Hello Reader,

I love referring people.

When someone comes to me and says, "Hey, I need a writer for this project. Who would you recommend?" I almost always have a name in mind or a person in my contacts who does that thing.

How do people get on that list, you might ask?

I think the more important question is, "How do you know who to recommend for which project?"

I usually know if someone might fit because of one of two situations:

1. We've talked about what they do and what they love to do, and I remembered it.
2. I had a conversation with them, asked questions about what they love to do, and I remembered it.

See the common factors there?

We had a conversation. I learned something specific about the kind of work they enjoy, and they gave me a reason to connect their name with a certain kind of project.

They didn't simply tell me they were a writer. They told me enough about their work for me to remember how they help.

That's what we're going to work on today.

Help people remember you

Not everyone will remember everything you tell them about yourself.

Think about what happens when you meet several people at a conference or attend a group networking call. By the next day, some of the introductions have already begun blending together.

You may remember one person because they told a funny story. Someone else stands out because they asked a thoughtful question or cares deeply about a subject that interests you too. You remember another because they described a problem and you immediately thought, "I know someone dealing with exactly that."

The personal and professional details work together.

If people know your title but nothing about you, there may not be enough connection for the information to stick. If they remember your personality but have no idea how you help, they may enjoy seeing your name without thinking of you when an opportunity comes up.

We're aiming for both.

Let people get to know the person while you also give them a clear understanding of the help you provide.

Share context

Your title gives people a category to put you in.

If you tell me you're a freelance writer, I understand the general kind of work you do. I still don't know whether you interview healthcare executives, create case studies for software companies, write books, or specialize in turning technical research into something the rest of us can understand.

Even a more specific title can leave a lot unsaid. "B2B content writer" may be accurate, but it doesn't show me what you enjoy, which problems you understand best, or what makes your approach different from that of every other B2B content writer I know.

Context fills in the picture.

Instead of stopping at "I write case studies," you might explain that you love interviewing customers and finding the moment when they realized a product had solved a problem they thought they were stuck with.

Now I can picture the work.

I'm more likely to remember that conversation when someone tells me their customer interviews aren't producing useful stories. I know you create case studies, but I also know something about how you approach them and which part of the process interests you.

You don't need a rehearsed speech. Talk about the work the same way you'd explain it to a friend who was genuinely curious.

Who do you enjoy working with? What's usually happening when they come to you? What do you help them figure out? Which part of the process are you especially good at?

Those details give people more ways to remember you.

Talk about problems and solutions, not only deliverables

Clients don't always know which deliverable they need. They know what's happening, though. When they're looking for help, they may tell someone:

• "Our CEO has great ideas, but none of them are making it into our content."
• "We've interviewed several of our customers for case studies, but the results always sound like a product sheet. They're boring!"
• "We put out content every week, but it's just not working. We aren't bringing in the people we need to fill our pipeline."

Let's say you've only talked about the deliverables you produce, the other person has to figure out whether your service applies to whatever the person who needs a writer is looking for. When you also talk about the problems you solve, the connection is easier to make.

Deliverables still matter. If someone needs a white paper writer, it helps to know that you write white papers. But the problem is usually bigger than finishing a project.

The client may need someone who can organize several competing ideas into one useful argument. They may have internal experts who know the subject but struggle to explain it to customers. They may need help deciding which information deserves attention and what should be left out.

Talk about the parts of your work that require critical thinking, decision making, and maybe a smidge of strategy too.

They reveal more about how you help. As an example, "I specialize in helping my clients build a relationship with their audience. I incorporate my experience with what the audience wants to learn about with my expertise in this topic to write case studies that show how my clients solve specific problems. That brings in qualified customers."

Talk about what you care about

What kind of work would you be thrilled to find in your inbox tomorrow?

Maybe you love interviewing people who think they have nothing interesting to say and watching them realize how much they know. Perhaps you enjoy the detective work involved in research. You may be happiest when someone hands you a pile of ideas and asks you to find the connection. Or you enjoy taking the outline and turning it into an article people want to read.

Talk about that.

People can hear the difference when you're describing work you genuinely enjoy. The entire conversation becomes more interesting because you're interested.

What you care about outside work matters too.

You don't need to turn every hobby, family story, or personal interest into content. You also don't need to remove those things from your professional life so people will take you seriously.

Personal details give people another point of connection. They make conversations easier to remember and give someone a reason to keep talking with you after the standard introductions are finished.

I landed one client because of a story I told about my ducks!

Share what feels natural. Let people know you, and you'll attract clients that are a better fit.

Shout it out!

A person can't remember something they never had a chance to learn.

If you want to become known, you have to talk to people and share what you're thinking. One conversation or social post probably won't create a lasting impression by itself.

Fortunately, you don't need one perfect introduction that explains everything.

People learn who you are over time. They hear you talk about your work, see the subjects you explore, notice how you treat people, and watch what you do with the opportunities you receive.

Each interaction adds another piece.

Network and have conversations

Networking works better when you're curious about the other person.

