Giles Metcalfe is a Lancashire-based freelancer and is a FSB Member, Freelance Heroes Member, and Good Business Charter accredited too.
In his spare time, Giles likes to browse Car Boot sales for hidden gems, and one day hopes to go on Antiques Roadshow with one of his Car Boot finds. Under normal circumstances, Giles might also be spotted on Bold Street in Liverpool or in the Northern Quarter of Manchester, shopping for clothes and hipster spotting. Read his story…
What is your name and what do you do?
Giles Metcalfe, and I’m a self-employed Freelance Digital Marketer.
I deliver increased website traffic, generate brand awareness through social media engagement, and give good ROI/ROAS (that’s Return On Investment and Return On Ad Spend, if you were wondering).
Basically, I help you to sell your products and services to people via various digital marketing channels, whether you’re a micro-business or an SME. I work directly with my own clients and as a White Label for agencies.
How long have you been freelancing and why did you decide to become a freelancer?
I’ve been freelancing since autumn 2014.
Well, my whole career previous to that had involved working in or around digital marketing, design, social media, and web development, for more employers than I would have liked, to be honest, having been made redundant four times!
I was feeling stressed and burnt-out having had a bad experience in my last full-time role where I was working a 60-hour week.
I went for another full-time permanent role with an agency in Huddersfield, but rather than employ me, I got offered freelance work with them instead, which essentially paved the way for me launching my own freelance business, although I never thought of it as a business at that time. I have to say I’ve never looked back since.
My father went self-employed in the late 80s/early 90s so I guess you could say that it runs in the family.
What strategy do you find most effective for attracting new clients?
Good question. My way of doing things is like this… I either get word of mouth referrals from my referral network, which I’m always grateful for, or meet people through networking.
This used to be face-to-face and could be a “slow burn”, often taking months before work actually landed, but now it’s all done virtually via Zoom. I’ve been attending loads of FSB Virtual Networking Zoom sessions, meeting people on there. I follow up by Connecting on LinkedIn, exchanging messages and scheduling a call in via Calendly.
I then have a conversation with people (I’m not going to call it a 1-2-1, because I hate that term – it’s a chat, so call it that), get to know them and their business better, see if there’s a good fit in terms of values and personality and the opportunity to work together or be referred on, and then take it from there.
What app or social media platform could you not run your business without, and why?
LinkedIn, without a doubt. As above, it’s an integral part of my process for making new contacts and getting new business in.
Do you research prospects before a call or meeting? If so, what information do you look for?
Again, LinkedIn is good for this. I would also usually ask around to see what other people’s opinions are, Google someone to see what comes up, and even check out the Companies House website. It pays to do your due diligence and suss people out, as you can’t always get the measure of someone over the phone or via Zoom.
What do you do to help maintain positive mental wellbeing?
Sleep, read, exercise, catch some downtime, and limit my time and exposure to social media (Twitter in particular).
I also structure my week in such a way that I have set days and times for networking, phone calls, dealing with emails and admin and doing actual paid work. I try and leave Monday mornings and Friday afternoons free if I can.
Is being a freelancer what you expected? Do you work more hours (or less) than what you had first anticipated?
I’m not sure what I expected when I first started, to be honest. That said, I certainly reckoned on not working a 60-hour week!
In the early years, I would sometimes have to work on weekends and Bank Holidays, and into the early hours of the morning. Thankfully, those days are behind me now. I’m definitely working less hours in 2021 than I was back in 2017 or 2018, and working smarter not harder.
What are the most common objections you’ve had from potential clients? How did/do you overcome them?
The most common objections I get from clients are usually one of two things:
- Cost
- Amount of time needed to be effective
Cost, as in some people say “I didn’t think it would cost that much”. Well, how much did you think it was going to cost?!? Competing on price alone is a race to the bottom, and no good for anyone. Also, if you say that you can’t afford my Rates, don’t expect a hefty discount from me.
Allied to cost is the amount of time things need to set up, such as a PPC Campaign, or the amount of social media activity needed to market a business effectively and build awareness. This can often be under-estimated by the potential client.
Have you ever turned a prospect away? If so, why and how did you do it?
No, in actual fact, not that I can recall… I don’t think it ever reached the stage whereby I had to make a decision to say thanks but no thanks. I have had a few phone calls that sounded like they were building up to me potentially having a decision to make…
But I would turn a prospect away if I didn’t think that they were a good fit for me and the business, or an unethical company…
Basically, if I feel like I would be embarrassed telling my friends and family that I was doing work for a particular company – or compromise my own morals and ethics by doing so – I’d turn them down and walk away.
What do (would) you do when a client ghosts you?!
It depends on whether or not they owe me money. If I’m owed money on an unpaid invoice then I would chase them up and use all available avenues to make sure I got paid. I’ve had a few instances of this, but I’ve always been paid in full (like Eric B and Rakim) in the end.
I never leave myself exposed financially in terms of owing Google money for fees for Ad Clicks in a PPC Campaign, for example. I always tell PPC clients that this is their responsibility and their credit card that will be paying the fees.
If no money is owing then I would just accept it, walk away and find new work elsewhere. Thankfully, most ex-clients have been decent, telling me that they want to cease their marketing activity, giving me their reasons, with no hard feelings and wishing me all the best going forwards… They don’t ghost me, although I can remember one or two examples where they have.
Are your motivations now the same as they were when you started freelancing?
Basically, yes – do a good job for my clients, get paid, have a sustainable and ethical business… One that is on a sound financial footing, and that suits my work life balance.
In terms of the future, my motivations and aspirations will change, as hopefully I’ll be involved in new initiatives. Time will tell.
What is it about being a freelancer that you enjoy most?
Being my own boss, working from home, working when I want to and when I’m at my most productive… Having run a successful business for more than 6 years also gives me a lot of satisfaction.
What do you enjoy the least about being a freelancer?
Having to chase up late invoice payments…
Bank Holidays become meaningless…
We’re sometimes taken for granted and not seen as being part of the core team…
What one thing do you wish you had known before you became a freelancer?
The wisdom of getting a business bank account and online accounting software, and ultimately an Accountant – all of which have made my finances so much easier to manage.
What is your ONE top tip or piece of advice you would offer to other freelancers?
Build a support network – both in terms of a community of like-minded fellow freelancers and also a business referral network. You can’t beat a word-of-mouth referral for generating new business. It’s the best referral there is, and if you educate your referral network about what exactly you’re looking for and how much it will cost, the work will find you rather than you having to go out and look for it.
You can find out more about Giles Metcalfe on his website, and connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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