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I’d like to share an idea, to help you build a fantastic commercial future… starting today.
I’ll also show you how I helped one of my clients build the business of her dreams, using this idea.
It begins with a simple 3 word phrase.
Work begets work
You may have heard that work begets work before. However, the phrase is usually used with very little mention of its wider meaning. On a surface level, it’s true to say that by working on something, we’re likely to attract more work. More likely, than if we wait around for the phone to ring. For example, I hired a guy to do some work on my house, after seeing the work he did for one of my friends. His work for my friend led to work from me.
That’s just the surface.
You see there’s a word missing from that 3 word phrase. And it’s what makes all the difference.
Work not only begets work, work begets similar work. In other words, the work we’re doing today, will have a massive influence on the type of work we’re doing tomorrow, the clients we work with tomorrow and the fees we’re earning tomorrow.
In short, if you want to take your business to the next-level (and beyond), you need to start doing next-level work today.
Think about it. The alternative approach is nuts
The alternative is to wait and hope.
- Wait for an amazing stranger to see (or hear about) our current-level work.
- Then hope they magically decide, with zero evidence, that we’re capable of next-level work.
- Oh, then hope that for some insane reason, they’ll also be keen to risk their money hiring us.
Sure, we can wait for opportunity to knock.
Like in the movies.
Or we can get off our ass and build a door.
That’s what Sue did.
How this worked for a former client of mine
Sue (not her real name) is a graphic designer, with a focus on lettering. I worked with her on my work begets similar work idea and she’s never looked back. Previously, Sue struggled, working as a freelance designer for agencies and doing sub-contract work. They said what they wanted. She did it. This was soul destroying. And whilst she was busy, the money was crap. She had very few direct clients. Her work had no signature. And she’d wasted 9 years, going nowhere.
After I shared the work begets similar work idea with her, Sue did a rebrand on her own business, demonstrating the kind of next-level work she’s capable of. We decided to reach out to some environmental charities, who she thought were in need of rebranding. The environment is something Sue’s passionate about.
Anyhow, one of them jumped on board.
Sue then threw 100% of her creativity and passion into the project. The end product was visually stunning. It was very clearly on a totally different level to the soul-destroying work she’d been doing. The charity loved it. More importantly, they used it.
And it was extremely effective.
A while after the charity’s rebrand project, the CMO of a toy company saw it and asked the charity for Sue’s details. He reached out to her and asked if she’d be interested in designing the lettering for their new, environmentally friendly line of garden furniture. That project led to the next. And that project led to the next…
Sue’s next-level work begot similar work. Work she’s passionate about. Work that is massively more emotionally and financially rewarding. She’s now well-established in a niche she loves, working direct with international brands.
Yes, it works in your industry too
What if you provide a service that isn’t as visual as Sue’s?
So long as you have the desire to crank the quality of your work to a higher level than you currently do, you can absolutely show it to your prospective, next-level clients. Blogging, newsletters, podcasts, Youtube and social networks give you all the tools you need, to showcase your next-level approach, thinking and ideas. The enquiries you attract will be from people, who’ll see you’re clearly capable of delivering the level of service (or results) they want.
This is a great time to put your next-level work out there. So, show those high quality clients you’d love to work with, just what you’re capable of.