It made me all warm and fuzzy, and more importantly, hopeful.

Getting testimonials from clients is one of the most important things you can do in your freelance career or online business.

It’s free endorsement from a happy client.  It’s the most effective social proof.

Here’s what I did to get my first testimonial from my first client.

Over-deliver: I simply did more work than was expected of me. I was tasked to edit translation works.  But, when Jes asked me to help her find more translators I didn’t hesitate.  I posted about the job on one of my websites.  I emailed to a Yahoo! group where I knew there were people with the requisite qualifications.  Two people actually contacted me right away.  I then wrote to them explaining more about the job and then gave their names to Jes for her to decide whether she thinks they were up to it.

Ask: The best way to get what you want is to ask.  And, that I did.  I’ve been following quite a number of blogs on freelancing and one thing they tell newbies is to get testimonials. I simply asked Jes if she could be so kind as to give me a testimonial.  Just like that.  She did.  Not only that, she gave me a bonus.  Add 2 hours to your invoice she told me!

So, there it is.

Getting testimonials is easy when you over-deliver and ask for one.

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Do you remember your first time? (No, not what you are thinking.  Much, much better than that.  I’m talking about your first job as a freelance!)

I’ll never forget mine!  It was the 19th April 2010.

That day I sent through my first batch of work to my client.  I was elated and on cloud nine.  I was enveloped in the most amazing feelings of freedom, independence, immense hope and fulfilment – all at the same time.  I was filled with immense pride and self-worth.

Those feelings lasted more than 2 weeks as I completed the whole project.  (See? It lasted more than 2 weeks. Not 2 minutes.  It’s way better than that.)

As a freelance translation editor, this was my first work at home gig!  I’m over the moon!

Although money hasn’t changed hands, I’ll forever be grateful for this job.

Lately, I’ve been thinking over the experience and reliving it to reflect on the important lessons from that first freelance job.  And, also because I’ve had two more queries since then!  And, here, are the 3 vital lessons learned from my first time.

You’ll Never be Ready

It has been almost a year since I started this blog.  In terms of content and design, this blog is not anywhere near ready. Forget being ready, it’s still incomplete – without a services page or something similar.  But, the fact that I still get prospects and a client already, is testimony to that fact that it’s ok to be imperfect.  Everybody starts off somewhere.

Prospects and clients are human too.   They understand that. The fact that I don’t have the money for a design or copy does not bother my client.  The result she gets, matters most to her. The important thing is to establish your presence on the web – start a blog already – and start making connections. Let go of your excuses.  Writing does not come naturally to you?  Well, start writing everyday and follow blogs like WritetoDone, Copyblogger, ViperChill, SmartPassiveIncome, etc.  One area I’m struggling with is the business side of things. I know it will take months to figure out somethings, but I’m willing to do my time and sweat it out. Who ever said making money is easy, right?

Stop Waiting for the Elusive Big Break

After writing blogs for more than 4 years now, one thing is mightily clear to me – there is no such thing as a Big Break in making money online world.    My monthly income from these blogs? $40 – $50 in a good month!  So, why continue?  Because there has always been little breaks in between long spells of drought.  These may be in the form of a post going viral, an affiliate sales or a chat with one of my favorite bloggers, a comment from a reader, etc.  You do get my drift, right?  So, I’m being a realist, while hopeful and focussed on my goals of making real money online and generating passive income.

It’s the little breaks that will make a difference.  It’s the little breaks that perhaps will make it possible for you to break away from the 9-to-5 existence. Dave Navarro, who just quit his job yesterday, wrote a guest post on Ittibiz where he says “No magical single event is going to take you from obscurity to celebrity (well, not in a healthy, sustainable way that lets you sleep at night).”  And, that’s the naked, honest truth.

