Psychology plays an important role in the entrepreneurship and business industry. It should be one of the compulsory subjects for business students. But well, it’s not like only business and psychology students are running businesses. No matter which field you are in, these psychological tips can help you improve your side hustle.
The Internet has been the knowledge hub. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that we have learned more through Google than the education system.
So here we are, sharing what we have learned through the internet with you, an aspiring side hustler.
Why Does Psychology Matter in Side Hustles?
Okay, before diving into the tips we have for you, let me first tell you why psychology is important.
Psychology is the study of the human mind and behaviour. And when it comes to business and side hustles, it can help you understand what your client wants. You can use this information to “manipulate” them into choosing your brand or service.
Wondering what you need to do to get these results? Here are 6 tricks that can help you get clients and grow your business confidently as a side hustler.
Your Writing Style Matters More Than You Think
A side hustle starts with you letting people know that you are a side hustler and this is what you offer. For that, you either create a website, a portfolio, or social media accounts.
The way you represent yourself through your words makes the first impression. You can be working as a freelance writer, or graphic designer, or running your eCommerce store. The information you provide is going to tell your customer how reliable your business is. That information is usually provided in writing. You can write blogs or share your ideas on social media.
How you write also matters. You can use formal and informal sentences. But whichever style you choose, make sure it speaks to your audience. A lot of people make this mistake. They write everything from a landing page to their about us section like a robot.
PROTIP: Read this in capital letters, FORMAL IS NOT PROFESSIONAL, CONVERSATIONAL IS PROFESSIONAL.
Here’s how psychology works here:
When you write in a conversational style, you build a relationship with your client. You are talking to them through your words and they are listening. Like you are listening to me right now through these words. Hi, how are you? Do I have your attention? I hope I do.
Your business should speak to your clients so that they listen, stay, and take action that is in your favour.
The Same Information Drafted Positively Can Make a Big Difference
You know how positive and negative words can make a difference right?
Now tell me how many of you “budding side hustlers” have mentioned to your client:
“Hey, I’m sorry I don’t have any experience but I can help you, you can check my samples here” or something along these lines.
Gotcha!
Ever wondered what you could have done instead of mentioning “no experience”? Tell them that you are good at learning and researching.
“Hey, I am a fresher but I have done my research on the *topic* and I have all the information required to work on it. If you want, I can show you my sample work that revolves around *the same topic* that you are expecting me to work on.”
They have given you the topic or at least told you the industry they are working in. It wouldn’t be difficult for you to research, learn, and create a sample for their reference. But they will be interested in your sample only if you tell them that you know what you are talking about. Does it make sense? I hope it does.
Answer Their Questions and They’ll Trust You More
How would you feel if you come to me for help and I keep asking you questions? There are times when your clients don’t know what they are expecting, they don’t know what they SHOULD BE expecting. And if you keep questioning them, you are going to confuse them even further. They will consider reaching out to someone else who can offer them solutions.
I get it, to know more about their work, expectations, and business, you need to ask questions. But that is something you should do after they have signed you up for the project.
Let me explain what I mean.
When a client reaches out to you, all they know is what their business is about. They have a very vague idea of what they need from you.
Like, For a client starting a blockchain business who needs website content for them. They can tell you about the business but not about what they are expecting out of the website content.
What you can do with the basic information is you can tell them what they should be looking for.
“Oh, a blockchain business website, that’s interesting! So, for the website content, you must be looking for SEO friendly pages. You will need at least a landing page, a home page, and a contact page. Along with that information about your products and services if I am not wrong.”
Your client knows you have worked with this before and thus you have experience.
PROTIP: Instead of telling them who you are, tell them why they need you and they will be hooked on your proposal.
Options Create Confusion
“Hey, we can work like THIS, or THAT also sounds good. But what do you think about THIS third option? Does THIS work better for you, or should we stick to the first idea only?”
Boom, you confused your client. They don’t know what to do. Get ready for disappointment because now they’re going to let you take the driver’s seat. They will point out things they don’t like in your work with a vague or no explanation.
Ever been shopping with your mother? What happens when the shopkeeper opens up 15-20 sarees/fabrics/suits in front of your mom? The chances of you coming out without buying anything are more than purchasing 5 out of those 20 options.
This is what you do to your client when you give them multiple options.
I am not saying don’t give options at all.
Give them two to three options and then guide them towards the one that will work best for them.
PS: Not the most expensive option please, they know that trick.
Make Them Believe You Deserve the Money You’re Charging
This is a big one. A little tricky but important. You are in a time when people are readily accepting INR 500 for a task that should make an individual INR 5000+. Clients are going to tell you that they can get the work done for a lower price, and they are right, they can. But that neither means you will let every client go nor you will accept anything less than what you deserve.
You will have to tell them why you deserve the money you are charging. And that should not sound like you are begging for their money. How do we do that?
You let them know (not tell them) that you have the expertise and that working with you can help them.
For instance, you are charging INR 5000 for a landing page and the client tells you that people are doing it for INR 500. Tell them the importance of a landing page and how a well-written landing page can get them more clients.
After that, let them know the conversion rate of your landing page. This makes your services different and better from other writers.
A client who knows the importance of landing pages will agree to invest in your content. And a client who doesn’t care will go with cheaper options.
Tell Yourself You Can Do This and You Will
This one is for you. To grow and improve your side hustle, you will have to tell yourself that you can do this. Despite the ups and downs. And you WILL do this.
Give yourself 5 whys every day. Why you started, why you like it, why it is important for you, why you need to improve your side hustle, and why you want to continue.
Then research and see what you can do to improve your side hustle. Take help from friends, family, and experts if you need to, there is nothing wrong with that.
And most importantly, tell yourself that you are there for yourself. You will do the best you can for this side hustle and make it a good source of income without burning yourself out.
Parting Words
Information about psychology that can help you improve your side hustle is endless. You will have to read books on psychology if you want to learn more. But what you can do instead is take a course that can offer you everything you need to start a side hustle. This will save you time, money, and energy as you will be getting the information you need. Here is a course by Hustlepost Academy on how to start and grow your side hustle. The course gives you a blueprint of the journey of starting a side hustle. It will also help you in converting your side hustle into a six-figure business. And trust me, it’s not limited to that. Check it out to learn more about what you will get through this course.
