New Clients Are Everywhere

I was on the phone with Apple's technical support today (a logic board problem with my iBook), and was talking with a rep named Sam in Toronto, Ontario. I told him I had been to Toronto for a resume writing conference, and he asked me about resumes while we waited on hold together for a product specialist, and then a customer relations representative.

It just shows that prospective new clients are everywhere.

He asked all the typical "new client" questions (pricing, guarantees, samples, effectiveness, job search research), and I referred him to a couple of my colleagues in Ontario, Canada. So Marian, Martin, or Sandra, if you get an inquiry from Sam who works for Apple and wants to be a health inspector, you'll know where it came from.

(The bad news, it appears as if my logic board issue is unrelated to the repair extension program I referenced, and I'm going to have to take my computer in.)

How Do You Process Information?

I was reading about "Learning Styles" today -- specifically, how most of us have preferred ways to perceive and process new information. When you realize that you have a preferred way to learn new information, you can be more effective in learning new things!

My interest was focused on "processing" information -- how we internalize our new experience and make it our own. Educational theorists have identified two styles of processing:

• Some people favor processing new information by actively experimenting. They like to "jump right in" and start using the new information. They immediately look for practical ways to apply what they've learned.
  

• Others favor processing new information by reflectively observing -- they prefer to watch and ponder what is going on. They understand a situation by carefully observing it.
  

I'm an "active experimenter" -- if I read about a new resume technique, I want to try it out right away.

What's your processing style?

Control Your Time

Who controls your time? It can feel like your clients control your time, or your friends, or your kids, or your spouse. When you find yourself saying you don't have enough time, you may really be saying that you are not spending the time you do have in the way that you want.

Don Orlando has a great take on managing your time that he shared in a recent issue of the Spotlight. He talked about charging clients extra for projects that require him to work evenings or weekends. His surcharge is something like $4,000 on top of his usual rates.

I do charge a rush fee (usually 20%), although I try not to encourage it. I found myself doing one yesterday though, and the client had delayed getting me his information until about 9 p.m. last night. Fortunately, I had started writing the draft without the information he was supplying, and it didn't take too long to plug in his new information. But as I was sending off his draft at 11:30 last night, I pondered increasing my rush fee even more.

Maybe I'll make it a flat $500 for 24-hour turnaround. You have to start somewhere, right Don?

Be A Fool

I read an article recently where the author said, "Most of us spend too much time and energy trying to hide our fool-hood." By this, he meant that we spend too much time pretending to be something that we're not.

That's an interesting concept. A lot of us try to be experts in our field ... and are afraid we'll look like a fool if we ask our client to clarify something that is probably basic to them. I've tried to be better about this -- by telling the client, "I know a little bit about a lot of different fields, but I'm going to rely on you to help me understand enough of what you do to create a resume that will get you interviews."

Right up front, I'm giving myself permission to look foolish to this client. And you know what? Not one client has objected. (I thought for sure one of the first ones I said this to would come back with something like, "Well, what am I paying you for then?" Nope, that was just foolish thinking on my part!)

Afraid of writing for a new field? Be willing to be a fool! Take risks, experiment with new skills ... grow! The rewards are expanded creativity, more joy ... and a potential new market.