Your Journey will be Unique, so will your Story be

My first brush with making money from blogs is what Darren from ProBlogger calls an indirect method of making money from blogs.  My father’s book, Zo Chronicles, was published posthumously in 2008.  I announced the release on my then personal blog, quickly highlighting how I got it published, how I undertook the task of proofreading, without prior experience, the manuscript and how friends and family helped to make the publication possible, where and when it was being released and a discount for the release day.  On release day, all copies we got from the publisher were sold!

I know how I make money is unique, very different from how most A-List bloggers make theirs. My story is unique, so is my journey. Eventually my destiny.  We are like a bunch of school kids – today playing football together; 20 years later, we’ll be lucky to even play a game. Forget about being together in the same playground.

This blog is where I primarily want to help video or podcast bloggers by providing them transcripts for their audios and videos.  But somehow, the first job I got is for translations!  But, I’m not complaining.  It’s surprises like this that makes blogging worthwhile.  Do not ever overlook or ignore your prospects where you can help them with your unique set of talents (ever if you do not offer the help they ask for).  Always remember, at the end of the day, you are trying to help people.  Help them wherever, whenever and which ever way you can.  You are the diversifying your income stream, establishing your brand and your credibility in the process.  Be unique.  Stay unique.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

Please feel free to leave your comments and observations.  Do you remember your first time?  Please do share your first time stories.  Subscribe and stay connected.

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And guess what?  There are bonuses to be won for early birds.  That’s right, the first five who buy this course from the amazing blogger, JohnnyB. Truant will get 1 hr of free consulting from him.

And for those joining BEFORE THIS FRIDAY, JULY 17TH one hour of 4-person group coaching.

Well, there you go.

But what is this course all about?

Here’s what Johnny has to say:

Here’s what I got for you, step-by-step, through videos and tutorials:

• How to set up hosting and a domain name, and launch a website/blog.
* How to add themes, plugins, content, widgets, and more to your site to make it do what you want it to.
* How to make your blog more like a normal website than a blog, if you’d like.
• How to add videos and images to your pages.
* How to create email addresses and forwarders.
• How to back up your database and site files (to save your ass!)
• How to add multiple websites and domains so that you can have tons of crap going on if you choose to.
• How to setup an email marketing service and configure new lists.
• How to add subscribers manually and through forms.
• How to send text and HTML email messages to your list.
• How to use email autoresponders.
• How to add products, categories, and product links in two separate e-commerce software packages.
* How to set up affiliate programs (both general and product-specific) so others can sell your stuff for you.
• How to use autoresponders to upsell your prospects on more stuff down the road.
* How to become someone else’s affiliate to make money NOW.
• My two tips to being a kickass affiliate for someone, and actually making sales… the tips that have made me thousands.
• How to set up and use Twitter.
• And a bunch more!

This course is chock full of content. I mean, I ran through SO MUCH coffee in making it. It’s like bursting at the seams. Many hours of videos, and who knows how many words of text — many of which are hilarious. (Some of which are not, though. “Autoresponder” is not hilarious.)

What does it cost?

Well, I figured out the other day that if I were to sit down and teach this to someone who didn’t have any questions and who took spectacular notes the first time through, it’d cost at least $1200 at my normal consulting rate. Probably more.

So? What does it cost, already?

Okay, okay. It’s only $197.

For like $1200+ of instruction. Or far more if you had someone do it for you.

And you’re getting it for $197? You son of a bitch.

So, sign up now and make the internet your bitch!

Below is a teaser video:

Related posts:

1. How to Make Promises and Keep Them

60% of Daily Blog Tips readers say they need a business partner for success.

However in the post Daniel went on to express his reservations as to why it may not be that clear cut for every blogger.

Bloggers are concerned about:

• losing control of their blogs/venture
• sharing the profits

And these above points are why exactly every blogger out there needs a sexy sleeping partner instead.

A sleeping partner as in a virtual assistant who work with you and for you, but do not share your profits or poke their nose into your business.

A virtual assistant like a transcriptionist do all the work that needs done for you WITHOUT profit-sharing! Ain’t that sexy!

Have you got a sleeping partner yet? Contact me now, its a date!

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