If you’ve been freelancing for even a short amount of time, you’ve probably realized that when they put the “free” in “freelancing,” it might’ve been only as a way to trap you. Don’t get me wrong; you get freedom. But you also get a lot more work. And I do mean A LOT!
You’re now probably doing all sorts of managing from business decisions to client relations, accounting, marketing, social media strategy, PR, photography, sales — and I’ve probably missed some, didn’t I?
That’s precisely the reason why any tool that can simplify your hectic life is more than welcome.
For me, Sessions proved to be just that: a blessing in disguise and an asset when discussing with a potential client for my side hustle. (Spoiler alert: shortly after our meeting, we signed a contract, and they officially became my client. And I believe the platform played a part in this success story.)
Why do I think it mattered? I believe the little things in life speak of greater ones: when I used it, my (later on) client got a series of subtle messages.
The things I communicated to my future client:
1. “I care about you.”
I spent time preparing all the materials and the Agenda of the meeting in advance. By doing this, I conveyed that they are important to me, and it’s noticeable that I put effort into making the meeting a seamless experience. I dedicated time, so they didn’t have to waste theirs. This brings me to my next point:
2. “Your time matters to me. I will not waste it.”
I planned every part of the Agenda to the minute. I even took into account the chit-chat from the start of the meeting.
3. “I know what I’m doing.”
The transition from one part or topic to the next was smooth. Firstly, because we both knew what was coming next and from a technical viewpoint, every resource I needed for the session was ready to use and integrated effortlessly from the agenda.
4. “What you say is important to me.”
Before the meeting, I prepared a Google Doc where I gathered all my questions for the client. During our discussion, I displayed it for both of us to see. While they answered my questions, they could see I wrote down the information provided. It conveyed that I’m serious and interested in what they’re sharing. It also gave them a sense of accountability for their words or information transmitted.
Before our session, I prepared all the materials needed and then organized my Agenda.
- In the beginning, I scheduled 3 min for small talk.
- Next, I put aside 20 min to discuss their business history, products and future goals. For this, I wrote in advance a list of questions in a Google Doc. To use it in my session, I changed the privacy settings, then inserted the link in Sessions, and voila! While they were telling me their story, I wrote down the answers. If I happened to get something wrong, they could see in real-time my notes and correct me or give more explanations.
- I dedicated another 5 min to talking about the areas in which they needed my help. For that, Form came in handy: I created a questionnaire they could complete directly in Sessions.
- I included 2 minutes for the Takeaways so we’d both remember the meeting’s essential points. At the end of the session, both of us received this information via email.
Also, I know for a fact that my client was happy they could write down relevant information from our talk using the My Notes provided by the platform (which they also receive via email) since they had misplaced their physical Agenda.
I think Sessions helped present me more as an organized person who is ready to dedicate time and energy to my client’s business growth than just some freelancer looking to make some money on the side. Granted, Sessions won’t do your job for you. But it sure can help your presentations and meetings look more professional.
The best part? I saved the structure of this meeting as a template, and now I can use it with other future clients. I’ll customize the template to suit the new person/business with a few clicks, and I’m good to go.
Like most freelancers out there, I already used Google Docs and Sheets, Trello or Miro to discuss with my clients and team members. However, switching tabs and apps while on a video/audio call proved tiring and counterproductive. But with Sessions, this issue’s solved since I have all the necessary tools integrated while also providing the needed audio-video context.
In conclusion
Take a break from Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and other “conventional” platforms. It’s high time you try a conceptually different platform like Sessions, designed to give you your creative space while increasing productivity. If you think about it, I only spent 30 minutes with a client, a meeting that usually took me more than an hour. It freed up so much time that I could now easily schedule all my appointments for one day and leave the rest of the week for uninterrupted work.
As I said previously, I think of using this platform as a success story. If you’re also a freelancer, I encourage you to try Sessions too. You’ve got nothing to lose, it’s all free!
