The secret to being a successful freelancer | The Way We Work, a TED series

Transcriber: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Camille Martínez

I used to be really bad at earning money.

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Bruce Sung

我曾經很不會賺錢。

Early on, I was a junior financial planner,

在初期，我擔任初級理財顧問，

我的工作是協助客戶 管理他們的財富。

and my job was to help people manage their wealth.

But my salary was so low that I started riding my bike to work

但我的薪水低到我開始 騎單車上班來省油錢，

to save money on gas,

and I started a garden to save money on food.

我還弄了一個菜園來省點食物錢。

Now I run a bookkeeping agency

我現在經營一家代理記帳事務所，

that specifically serves creative businesses.

專門服務創意企業。

[TED: The Way We Work]

〔我們工作的方式〕

[Made possible with the support of Dropbox]

〔Dropbox 贊助實現〕

This might sound strange coming from a former financial planner,

從前財務顧問口中 說出來還蠻奇怪的，但，

but I'm not a fan of capitalism.

我不是資本主義的粉絲。

Almost everyone I work with and know and love is an artist, including me.

我共事的人、認識的人、愛的人， 幾乎都是藝術家，包括我在內。

So I know, the way the system is set up,

所以我知道體制的狀況，

freelancers and artists are too often way underpaid.

自由創作者與藝術家 拿到的報酬通常都過低。

They often feel like focusing on money will corrupt their creativity,

他們常覺得，

著重錢就會腐化他們的 創意，或者他們認為，

or they think they're just not that good at making money anyway.

反正自己就沒那麼擅長賺錢。

But the truth is, we can be good at it,

但事實是，我們是可以擅長賺錢的，

and in fact, we have to be,

事實上，我們也得擅長賺錢， 因為那悠關我們的自由：

because our freedom is at stake:

our freedom to create, to influence

我們才能有自由去創作、 去影響，並運用金錢的力量，

and to use the power of money

to change the very exploitation that keeps artists broke to begin with.

從源頭去改變讓藝術家破產的剝削。

I'm not struggling anymore,

我的生活不那麼辛苦了，

and I've learned a lot since being a financial planner,

成為理財顧問之後，我學到很多，

我想跟各位分享我知道的。

and I just wanted to share that knowledge.

以下是我學到的和我所做的。

So here's what I've learned and done.

One: what you do.

一：你做的是什麼。

When it comes to your offer,

就工作要約來說， 你要能回答下列問題：

you have to be able to answer the following question:

為什麼要僱用你 而不是你的競爭對手？

Why would anyone hire you over your competition?

If you can't answer that question, neither can your potential clients,

如果你無法回答，你的 潛在客戶也不可能回答，

那就表示你不能用你的特色 為名義收取更高的費用。

which means you can't charge more for the thing that makes your work special.

你只能靠價格來競爭， 而招標就變成在比誰最便宜。

Price becomes a differentiator, and bidding becomes a race to the bottom.

你的差異在於你做的是什麼、

What sets you apart could be what you do, why you do it or how you do it:

你為什麼做、怎麼做：

a string quartet that arranges and plays hip-hop medleys

就像編曲和演奏嘻哈 混合曲的弦樂四重奏，

or a branding firm that has a unique way of marketing technology to Baby Boomers

或者有獨門技術可以對 嬰兒潮世代推銷的品牌行銷公司，

or a prop and set designer

或者是以製作精美紙漿模型 聞名的道具場景設計師。

who's known for crafting beautiful papier-mâché miniatures.

Two: who you do it for.

二：你為誰而做。

After you determine what sets you apart,

當你決定了你的賣點之後，

position yourself for your ideal customer.

配合你的理想客戶來定位你自己。

In order for this to be effective, you must narrow your focus.

要發揮效用，你的焦點不能太廣。

沒有焦點，你就是 想為每個人做好每件事，

Without focus, you try to be everything for everyone,

and you end up being nothing for nobody.

結果就是沒有幫任何人做好任何事。

Then, use the kind of language that appeals to your target customer.

接著，要使用能讓 目標客戶共鳴的語言。

Create the kind of marketing materials or the kind of portfolio that attracts them.

創造出的行銷素材 或產品組合要能吸引他們。

Then be in the real-life and virtual places they are.

接著，到他們所在的 實體及虛擬地點。

For example, if you're a videographer

比如，如果你是影音製作人，

and you want to work with mission-driven companies

你想合作的對象是把乾淨用水 帶到缺水地的使命導向公司，

that bring clean water to places where it's scarce,

創作一支預告片，展示

create a video trailer that shows exactly how the power of film moves people to act.

影片具有可以感動人心 讓人行動的力量。

Three: when it's time to talk money, understand the real value that you create.

三：到了該談錢的時候，

要知道你能創造出的真正價值。

You're not just being compensated for the time that you work on a project.

你並不只是因為花時間 去做專案計畫而得到報酬。

You're being compensated for everything you've learned

你是因為這些年來所習得的一切 和做過的一切而得到報酬，

and everything you've done over the years

that make you excellent at what you do.

因為是這些讓你 能把你的工作做到出色。

Ask yourself questions like:

問問自己這樣的問題：

How does your service impact a customer's bottom line?

你的服務對客戶的盈虧有什麼影響？

How do you create efficiencies that generate cost savings?

你要如何創造效率，以節省成本？

How much money can your customer make

你協助客戶創造的產品， 能幫他們賺多少錢？

from a product that you helped them create?

For example, if you're a freelancer that helps YouTube creators

比如，如果你是自由工作者， 專門協助 YouTube 創作者

develop merch like T-shirts and dad hats,

開發周邊商品，如 T 恤、棒球帽，

mention how much money you've helped your clients generate.

要提及你為客戶產生了多少收入。

Or, if you've created a diversity and inclusion training program

或者，如果你為企業創造了 多樣性及包容性的訓練計畫，

for corporations,

talk about how much time and money a company saves purchasing your product

可以說說公司購買你的產品 取代自己開發，

因而省下多少時間和金錢。

instead of developing their own.

Four: make sure your price includes your taxes, your overhead and your profit.

四：確保你的價格要包含你的稅、

你的經常費用，及你的利潤。

When you're a freelancer, you are your own business,

身為自由工作者， 你就是你自己的事業，

so you're responsible for marketing,

所以你要負責行銷、

會計、稅務、法務、保險、

accounting, taxes, legal, insurance,

overhead and profit.

經常費用，及利潤。

If you price too low,

如果你的定價太低，

you've already negotiated against yourself.

你就已經自己先讓步了。

And if a potential customer balks at your pricing,

如果你的潛在客戶 對你的定價持猶豫態度，

don't apologize.

別道歉。

Just say that you're running a business

只要說你在做生意， 再低的價格就賠本了。

and you can't afford to do the work for less.

Instead of corrupting your creativity,

把焦點放在賺更多的錢，

focusing on making more money could actually enhance it

不但不會腐化你的 創意，還會強化它，

by giving you the freedom of choice.

因為這樣做會給你選擇的自由。

Because when you earn enough working with clients that value your work,

因為當你和珍視你價值的客戶 合作並賺到足夠的錢時，

you don't have to compromise by working with clients who don't.

你就不用妥協和不珍視 你價值的客戶合作了。