Q: I am actually a darn good health writer of both clinical and consumer information. Here’s my problem: I can’t seem to reel in the steady clients. Instead, I get a project for a couple of thousands dollars, and then I’m sitting there. I can never get the retainer client or the big project. Half the time I can’t even get the client to agree to a meeting, but even when I can, I can somehow never nail down the project. They either decide not to proceed, or it goes to someone else. Can you advise me as to what my next step should be? I’m doing something wrong, but I’m not sure what.
A: There’s no magic formula for client loyalty other than making yourself so indispensable and bringing so much added value to what you do for them that they can’t imagine going anywhere else. If you can figure out what their “pain points” are—the things that keep them up at night—that they spend a lot of time thinking about and working on, and if you can do something to take the pressure off them in those areas, you can work towards that added value thing.
And you might want to check out this site: www.emmasciencewriter.com. Emma Hitt is a very successful health/science writer who also mentors people wanting to either get started or go to another level (and her rates for very reasonable).