Naturally to be a successful freelancer, you need to be able to secure the work. I\u2019ve been trialling a few different ways to find opportunities (more on that later) and something I\u2019ve noticed is the huge disparity in how organisations are marketing, and outlining, their opportunities. From vague one-liners to 5+ pages of in-depth context and prescriptive detail, there\u2019s a real mix of approaches. One of the consequences will naturally be a huge variation in the quantity and quality of proposals that come back. So, from what I\u2019ve learnt so far, what makes a good brief and why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I think it comes down to six core factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s great to see an outline of the organisation and the work, so that the opportunity has good context. Who are you and why do you need this work done? Will the freelancer be building on the foundation of something or starting from scratch? Set the scene for the freelancer\u2019s involvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019re clear there\u2019s a need for the work, next up is outlining the detail of what you\u2019re after, especially if you\u2019ve got specifics in mind. Ideally this is broken into outcomes and outputs \u2013 the outcomes of what change you want to see as a result of the work, and any specifics on the outputs you\u2019re after. Do you want to understand your impact better through quantitative analysis? Or do you want a qualitative angle too through interviews, focus group or surveys? Do you want a written report to outline the findings, or a presentation at a meeting, or infographics for web and social channels?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Equally if you\u2019ve got a clear outcome but are open and flexible to how this could be achieved -be clear you\u2019re after ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Location – Manage expectations early and set out in your initial brief whether the work is fully remote, on-site or any form of hybrid (and what flexibility you\u2019re open to). It\u2019s incredibly frustrating when it\u2019s not clear on a brief, or worse, the arrangement turns out to be not what was originally agreed. For some a change in location is an inconvenience, but for some it simply means they can\u2019t undertake the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People or organisations – It’s really helpful to get a sense of whether you\u2019re after a single person, or are open to receiving a collaborative proposal. Likewise, if you\u2019re just keen to hear from an organisation, it\u2019s great to be specific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Working relationship \u2013 Bonus points for this one, definitely \u2013 which is any outline of how the organisation will work with you, including aspects such as collaborative approaches, what resources or staff will be available to support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n