The most valuable thing about you, as a freelancer, is not what you do...

Let me ask you a question. Are you an expert?

Do you know your way around React?
Can you make things happen with Laravel?
Does .net quake in fear when you fire up VSCode?

That's amazing. Being an expert is something to be proud of.

But, if you're a freelancer or you run a small agency, I have to ask: do your clients care?

It might seem like they care. They might ask you about your experience. They might even test you on your skills.

But, deep down, do they actually care?

The harsh answer is "no".

Your clients only want to know three things.

• Do you understand what they want to achieve?
• Is the outcome worth the fee you’re charging?
• How big is the risk in hiring you?

Your expertise, your skills, they are just a partial answer to the third question.

You also need to answer the first two questions. And if you don't the clients you attract will fill them in for you.

By micro-management. By complaining about price. By doing everything they can to reduce the risk to their business.

So if you want better clients, who let you get on with the job, who pay higher rates and trust your expertise, you need to start filling in the blanks for them.