeseen downside if not kept under control.

Employers/clients and those who can give you work, still want to judge you in person. And they are far more likely to trust you to do the job, when they’ve met you face-to-face.

To make this happen you need to drag yourself away from your screen and email and get out there! Don’t be scared to meet up with people who may have work for you even if you’re a bit rusty at such encounters. Here’s a handful of things to try: 

Assuming you’re already networking online - if you are part of a virtual group anywhere, see if there is any interest in meeting up – try to find a reason for this such as a new idea that you would like to tell them about or to discuss some news that might be beneficial to them.

Find appropriate events to attend

Make sure you know how to introduce yourself, what you do and what you can do, succinctly and compellingly, in just a few seconds – finesse that so-called ‘elevator pitch’

Always be prepared, e.g., if you live round the corner from a great contact, you might just want to ‘bump into’ them from time to time and strike up some chat. Put yourself on their radar (though preferably not if they’re out shopping with two screaming children or a grumpy–looking grandparent!). Judge the moment.

Whenever you get the chance, talk with passion and enthusiasm about what you do. At many busy events you never know who might be listening.

Put yourself in any potential client’s/contact’s shoes before you approach – always ask - what can you do for them?

Your weapons of choice

As well as refining how you present yourself at organized events or more random moments, it is crucial to have something to offer – like a business card (still useful in many circumstances) and even a CV or résumé, if you’re attending a networking and pitching session.

There are often influential guest speakers there who you might get a chance to mingle with after and you may just be able to slip them your card/CV with a smile and a few well-chosen words to remind them of you later.

The most effective weapon is your enthusiasm and the ability to always present what you have to offer in the most interesting way. Be bold. Make it all about you!

And, finally, to quote another adage – fortune favours the brave.....

Want to learn more?

FEU Training is running a number of CV development and presentation workshops around the country this autumn. If you would like to attend, look out for updates for workshops coming to your region or register your interest at [email protected] (if we have sufficient demand, we’ll come to you).

Pitching for work face-to-face

By tutor and life coach Muriel McClymont

As skills for life go, learning to sell yourself effectively, has got to be right up there as a survival skill for freelances.

It’s no good being the best at what you do if, when you get the golden opportunity to meet someone who commissions your kind of work, you get tongue tied and mumble something noncommittal about not letting them down!  Would you employ you if this were the case? Don’t say yes!

A rose by any other name…

Selling (yes there it is, a nasty word for some creatives) but nevertheless an important skill - which can be learned just like any other. What you need to work out is how you can acquire this skill in a way that works and is comfortable for you.

If you really are struggling with the word selling, try looking at it from the buyer’s perspective. For example, when you buy a new computer, do you want to have someone explain as clearly as possible about everything it does and what all its advantages are? Or do you want someone to shrug and say it’s probably exactly what you want, but not back that up with the evidence – leaving you in the dark as to why it’s going to meet your needs?

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has left a shop thinking: "What’s wrong with those people? They didn't seem to know what they were talking about and I was ready buy?"

So look at selling as providing a key service that supports clients and helps them make the right buying decision that will be most beneficial to them. There you go, it’s virtually an act of charity!

Now for the science bit

Terminology sorted, let’s look at the actual skill. What do you need to do to present yourself effectively and so secure work? There are three key aspects: your preparation, what you say and how you say it – simples!

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

I can’t over emphasise the importance of preparation including:

• Research on whom you are trying to get work from and what’s important to them.
• Pulling out your specific skills, talents and attributes that the prospective client is looking for (each is likely to be different) and finding examples from your experience that most closely fit the bill.
• Deciding on your key messages and prioritising them in order of importance to ensure that you do get these across.
• Practising what you’re going to say out loud (to yourself, to others or into a recorder). This is invaluable and I’m often surprised to discover that what sounds clear in my head comes out as waffle when I say it for the first time but soon shapes up when I’ve verbalised it once or twice. Saying it out loud also gives you confidence for the real thing – just like preparing for a part if you’re an actor.
• Working out the possible gaps in your experience and how other experience could be used to plug these. Or, finding examples of where your ability to learn fast will compensate.

What you say

Your research and preparation will help you to:

• Find out as much as you can about what is required by the ‘buyer’.
• Identify areas from your experience, whether work-related or not, when you have used or demonstrated the skills and talents closest to what is required.
• Figure out how you can show how the skills involved in your achievements in that situation are a good fit for the opportunity in hand.
• Say what you can do, not what you can’t.

How you say it

You need to aware of how you come across to others. It’s about managing nerves so you can deliver what you want to say effectively, listen, observe the client’s response and make adjustments to what you’re saying if you’re losing the client’s interest.

