Why clients think your core freelance skills aren’t enough. Take the 90-day industry expert challenge
Being good at your core skill (design, cooking, strategy, change management, writing, development, whatever) is just the starting point. It might get you in the door, but it doesn’t make you indispensable. Try this 90-day challenge to become an industry expert within your existing skill set
What makes you indispensable is understanding your client’s world as well as they do. Sometimes better, when it comes to your existing expertise.
Here’s an example. Compare two designers with similar portfolios going for the same project:
Designer A can design anything. They’ve worked with restaurants, tech startups, nonprofits, and healthcare companies. Their portfolio is diverse and their skills are solid.
Designer B only works with fintech companies. They understand banking regulations, know what open banking means, follow fintech news, and speak the language of financial services.
Who do you think gets hired when a fintech company needs design work?
Designer B. Probably every single time. Plus, they can justify charging 2-3x more than Designer A.
Now, this will be frustrating for Designer A and any other freelancer who has diversified their client profile. The difference is ensuring that when you do put yourself forward to a new client or project, you retrieve the prior knowledge and client experiences you had in that industry and soak up industry news, policies and competitor analysis within your area of design. But this takes commitment.
What you can do for clients as a freelance industry expert
When you deeply understand an industry, you can:
- Spot problems before clients mention them
- Suggest solutions they haven’t thought of
- Speak their language
- Anticipate changes that will affect their business
- Give advice beyond just your core service
What does sector expertise look like in a freelancer?
Let’s say you’re a freelance copywriter. Here are two scenarios you could take:
Scenario 1: Generalist approach. Client: “We need website copy for our new SaaS product.” You: “What’s the product? Who’s the audience? What tone do you want?”
Scenario 2: Industry specialist approach. Client: “We need website copy for our new SaaS product.” You: “I saw the GDPR requirements just changed for SaaS companies storing EU customer data. Are you positioning this as enterprise-ready with those compliance features? Also, I noticed your competitor just launched something similar. How are you differentiating?”
The second scenario immediately adds more value. In this scenario, you’re not just writing copy; you’re thinking about their market position, competition and regulatory environment.
How to choose your industry as a freelancer
You don’t want to just randomly pick an industry. You’ll want to think about:
- Where do you already have some experience? Even if you’ve only done a few projects in an industry, that’s a head start
- What industries are you naturally curious about? You’ll need to read a lot about this space. Pick something you won’t dread learning about
- What industries have money to spend? Some industries (like fintech, healthcare, SaaS) have bigger budgets for freelancers than others
- Where is there room for someone like you? If an industry is already oversaturated with specialists in your skill, consider looking elsewhere
Most importantly, pick ONE. Not three or four. One. You can always expand later, but trying to be an expert in multiple industries could diminish the perception of your expertise to clients.
The 90-day become-an-expert challenge
Once you’ve chosen your industry, spend the next 90 days becoming genuinely knowledgeable about it. Here’s how:
Week 1-4: Foundation building
- Subscribe to the top 3-5 industry publications and company press releases
- Follow industry leaders on LinkedIn, X, Medium, Substack…wherever they post
- Join relevant online communities or forums
- Listen to industry podcasts while you work out or commute
- Create a simple spreadsheet of key terms and concepts
Week 5-8: Get reading and set up calls!
- Read case studies from successful companies in this space
- Understand the regulatory environment (if relevant)
- Learn about the major challenges companies face
- Set up calls and interview 3-5 people who work in this industry (Making connections through LinkedIn comments are a good place to start. Ask for 15 minutes of their time to learn about their industry/offer an angle where it might be advantageous for them to also speak to you)
- Start documenting insights that could inform your work
Week 9-12: Active learning
- Attend a virtual conference or webinar
- Write a few LinkedIn posts about what you’re learning
- Analyse how competitors in this space position themselves
- Start having conversations with potential clients using your new knowledge
- Create an “industry insights” document you can reference
Ongoing:
- Spend 3 hours per week staying current. Make it part of your routine
- Join industry associations (many have freelancer memberships)
- Build relationships with others who serve this industry
- Keep documenting insights
Read on for your next week’s action plan. Article continues below.
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The return on your investment
This feels like a lot of time and money, especially if you have subscribed to several publications. You could be doing paid work instead. However, here’s what could happen when you do this:
- You close deals faster. When you speak a client’s language and understand their challenges, they trust you immediately. Less of your time convincing, more time working
- You can charge more. Industry specialists command 50-100% higher rates than generalists. That 90-day investment pays for itself quickly
- You get better referrals. When someone in fintech needs a designer, your name comes up because you’re “the fintech designer.” Generalists don’t always get recommended like that
- Work becomes easier. You don’t have to research from scratch every time. You already know the sector
- You spot opportunities. You’ll notice gaps in the market that generalists miss, leading to higher-value projects
You don’t have to fake it
Some freelancers worry: “What if I claim to be an expert and I’m not?”
You’re not claiming to know everything. You’re positioning yourself as someone who understands the industry AND has your particular skill. That’s a powerful combination.
Be honest about your learning process. You can say, “I specialise in working with fintech companies. I stay current on industry trends and regulations so I can give you strategic advice alongside great design work.”
That’s not fake. That’s true, and good clients will value it.
Your action plan this week
Choose your industry. Just one. Write down a list of reasons why it makes sense for you.
Then spend 5 hours this week doing initial research:
- Find the top 3 industry publications and subscribe. Also, create a Google search on the industry and get news articles in your inbox every day.
- Follow 10 industry leaders on LinkedIn
- Join 2 online communities or forums
- Make a list of 20 companies in this space you’d like to work with
You’re not committing your whole career to this. You’re just testing it out. But by the end of the week, you’ll be surprised by how much more interesting client conversations become.