Ask what they do, but don't stop there. Find out what they enjoy, and what kinds of clients or projects they understand especially well.

Tell them the same things about you.

You may discover that you serve similar clients but solve different problems. Perhaps your skills complement one another. Maybe you share an interest that has nothing to do with work and gives you a reason to stay in touch.

You don't have to steer every conversation toward business. Sometimes the person becomes memorable because you enjoyed talking with them, and the professional connection develops a bit later.

Don't forget to stay in contact after the first conversation. Interact with them:

• Comment when they share something interesting.
• Send them a resource that made you think of them.
• Check in because you're curious about how something turned out.

Being known grows from relationships, not from collecting names.

Share more than announcements in your content

Your content gives people a chance to know you between those conversations.

Talk about the problems you understand. Share what you've learned and the ideas you're still considering. Tell stories that show why you care about the work.

You can also talk about your humor, interests, frustrations, and experiences. Those help readers form a clearer picture of who you are and how your fit in their life.

The balance will be different for everyone. Some people are comfortable sharing quite a bit. Others prefer to keep most of their personal lives private. Let your content retain enough of you that someone can connect it with the person they met.

If your online presence sounds nothing like you do in conversation, that connection becomes harder to maintain.

Make it easy to share

Someone may remember you and want to introduce you to an opportunity. Make it easy for them!

Your website, LinkedIn profile, portfolio, or service page should confirm what they remember. It should show how you help, include relevant examples, and make it easy to contact you. Be consistent in your conversations and across your channels.

This also matters for opportunities that have nothing to do with referrals. Someone may remember an idea you shared and look you up months later. A podcast host might consider you for a conversation or a potential collaborator may want to learn more about what you do before reaching out.

Make sure they can find the version of your work you want them to see. That gives people a clear next place to go when they want to know more.

Tell people what you want more of

Did you know the people who know and like you may still have no idea what you're looking for? It's true.

If you want more ghostwriting projects, say so. If you're interested in speaking, podcast conversations, collaborations, or introductions to people in a particular field, let people know.

You 100% of the time don't get what you don't ask for. So ask:

You've now given the other person something new to remember. They may know someone today, or they might meet someone six months from now.

You can also ask for a referral directly when that makes sense, especially after a successful project. But referrals are only one possible result.

Someone might invite you to participate in an event, share your work, introduce you to a collaborator, ask you to contribute to a publication, or contact you when their own needs change.

The larger goal is helping people understand which opportunities would interest you.

Ask for testimonials

You also want to make sure you are regularly asking your clients for testimonials. Testimonials help people understand what it's like to work with you. Tip: Ask for specific testimonials.

A general comment such as "She was great to work with" tells us the client was happy. A more specific testimonial shows why.

Ask clients what was happening when they contacted you. What did they need? What did you bring to the process? What changed because you were involved? What stood out about working with you?

The answers may describe your skill, but they may also reveal qualities you hadn't thought to mention.

Perhaps the client appreciated the way you asked questions, made a complicated process feel manageable, or noticed something everyone else had missed. Maybe they valued your steadiness during a difficult project as much as the final deliverable.

Those details help others form a better, brighter picture of who you are.

They also provide social proof. Someone considering your work doesn't have to rely entirely on what you say about yourself. They can see how another person experienced your help.

Get started today

One of the biggest delaying tactics I see freelance business owners use is: "I can't do that yet because my website/LinkedIn/portfolio isn't ready yet." Stop it. You don't need to rebuild your brand before people can know you better.

Choose one or two of these steps:

1. Decide what you want people to remember. Include something about how you help and something that reflects the person doing the helping.
2. Name a problem you understand. Describe it the way someone might experience it before they know which service they need.
3. Explain how you help solve it. What do you bring to the situation, and what changes because you're involved?
4. Think about the work you want more of. Be specific enough that you could describe it during a real conversation.
5. Set up a call with someone. Ask about what they do, what they enjoy, and what they want to be known for. Share your answers too.
6. Create one piece of content. Talk about a problem you understand, an idea you care about, or an experience that shaped the way you work.
7. Contact a previous client. Ask for a testimonial or let them know which kinds of projects and opportunities currently interest you.

Pick a step then do it. You can build out the rest over time. The most important thing you can do is just get started.

Give people something to remember

I love referring people because I enjoy connecting someone with a person who can genuinely help.

But I don't only remember people so I can refer them. I remember them because we had an interesting conversation. They cared about something. They made me laugh, taught me something, asked a thoughtful question, or helped me understand what they do in a way that stuck.

Sometimes that memory turns into a referral. It may also lead to a friendship, collaboration, invitation, introduction, or future client relationship.

Becoming known requires a balance. Let people see who you are. Help them understand what you care about and how you think. Make it clear which problems you understand and what you can help someone accomplish.

Then keep showing up long enough for those pieces to become connected in their minds.

Give the people you meet a genuine reason to remember your name and something meaningful to connect with it. You never know where that connection may lead.

And that's it for this week. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Treasa (and Trudy)

​​​​

​​​​