Using appropriate and dynamic vocabulary that builds a clear and enticing picture in the buyer’s head, being animated when you speak, using positive body language and varying the volume, tone and tempo of your voice to make it more interesting are all important factors in getting the result you want.

To achieve this it is helpful to be interested in what you are talking about and curious to see whether your audience are enjoying hearing about it. As you'll have observed, when people talk about experiences they enjoyed or are proud of, they light up - and this kind of enthusiasm and passion is often irresistible. Also when someone shows a genuine interest in you, it's hard not to warm to them.

Non-verbal communication has a powerful influence too so:

• Match your dress with that of the client so that they recognise you (consciously or unconsciously) as someone who could fit in with their working environment. If you don’t know what to wear, it’s better to be too smart that too casual/scruffy.
• Use positive body language including good eye contact, smiling and a firm handshake and avoid distracting movements like chair swivelling, inadvertent hand waving and pen tapping.
• Be professional and polite, e.g., turn off your mobile phone and get to meetings on time.

It can be difficult to assess how we come across so ask friends to give you their honest opinion or, for a real eye-opener, get yourself filmed practising your pitch with a friend and you’ll certainly see where you can improve your performance.

It does take time and effort but getting to grips and observing the above will help you sell your work with panache, or if you still prefer, help a buyer make the right decision that includes hiring you!

Want to learn more?

FEU Training is running a series of workshops throughout the UK this year including one on pitching your work face-to-face (You’re Hired).

Look out for updates and let us know if you would like us to stage a workshop near you by emailing us at [email protected] including what workshop you are interested in and where you are based.

 

By novelist, trainer, and journalist, Sue Walker

CVs - the ultimate writing challenge?

‘I’ve got too much to say’; ‘I’ve not done enough’; ‘I don’t know what I’ve got to offer,’ are just a few of the typical responses I get when running CV workshops for freelances.

It’s true - producing a CV that stands out from the crowd can be a time-consuming challenge for anyone including those of us who write for a living.

But whatever creative field we’re in, the ability to use words to maximize the chances of obtaining work or the opportunity to get through the door and make a pitch is essential.

And, CVs are sometimes the only way of letting people know that we exist, so it’s worth putting time and effort into creating CVs that grab attention immediately.

What skills do I have that they need?

This is a must-ask question when thinking about how we write ourselves up. If, like me, you’ve had a variety of jobs and linked careers in the creative sector, the temptation may be to try to tell prospective clients everything that you’ve done.

But, no matter how interesting your life story might be to you and your granny, it’s important to remember that people are only interested in what you can do for them and they just haven’t got the time or inclination to wade through reams of information to find out how your skills match their needs.

In fact, most decisions on CVs are made within seconds of reading, so you need to present your key messages up front to avoid the discard pile.

Get to the point

To do this, it’s crucial to tailor your CV by picking out and prioritising the skills and experience that you have that you think most suited to the job brief – one size does not fit all.

Or, if you’re not applying for a specific job, highlight those attributes that you think the potential client will be most interested in.

This does not mean that you have to write a brand new document each time but you must ensure that the most relevant information for the particular employer/client/organisation you are targeting is clearly emphasised. It also means that you can have many versions with different content and length.

Less is more - be simply beautiful

Layout and style can heed or hinder the immediate impact of your CV. If in doubt, keep it simple and uncluttered.

Beware of using too many design features such as fonts, boxes, pictures and colours to catch the eye. They can backfire and appear visually confusing and thus off-putting. Also, bearing in mind that most CVs will probably be sent by email, check how it looks on screen and how it opens up. Send it to a friend and let them see what happens.

A cautionary tale – I have seen horrifying CV examples (due to software/PC mismatches) including a perfectly decently presented CV by the writer, emailed to me and looking utterly unreadable in text and layout - as if it was written on a manual typewriter last century! So watch out – looks can be everything on first impression.

If nothing else...

Remember one thing: whatever you produce, it has to meet this crucial benchmark – it must be a quick and easy read, giving the employer/client an immediate indication of how you meet their requirements.

Want to learn more?

FEU Training is running a number of CV development workshops around the country this autumn. If you would like to attend, look out for updates for workshops coming to your region or register your interest by emailing [email protected] and letting us know what workshop you are interested in and where you are based (if we have sufficient demand in your area, we’ll come to you).

More info:

• More details on workshop content
• Quick tips for CV writing

 

By actor-writer Kate Willoughby

Coworking: from little acorns...

From what I've seen, coworking is well suited to creative freelances. It gets you out of the house, enables you to meet like minded freelances and encourages you to be productive. No wonder it’s going from strength to strength across the globe.

However, there's plenty of room for more, so if you can't find a group in your area and you like the idea, why not set one up yourself?

