Skip to main content

Freelance Course: This question. Everyday.


This is the sixth post in response to question prompts in Seth Godin's Freelancer Course, found on Udemy. Please feel free to include your answers to these questions in the comment section.


What emotions do you want people to take away from interactions with you?
I understand why this question is in a course on freelancing. People don't buy simply because of the product. They buy because of the people. The stories. The emotions.

But these emotions, and the intent to create these emotions, shouldn't just be limited to the times when we want something from someone else. It really should be a part of who we are. Whether we are talking with our children, our co-workers or the cashier at the grocery store.

This is a great question. And it should be asked by every one. In every profession. Every day. Not because you have something to sell. Because you have a story to tell.

For me:
Appreciated. That someone cares about their success.

Interested. I've given them something to think about.

Confident. That they know more than they did before and can tackle their content questions -- or know who to contact if they can't.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

For those who excel at being human

My son is 15 years old. It's a strange age. He is starting to look like an adult. The discussions we have are like talking with an adult, albeit with slightly less life experience. I trust him to cook for himself on occasion and not burn the house down. And yet, at 15, there are so many concerns that seem to hit teenagers harder than most adults. Am I smart enough? Do I look good enough? Am I funny enough? Do people like me? Most people need reminders of the things they do well. It's hard to see when it's something that is part of you and you do it every day. This is even more true for the students in your life. They are wrestling with worries about their future as well as their present. Finals. College entrance exams. Scholarship essays. Scholarship rejection letters. Instagram vacation pictures. Snapchat snide comments. Athletic personal records that surpass theirs. So many ways to feel like they are not enough. And yet, they are still studying. Still trying. Still ac...

It's All About Style

I'm a terrible sister. The fact that I haven't talked to my sister in months in no way means I don't care about her, her life or my nephew's latest Evel Knievel stunt. I blame a lot of things for my lack of talk-talk with my sister -- crazy schedules, current addiction to social networking sites, Harry Potter. But I think the real reason is much more psychological (aren't all the good reasons psychological?). Communication style. I'm a writer. She's a talker. I pick up a pen and paper or a keyboard. She picks up the phone. I think to talk. She talks to think. We are opposite communicators and therefore we have trouble connecting. This happens in all facets of life. Your boss. Your coworker. Your friends. Your lover. People communicate differently and unless you can give them information in the medium they digest it best, they probably will only get half the story. But if you can pick up on and cater to those communication styles, you are much more likely to ...

This week's thank you: the person who ties your shoes

Photo courtesy of Peter Hershey on Unsplash CC 0 Next time you tie your shoes, slow down and really watch your fingers move. See how complex the movements are just to get your shoes to stay on your feet. And you do that without even thinking. How many times a day do you disparage yourself? Feel like you aren't good enough. Like you should have done better. Known better. Do you do it so often you don't even realize you are doing it? And yet, you do so many things each day that makes other people's lives better and makes the world better. You tip the waiter. You serve your clients with empathy. You smile and hold the door for someone. These things may seem small to you, but they can make the difference in someone's day. How many times each year do you surprise yourself by doing something you didn't think you were capable of? Running that extra mile? Successfully completing that difficult project? Starting that side business that's been bouncing ...