Malini Devadas’s recent online workshop, hosted by Editors South Australia, was engaging, thought-provoking and encouraged participants to revisit their own beliefs about their editing services. A significant feature of the value-for-money three-hour session was that it was structured so that attendees could participate in activities designed to have them consider questions such as:
- why they serve their clientele?
- what sets them apart?
- how can that be communicated?
An awareness of those questions (and knowing your answers!) is fundamental, Malini suggests, to developing a marketing strategy that provides opportunities for lead generation and client longevity.
Malini has more than 20 years experience as an editor, evidenced by the detailed explanations she generously shared with participants as questions arose during the session. Her enthusiasm and content knowledge enabled participants to interact and also to drill down on the issues arising for those of us who work independently and may not be familiar (let alone expert) in the art of marketing. Malini’s in-depth knowledge covered a wide range of topics including:
- the elevator pitch (who is your target audience and how do you help them?)
- strategies editors can use to engage with prospective and current clients, using social media
- handling objections
- pricing structure.
These topics are of acute relevance for solo practitioners and Malini’s well structured session meant we could consider what’s preventing us from being as successful as we might want.
Feedback to the Editors South Australia branch for hosting Malini’s event included the following from one participant: “I want to thank Editors SA for deciding on and hosting this event. It was out of left field for me, which is exactly what I needed. It stimulated me to think about my business editing aspirations in a different way.”
Evidently, while it is important as editors to have the functional and know-how skills to deliver high-quality content on behalf of our clients, it is just as important for us to design and to review our work to ensure its compatibility with our own values as practitioners.
For example, why do we do what we do, and how can our work reflect our ongoing capacity and capabilities? We should at all costs avoid allowing ourselves to become “stuck” (and let’s face it, we have all had those thoughts – if not days – where we ask ourselves “why am I doing this?”)
Malini’s session provided the opportunity to share some thoughts on the challenges we all face in our work. Importantly, though, it provided a foil for participants to respond to and reframe those questions so that they become more meaningful. This enabled us to untether our thoughts from the fear of judgement. The session was innovative, inspiring and insightful (so thank goodness for the slide deck for my future reference!)
Editors South Australia plans to invite Malini back later in the year, so keep an eye out for an invitation – it is one you won’t want to miss.
Deb Coleman-George is on the Editors South Australia committee.