Over the last few weeks I have been in touch with several exponents of coworking. Here's some of their practical advice about how to get a coworking event up and running and links to further information.

Alex Butler from @KindredHQ shares her tips in this clip. These include:

• All you need to do is to persuade an organisation, a coffee shop or a venue that you may already use to give you enough space for 10 to 15 people on a regular basis.
• Make sure that the venue has reliable access to free WiFi.
• People generally look after themselves. If you are hosting it helps to encourage people to be as collaborative as possible.

Rob McDonald from @NewcastleJelly gives more helpful advice including:

• Find a decent venue, preferably one which is relaxed, quiet, and spacious. We use Bar Loco which is a bar/restaurant/gallery and far more welcoming than a regular office, serves great food too.
• Get yourself a Twitter account and Facebook page, you'll need a dedicated twitterer to spread the word.
• Persevere. It took us a good couple of months to get regulars. Don't be disheartened if co-workers don't return — it's better to have a small friendly group than a stream of one-timers.
• Jelly coworking days are meant to be relaxed and come-along type events, but it really helps if one of the group (or as a team effort) can keep things ticking over, I've been to a few meetup type events that eventually folded due to lack of organisation. It can be tough though, as all freelancers are busy doing their own thing.
• Being a free event you're always going to get lots of interest, but it's converting that interest into reliable regulars that's the hard part — without that, it's tough to keep the momentum going. Hence the need to keep plugging away and promoting it.
• On a side note, we've found most creative freelance types tend to be late starters (like me!) so it generally doesn't fill out until after 12pm. Business types are earlier starters, so it depends who you're aiming the days to.

More info

• Newcastle Jelly on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NewcastleJelly
• KindredHQ on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KindredHQ
• UK Jelly’s Find a Jelly webpage:  http://www.uk-jelly.org.uk/find-a-jelly/
• UK Jelly main website:  http://www.uk-jelly.org.uk/
• UK Jelly on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/UKJelly
• Listenupnorth:  http://listenupnorth.com/
• Eventbrite website:  http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/
• Youtube KindredHQ tips:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCdqp3CIQUE
• Bar Loco, Newcastle: http://www.barloconewcastle.com/
• Judy Heminsley website:  http://www.workfromhomewisdom.com/

Further reading

• http://www.workfromhomewisdom.com/work-from-home-events/how-to-start-your-own-jelly/
• http://www.workfromhomewisdom.com/work-from-home-events/how-to-start-your-own-jelly/press-release-for-jelly/

Tips

• http://www.workfromhomewisdom.com/work-from-home-events/jellyquette-whats-that/

 

Coworking: an example

By actor-writer Kate Willoughby

As part of my research into coworking for freelances I wanted to get some firsthand experience of an existing coworking event.  I therefore signed up for one of KindredHQ’s  Jelly events, which took place recently.

In my opinion, the location was perfect (London’s Centre for Creative Collaboration) and the time was also ideal for many freelances (1.00pm to 5.00pm).

The Jelly took place in a light and airy room with a large table and access to free WiFi. Refreshments were also available.

Participants at this event included an app developer, a journalist, an illustrator and an artist. The atmosphere was relaxed and positive. Whilst some people stayed fixed to their screens, others discussed a variety of topics, including a debate about the use of unpaid volunteers in a now internationally renowned theatre production.

In this video clip founder of KindredHQ Alex Butler gives an insight into coworking and why she started the Jelly events.

Having already experienced a positive introduction to coworking via the Devoted & Disgruntled roadshow, the Jelly event also demonstrated that coworking can take on different forms and work for a diverse group of freelances.

Alex Butler also gave me some excellent tips for setting up a coworking event, which I will share with you in my next blog.

BY ACTOR-WRITER KATE WILLOUGHBY

Working as a creative freelance often means spending many hours alone – creating. While this can be productive and joyful or at least a necessary (if painful) part of freelancing, too much isolation can have a negative impact on our working and personal lives.

From my experience, it’s a good idea to have access to outside stimuli when we need it. Whether we want to bounce an idea off a colleague or just have a laugh to break up the day, company – especially with our peers – often boosts our creative juices and our confidence.

With this in mind, this month I’ll be looking some ways of informal group work that is advantageous to everyone involved.

Jelling with others

"Coworking" is nothing new. It has been in operation since the dawn of time. Without it hunter gathers would have gone hungry. More recently the idea of working together in an informal setting has proved popular with freelance Creatives across the globe.

It was only very recently that coworking first came to my attention, when I attended a Devoted & Disgruntled open space event at the Arc in Stockton. The supportive environment created by Phelim McDermott and his team provided an excellent forum for sharing ideas, interests, hopes and fears. It also enabled me to complete an important funding document for my play To Freedom’s Cause. By simply picking up on the energy in the room, I took some time out and completed a task that had worried me for weeks.

