Share the article!
Linea's freelance story is so worth reading because you will learn what can actually happen when you reach out and get support. You will gain an insight into Linea's approach to providing a precise and targeted customer offer, and you will learn how to go from selling to uncovering the customer's needs. And how the very small shift in focus can make a huge difference to your business.
Linea Ivalo Lykkehøj Michael loves geeks. So much so that she has dedicated her company Graphiosity to all those who know a lot and who may need a little help to get all that knowledge out to the rest of us. The technicians, the researchers, the heavy industries, the museums – those in white coats, those with wild brains and big thoughts.
Graphiosity was born
After a few initial months as a freelancer in her own name with a steep learning curve, Linea was ready with the company Graphiosity. Graphiosity conveys heavy knowledge, and with training as both a teacher and media graphic designer in her backpack, Linea is well equipped in her new company to cut to the chase and convey knowledge creatively both linguistically and graphically. This means that both the specialist can recognize himself and the recipient understands the message.
Linea creates graphics based on five parameters:
1.
From complex to simple
2.
From details to overview
3.
From boring to catchy
4.
From facts to feelings
5.
From abstract to concrete
I can't be my own sparring partner
Linea has been a freelancer since January 2020, and had actually imagined that she would have to work for a few more years before she had to start for herself. She was subject to a classic notion of having need a little more knowledge, a little more experience, to start up.
After a few months of job hunting, Linea nevertheless made the decision that now was the time: "I already had what it takes to deliver the graphic communication and know that I deliver good tasks. But I lacked knowledge of how to do business, make myself attractive and send sharp customer offers.”
Covering expertise and strategy from the start
From day one as a freelancer, a business mentor, Maria Camilla Andersen Smith, was therefore hired. Linea has, among other things, has used to clarify his niche, expertise, define core customers and prepare a business strategy.
"Others can use me as a sparring partner, but I am aware that I cannot give myself that sparring. But when I accept help to make the big choices, it suddenly becomes easy to use my tools on myself. Then I can see my ideas as a case where I can explore them and go straight - I have done that for so many others. It is the clarifying choice that is a challenge to try to make completely alone,” says Linea.
Narrow target group gives freedom to spread
Linea quickly got good assignments and clients who demanded a more permanent connection with assignments 2 days a week. But when you, like Linea, are curious by nature, how do you choose what you want to focus on? “I love working in a versatile way with communication. But there are an infinite number of graphic designers and communicators to choose from. So, as a new freelancer, I see a need to have a clear focus rather than being a generalist, so that I can stand up for my clients,"says Linea, who has worked with her mentor in relation to clarifying what she is most passionate about.
Freelance with Factofly
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own CVR number or registered company. We handle all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
A niche opens doors
"The nerdy thing in terms of imparting knowledge is just me. The process of cutting to the heart of what I do has been difficult. But after the choice is made, it feels just right and provides a clear focus. I can still take on other types of tasks, but I know where I really have something to offer. And funnily enough, the choice to focus has actually also opened up a lot of possibilities. After all, knowledge dissemination is about many different approaches – layout, animations, text, illustrations. So my choice has set me free to spread out without skating around.”
Linea's path to a customer offer:
1: Call the customer, with the aim of having a meeting at home
2: If the task is large, the goal is a physical meeting - if the task is smaller, the meeting can take place on the phone
3: Use the meeting to uncover what the customer needs - find out if there is a match
4: Send an itemized offer by email
5: When the details are in place, quickly follow up with a sharp freelance contract
Create sales by uncovering the customer's needs
As a new self-employed person, it can be quite a challenge to have to start selling and sending out customer offers. It has also been the case for Linea: “Fundamentally, I don't like doing marketing for myself. Having to go out and grab customers and convince them that I'm the best.”
Through a partnership with a more seasoned independent graphic facilitator Marie Rohrsted, Linea has worked on its approach to sales: "Through my collaboration with Marie, I have changed my approach to sales. I now work to view sales as a starting point to uncover the customer's needs and then see if I match that need. It gives a much better feeling to think that I just have to uncover a need instead of selling.”
