We don’t like to sell because we are scared of being rejected. 电子邮件和即时通讯传播了糟糕的销售做法，因为它们允许发送温和的信息，然后被遗忘. 最终, though, we are all salespeople. While more obvious in our professional lives, 我们在个人生活中也会这样做——当我们交朋友时，我们会推销自己, 的关系, 诸如此类.

When setting up as a remote finance 顾问, 你需要适应的是，你的老板不会再轻易地把你的收件箱塞满工作. You will have to go and find it yourself, which involves the “s” word.

在 第一个 在本系列的文章中，我讨论了作为远程财务顾问应该做什么. 现在，让我们探索查找和管理此工作负载的方法.

铅一代

财务顾问工作线索来自内部或外部来源. 入站是指直接接近您的客户/工作，反之亦然.

Try to maintain a balance between inbound and outbound; you will find that over time, inbound proves more scalable and fruitful. 当有人主动接近你为他们工作时，谈判的动态是完全不同的，而当你主动接近某人时，谈判的动态是完全不同的.

Branding Your Persona

为了获得潜在客户，你首先需要将你作为财务顾问的角色专业化. 金融专业人士难以树立自我品牌的原因在于，很难界定一项业务所产生的有形产出. 而开发人员和设计师可以指向他们各自完成的应用程序和品牌书籍, for the financial 顾问, a cumbersome Excel model may not have the same resonance. Pitch decks can be a more appealing visual experience, 但这更多地吸引了人们对美学的关注，而不是更多附加价值的桥牌元素:头脑风暴, business planning, 和谈判.

投资组合

Build a portfolio demonstrating what you do. Screenshots of a detailed, 您创建的组织良好的Excel模型可能会开始描绘画面, but it’s more important to show the 故事 of how this model helped your team/clients. 最终, 展示你的增值的最有效的方法是通过视频案例研究, 你会在企业级服务的网站上看到的那种.

Build a simple portfolio website to showcase your work. 有一系列流行的DIY编辑器可以模拟一个网站，比如Wix和Squarespace. 随着时间的推移, 你的网站可以从一个虚拟的简历发展成为你的电子家园, full of dynamic content like blogs and case studies.

电子邮件

把建立一个网站作为一个机会，把旧的雅虎电子邮件地址换成一个链接到你的专业域名的地址. Not only does this show that you are taking your work seriously, but psychologically, it separates work from personal lives. 作为一名独立财务顾问的一大缺点是，你必须总是“在线”，所以至少要建立一些机制，让你可以暂时放下工作，专注于个人生活.

内容

它可能看起来有点元写的内容，告诉你也写内容, but if you will indulge me, writing content is an excellent way to put your name out there. 客户可以从你的写作中了解到比从简历或LinkedIn个人资料中更多的信息. 当你写作时, you are expressing yourself clearly and candidly, 在大多数情况下, a client will be able to visualize your output.

至于写什么，回想一下我们一直在谈论的主题:

1. 你是做什么的??
2. What is the tangible outcome of your work?
3. How is there real-life context to this?

For example, if I was an expert budgeting 顾问 with some war stories about rebasing forecasts, 现在, 我会写一篇关于如何根据COVID-19大流行调整年度财务预测的文章.

Budgeting as Remote Consultant

对于自由职业者来说，最难解决的问题是收入的差异. In salaried professions, 工作和收入的相对保障为人生决策提供了基础.

一开始，远程财务顾问的收入轨迹似乎比受薪工作更不稳定, yet it also has infinite earnings potential and absolute autonomy. 如果你选择那些用发明改变世界或者拥有巨额财富的人作为样本, the chances are they didn’t get there by working for someone else.

管理财务的第一步是要掌握你的支出和每月维持生活所需的资金. It may appear slightly overwhelming when starting out with no clients, and no amount of cliched phrases about snowballs, or learning to ride a bicycle, can mask that insecurity.

当你对项目进行限定时，试着将盈利潜力概念化为三个部分:

• 骡子: Reliable engagements that will pay a steady stream of income.
• 鹅季节性的工作，即只在特定场合出现.
• 独角兽: Big and lucrative contracts that appear out of the blue.

你可以推断, 保持这三者之间的混合将是安全与激励之间的正确中间地带. 从更平淡的“骡子”约定开始是建立动力的好方法, 信心, 和声誉.

每个国家都有自己的规则，关于如何合法地建立自己的公司, I would recommend consulting a local expert. 在更非正式的安排(如“自雇”)和更正式的安排之间，通常会有某种权衡, where you set up a legal entity to act under. 每种方法在成本、客户认知和灵活性方面都有其优点/缺点. Choose according to what your goal will be—for example, if you are looking to get back into full-time work quickly, choose the easiest to unwind option.

Build Communities

Integrity opens many doors. To grow and build a sustainable career as a remote 顾问, you will need the scalable effect of the referral. Building this up requires give and take, 既要善待你的客户，也要帮助其他顾问, with no strings attached.

先付出再索取，试着在你所在的地区建立一个由志同道合的专业人士组成的社区. 将它 独自一人 这是一种很好的控制方式，但有别人在身边通常更容易、更有趣.