What is an hour worth to you?
Would you work for $40 an hour?
How about $70?
What if I said you could be earning over $100 per hour?
I recently published a video asking my audience to help me find an accountability coach.
I offered $1000 for less than 10 hours of coaching over a period of a few months.
The gentleman who was selected is about to earn over $100 per hour for this project.
Why was he selected out of the 300 applicants?
His attitude demonstrated the 10 tips you're about to read below that proved his worth to me.
These 10 tips will help you increase your earning potential and get paid what you're worth.
1. Respond Quickly
A quick response is a powerful strategy in showing a strong work ethic. It gives you a distinct advantage as your response is foremost in the client's mind.
When a potential employer publishes a job requirement, the first few applications are the ones that receive the most attention.
Don't think about how long you are going to take to respond. Think about how long you are going to make a potential employer wait. If you wait too long, someone else who is more proactive will get the project.
Employers and clients desire speed and they are willing to pay for it. Your speed in responding is equated to a desire or hunger for the work.
Reply to emails within 24 hours.
Return phone calls immediately.
Send the email when they’re most likely to read it. And that is usually straight after they have posted a job offer.
2. Show a Relevant Track Record
You need to show a demonstrated history in the field you are applying for. When you prove your ability to perform a task successfully, a prospective employer has the evidence that you are capable of solving their problem.
It reduces the risk for them and gives you confidence that you have the necessary tools and resources for that project.
Don't depend on your resume to show your track record. State clearly how your past experiences and current work are the perfect fit to address the client's challenges.
If you have experience in the required area and can show a track record of success, the perceive value of your work is increased. You will be able to ask for more compared to someone in the same field who is inexperienced.
A relevant track record makes you more likely to be hired.
3. Build Trust With Your Client
Trust is an integral component of any professional relationship. You will be a sought-after candidate if you can prove your trustworthiness to potential employees. Your initial communication holds a key to building this trust when you haven't met them in person yet.
How do you build trust in any relationship? By being consistent.
Since you haven't got the time to build trust over a period of time – pay attention to the cues that build instant trust:
- Use a professional email address. It shows you are serious about your work.
- Provide additional information before being asked by a prospective employer.
- Avoiding exaggerations. It’s easy to exaggerate your accomplishments in a resume. Resist the temptation to do that. Back up all your claims with facts.
- Pay attention to the language you use. Avoid flowing statements in elaborate prose and avoid being too casual. Keep your tone strictly professional.
You can use all these factors to your advantage to build instant rapport and trust with your client.
4. Stand Out From The Crowd
Any high paying job will attract a lot of attention. Don’t be drowned in the sea of competition.
You need to market yourself better if you are serious about getting a job. Understand what a potential employer needs and show them how you can deliver it. Make the decision-maker sit up and take notice of you.
How do you do this?
Show them how you can solve their problem and make their lives simpler.
Pay attention to the job description and ask questions to clarify the role and outcome for a project. If you believe you have the skills required, chalk out a plan of action and show the client that you have already thought of strategies to save them time. And possibly money.
5. Be Specific & Find Your Niche
Zero in on the exact problem you are going to solve and who you are going to serve.
Is it helping salespeople increase their numbers? Or helping entrepreneurs file their annual taxes?
Finding your niche helps you to be effective in your communication. You understand the loopholes and pitfalls in an industry and are able to communicate these to a client.
This is what so many others miss. They instinctively begin talking about what they feel is important to the employer and the value they can provide (if given a chance).
The employer wants to give you the project. They need your help. But you need to approach it the right way.
Show how your focus has helped others in the past and is going to benefit the client too.
6. Save The Client Time
Make them money or save them time.
Busy people have limited time – they do not want to spend hours going through the mountain of information you send them.
YOU want something from THEM. It’s important to recognize this and work around the busy person’s schedule. That means – don't make them think.
Don’t make them go through a lengthy resume, email or cover letter. Offer them the information required. Be CLEAR and SUCCINCT.
This shows that you respect their schedule and leaves the final decision in their hands, but doesn’t require a lot of thought.
Grab their attention quickly. Get to the point, the main issue.
7. Work By The Project (Not By The Hour)
When you are getting paid for a project and not for being clocked by the hour, the experience is quite different for both the client and you.
If you charge by the hour, it will only be natural for you to work less efficiently than if you had priced on a per job basis.
Given that you only have a certain number of hours available in the day, you are essentially capping your maximum earning potential.
From your perspective, if you can complete a $1000 project in less than ten hours, you earn over $100 per hour. It might be more difficult to convince a client to pay you $100 an hour than to agree on $1000 for an entire project.
If you price on a project basis, the only limitation you face is the speed in which you can complete the work. You are forced to work more efficiently, which in turn earns a higher hourly rate and impressed the client with a quick turnaround.
8. Pay Attention To The Details
Have you attached any required documentation that is required by the client? How about following their specific instructions about how to apply for the project?
It shows that you are a person who pays attention to details. Some other factors to bear in mind:
- Formatting – Bad formatting in your emails can sabotage your chances. Make your text easy to read by breaking it into paragraphs and bullet points.
- Use correct grammar and spelling – Typos signal laziness. Do not abbreviate or use lower case when capitalization is necessary. Save those for chat messages to friends.
- Always proofread your email – Use a spellcheck app and let the reader focus on your well-crafted message, not on why you can't tell the difference between your and you're.
If you keep these details in mind, you’ve got a great shot at getting a response back.
9. Speak Positively About Yourself
Would you hire someone who says to you, “I think I can..” or, someone who says, “Yes, I can.”
It’s not your client’s job to believe and encourage you. They are paying you for a project, don’t expect them to respond to your self-doubting emails.
Be your own advocate. Working on your self-confidence.
Make confidence-building your top priority if you struggle with self-doubt, low self-esteem, or timidity. Sign up for a motivation course, attend seminars, and improve your style. Do whatever it takes to build your confidence.
This may seem unfair, but people who lack self-confidence are generally perceived as lacking key skills.
10. Be Persistent In Your Follow-Up
So, you applied for the project. You followed all the 9 tips mentioned above. And you've waited 2 days.
Silence.
It’s possible that the email you sent got buried under a mound of other communication. Successful people are sought after, don’t expect them to remember everything you tell them and don't be surprised if they fail to respond to you.
Often, you will find they have simply forgotten about you.
Don't be offended, shoot them an email with a quick reminder. Let them know that you do not give up easily.
Click below to watch the video: How To Increase Your Earning Potential
Read next: How To Work Less And Make More Money