From the first customer offer to systematic networking
The first times I had to make an offer to a customer, Linea sent 'just an email'. Through the collaboration with its partner, Linea has gained a new structure for making offers.
When Linea has to go to major customer meetings, her partner helps her plan the meeting and make a plan for what needs to be investigated and how she will make sure to send off a customer offer and get the task home. If the task is larger, Marie is happy to come along as project manager: "My partnership with Marie creates a sense of security that I will be asked the right questions and will be given the right offer, where all elements are described. What, for example, is involved in a layout task - is it EVERYTHING or is it, for example, setting up text, must graphics, illustrations, etc. also be created?
Find the right customers from the start
Linea has learned an expensive lesson on a large layout task, where the framework in the agreement turned out to be not quite as sharp as she thought. The customer kept asking for more, and in the end it ran out completely, and Linea had to withdraw from the collaboration: "There, it was good to have a lawyer on hand (Jannik/FactoFly) who just said 'Now we take over'. Jannik got part of the money home, and had to shut down the collaboration with the customer. If I had been alone with it, it would probably have been an even harder blow for a start-up company than it ended up being. It's good to know that I will have legal assistance in the future - even if I don't expect to need it again."
The courage to say no
Although the process with the customer was difficult while it was going on, Linea has been able to use the experience in the future: "I have become very keen on the good customer offer: what is in my agreements, what is included, and what may be comes out at a fixed hourly rate. And I have become aware that when I take my time for the first clarifying meeting with the customer, the bonus is that you can also sense about the customer and that I am the right match in terms of collaboration. And to dare to say no if it feels like a no.”
It is clear that Linea loves to collaborate with many kinds of professionals - especially if they are passionate about their profession: “I am curious about the world. I need to know more. Others need to know more. That's why I make graphics.”
Freelance with Factofly
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own CVR number or registered company. We handle all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
Linea's freelance story is so worth reading because you will learn what can actually happen when you reach out and get support. You will gain an insight into Linea's approach to providing a precise and targeted customer offer, and you will learn how to go from selling to uncovering the customer's needs. And how the very small shift in focus can make a huge difference to your business.
Linea Ivalo Lykkehøj Michael loves geeks. So much so that she has dedicated her company Graphiosity to all those who know a lot and who may need a little help to get all that knowledge out to the rest of us. The technicians, the researchers, the heavy industries, the museums – those in white coats, those with wild brains and big thoughts.
Graphiosity was born
After a few initial months as a freelancer in her own name with a steep learning curve, Linea was ready with the company Graphiosity. Graphiosity conveys heavy knowledge, and with training as both a teacher and media graphic designer in her backpack, Linea is well equipped in her new company to cut to the chase and convey knowledge creatively both linguistically and graphically. This means that both the specialist can recognize himself and the recipient understands the message.
Linea creates graphics based on five parameters:
1.
From complex to simple
2.
From details to overview
3.
From boring to catchy
4.
From facts to feelings
5.
From abstract to concrete
I can't be my own sparring partner
Linea has been a freelancer since January 2020, and had actually imagined that she would have to work for a few more years before she had to start for herself. She was subject to a classic notion of having need a little more knowledge, a little more experience, to start up.
After a few months of job hunting, Linea nevertheless made the decision that now was the time: "I already had what it takes to deliver the graphic communication and know that I deliver good tasks. But I lacked knowledge of how to do business, make myself attractive and send sharp customer offers.”
Covering expertise and strategy from the start
From day one as a freelancer, a business mentor, Maria Camilla Andersen Smith, was therefore hired. Linea has, among other things, has used to clarify his niche, expertise, define core customers and prepare a business strategy.
"Others can use me as a sparring partner, but I am aware that I cannot give myself that sparring. But when I accept help to make the big choices, it suddenly becomes easy to use my tools on myself. Then I can see my ideas as a case where I can explore them and go straight - I have done that for so many others. It is the clarifying choice that is a challenge to try to make completely alone,” says Linea.
