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One Very Simple Secret to Freelance Success

The truth is most freelancers don't succeed. Not the way they want to. They try for a short time, find they can't make ends meet, and go back to a regular, 9 to 5 job. Or they never get out of the 9 to 5 job. They remain a part time freelancer, never able to make the transition to the fulfilled, independent life of a fulltime, successful freelancer.

So what do those that do succeed have that everyone else lacks? Really, it all comes down to one thing. Connections? No. They're helpful, and they can help you make the transition faster. But you can succeed even you start of with zero names on your network list. Luck? Nope. Not that it hurts, but you don't need to be lucky to succeed. Amazing talent? Again, it doesn't hurt to be talented and competence is definitely important, but you can be successful as a freelancer even if you're not the most talented person in your field—and talent won't guarantee your success.

So what makes all the difference? You might be surprised, but the most crucial trait to your success, is persistence and how you apply it.

To become a successful freelancer, you have to build a client base. The best client base has a lot of different clients that bring you work regularly. That way if one client dries up, you still have enough going on with the rest of your client base that your income won't feel a pinch.

Now, few people have a ready-made client base. And building one can be hard, sometimes frustrating, but also very rewarding, work. And it takes, what's the magic word? Yep. Persistence.

Persistence and how you apply it pays off in several ways in the freelance world.

• First, marketing yourself. This is how you go out and find clients. Marketing yourself is an ongoing process. If you make up your mind to do something, to take some action toward marketing yourself every day, then you'll see your client base begin to steadily grow.
• Second, delivering to your clients. This is how you keep clients and get even more clients (from referrals). If you make up your mind that you will exceed each and every clients' expectations, then you will get repeat work from those clients and your client base will grow even more because those clients will tell their friends about you and your services.
• Third, increasing what you know, improving your skills. This is how you continue to be successful in both marketing yourself and delivering to your clients. Things change fast these days. If you make up your mind to informed about your industry—new changes, new trends, new tools—you'll never become obsolete. You'll stay ahead of your curve and your clients will come to depend on you more and more.

Doing all of these things take persistence. So, if you're a naturally persistent person, congratulations, you've already found your most important tool. You've just got to use it. If you're not a naturally persistent person—and, let's face it, a lot of us aren't—don't worry…there's hope. Persistence is a behavior you can learn. See “Eight Ways to Become More Persistence” to get started. And then go out and start building your independent life.