One of the other participants, Selina, a Yorkshire-based recent theatre graduate, said that she wanted to start a mutually supportive group who would meet regularly, bring their laptops and simply work in a shared space. This in a nutshell is what coworking is all about.

As a freelance actor/writer I have sometimes found it tough to stay motivated in order to complete a daunting or mundane task. The positive experience at the D&D road show made me want to find out more about coworking and to share this information with you.

The now global phenomenon first took off in the United States, where small groups of likeminded freelances began to meet up on a regular basis. If you ever struggle with staying creative or keeping on top of essential freelance office tasks, then coworking is something you should consider getting involved with.

There are regular events held all over the UK (including Colleagues on Tap in the North East and Jelly run by KindredHQ in London) or you could set one up yourself with friends.

The most successful coworking events share the following

• A regular meeting place with free access to WiFi
• A mutual respect within the group
• An informal space, rather than an office

One thing that I’ve learned whilst researching coworking is that lots of work can get done, but these events are essentially sociable. It’s time well spent with other freelances from the same or a multitude of disciplines.

"It's very specifically about creating a community … It's like the difference between a coffee shop and a restaurant. At a restaurant, you're there in your own little space; you may have a friend with you, but you're not there to meet people. People at coffee shops are a little more social."

Brad Neuberg, an open-source programmer in San Francisco who is said to have first created the term “coworking”.

I will be attending the next Kindred HQ Jelly on August 15 and will let you know how it goes.

www.katewilloughby.co.uk; www.katewilloughby.posterous.com 

 

By writer-director and author Brendan Foley

Writing a book is a marathon, not a sprint. That makes the difference between the thousand people who think about writing a book and the one that does.

Then, out of every thousand who actually do finish a manuscript, there are usually just one or two who make meaningful money out of it. And most of them say that they have to have a constant stream of books at various stages of the life cycle from ideas to remainders at the bargain store in order to make a living. And yet…

And yet many of us have that yearning. We have something to say that won’t fit in a tweet. We have had an experience or built up a knowledge we want to share. Or maybe as time passes we just get keener on the idea of leaving something behind that might last longer than an evening performance, a recycled newspaper, or a footprint in the sand. I was fortunate enough for one of my books to become a best-seller, but more important than that, writing it was one of the most satisfying creative experiences of my life, and that spans work in newspapers, magazines, TV and film.

I’ve run a course for the NUJ and if there is enough interest will run a similar one for the FEU on ‘Writing Your First book’. The course is designed to use our existing skill set as freelances in the creative industries as a unique advantage – a head start in the very competitive and uncertain world of publishing. The good news is that in just the few years that course has been running, there are at least three successful books in the world, written by those who attended.

Apart from all the good reasons mentioned above, there is one compelling reason for any creative freelance to consider tackling a tome. Being the author of a book can be very good for your standing with both peers and prospective employers.

A book, and even more so a successful book is a very powerful qualification that you are an expert in a particular field. For a musician it might be a collection of rock ‘n’ roll stories from the road, or a guide to new groups trying to break in to the fickle world of demos and online sales. Or for a writer it might be a novel or a factual book on a person or historical event. For a journalist it might be a memoir of the early days of TV News or a contemporary fact-filled account of the war in Afghanistan. Whatever your skills or interest, being a published author can generate more work or interest and that is often both commercially and critically more rewarding than the often modest amounts in royalty payments.

But just like running a marathon, it is not those who hare off from the starting line with the most enthusiasm who stagger across the finishing line a long time later. In the world of authoring books, it is those who do the best preparation who tend to stay the course. Having a detailed plan – a core theme, chapter headings, contents of chapters and sub chapters, right down to 1000-word sections of a 100,000-word book, can break it down into manageable pieces.

Equally important is having a good idea of how and when you will write. It is no good setting epic deadlines to ‘finish in six months’ if you don’t have a regular writing pattern and an understanding of how much you can write in a week. This is particularly true if you are writing in your spare time.

A realistic timetable and writing structure can not only result in a finished book, it can save you from losing all your friends or having things hurled at you by your nearest and dearest if they find themselves playing second fiddle to a book obsession. Have a look at these tips from a successful freelance on how to stay on track.

So the rewards are uncertain, the journey is long, but if you are willing to pay for the ticket, writing a book can be one of the most interesting road-trips of your life.

Do you want to learn more?

If you would like FEU Training to arrange for Brendan to run his successful ‘Writing Your First Book’ course, please register your interest at [email protected] (subject matter: book) stating where you are based. If we have sufficient demand, we will look into to running this course asap.