Narrow target group gives freedom to spread
Linea quickly got good assignments and clients who demanded a more permanent connection with assignments 2 days a week. But when you, like Linea, are curious by nature, how do you choose what you want to focus on? “I love working in a versatile way with communication. But there are an infinite number of graphic designers and communicators to choose from. So, as a new freelancer, I see a need to have a clear focus rather than being a generalist, so that I can stand up for my clients,"says Linea, who has worked with her mentor in relation to clarifying what she is most passionate about.
Freelance with Factofly
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own CVR number or registered company. We handle all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
A niche opens doors
"The nerdy thing in terms of imparting knowledge is just me. The process of cutting to the heart of what I do has been difficult. But after the choice is made, it feels just right and provides a clear focus. I can still take on other types of tasks, but I know where I really have something to offer. And funnily enough, the choice to focus has actually also opened up a lot of possibilities. After all, knowledge dissemination is about many different approaches – layout, animations, text, illustrations. So my choice has set me free to spread out without skating around.”
Linea's path to a customer offer:
1: Call the customer, with the aim of having a meeting at home
2: If the task is large, the goal is a physical meeting - if the task is smaller, the meeting can take place on the phone
3: Use the meeting to uncover what the customer needs - find out if there is a match
4: Send an itemized offer by email
5: When the details are in place, quickly follow up with a sharp freelance contract
Create sales by uncovering the customer's needs
As a new self-employed person, it can be quite a challenge to have to start selling and sending out customer offers. It has also been the case for Linea: “Fundamentally, I don't like doing marketing for myself. Having to go out and grab customers and convince them that I'm the best.”
Through a partnership with a more seasoned independent graphic facilitator Marie Rohrsted, Linea has worked on its approach to sales: "Through my collaboration with Marie, I have changed my approach to sales. I now work to view sales as a starting point to uncover the customer's needs and then see if I match that need. It gives a much better feeling to think that I just have to uncover a need instead of selling.”
From the first customer offer to systematic networking
The first times I had to make an offer to a customer, Linea sent 'just an email'. Through the collaboration with its partner, Linea has gained a new structure for making offers.
When Linea has to go to major customer meetings, her partner helps her plan the meeting and make a plan for what needs to be investigated and how she will make sure to send off a customer offer and get the task home. If the task is larger, Marie is happy to come along as project manager: "My partnership with Marie creates a sense of security that I will be asked the right questions and will be given the right offer, where all elements are described. What, for example, is involved in a layout task - is it EVERYTHING or is it, for example, setting up text, must graphics, illustrations, etc. also be created?
Find the right customers from the start
Linea has learned an expensive lesson on a large layout task, where the framework in the agreement turned out to be not quite as sharp as she thought. The customer kept asking for more, and in the end it ran out completely, and Linea had to withdraw from the collaboration: "There, it was good to have a lawyer on hand (Jannik/FactoFly) who just said 'Now we take over'. Jannik got part of the money home, and had to shut down the collaboration with the customer. If I had been alone with it, it would probably have been an even harder blow for a start-up company than it ended up being. It's good to know that I will have legal assistance in the future - even if I don't expect to need it again."
The courage to say no
Although the process with the customer was difficult while it was going on, Linea has been able to use the experience in the future: "I have become very keen on the good customer offer: what is in my agreements, what is included, and what may be comes out at a fixed hourly rate. And I have become aware that when I take my time for the first clarifying meeting with the customer, the bonus is that you can also sense about the customer and that I am the right match in terms of collaboration. And to dare to say no if it feels like a no.”
It is clear that Linea loves to collaborate with many kinds of professionals - especially if they are passionate about their profession: “I am curious about the world. I need to know more. Others need to know more. That's why I make graphics.”
Freelance with Factofly
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own CVR number or registered company. We handle all the boring stuff, so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
