Should you call yourself a freelancer or a consultant?
When I first started freelancing, the word “consultant” sounded shady to me. In my mind, consultants were people who were paid huge amounts of money to deliver a seemingly small amount of work. Freelancers, however, were the real underdogs of the world and got paid less money to deliver more “real” work.
Of course, that was back when I thought the only way to make money was to sell time. I had no concept of selling value to my clients. As it turns out, that’s what makes all the difference.
Before we go any further, I want to clarify that these aren’t hard and fast rules. You can be a “freelancer” and still charge for value. You can also be a “consultant” and charge hourly.
But when you pair your title with the right offer to the right client, it can make a huge difference in how much you charge and how you’re perceived.
What’s the difference?
Before deciding what to call yourself, it’s important to understand how people perceive both terms. In general, a consultant is someone who tends to offer more advisory-based solutions. A freelancer is someone who tends to offer more implementation-based solutions.
For example, a web design consultant might advise clients on how to design a website, what content to include, and the most successful strategies, but they won’t actually do the design work themselves. Consultants usually sell intangible assets such as knowledge, insights, and advice. Consultants are advisors.
In contrast, a freelance web designer will usually work with the client to establish a scope of work and execute the design work themselves. The deliverable is a tangible asset such as a design file, design system, or website theme.
The biggest difference is in each term’s perception, but I’ve learned that this perception is slowly evolving.
” The words you use influence others’ perception of you. Saying you’re a freelancer doesn’t signal to others that you’re a know-what-you’re-doing, take-no-crap professional. That bias may be unfair, but it’s a reality. Clients too often see freelance arrangements as low-cost line items rather than strategic partnerships. “
“Consultant” also implies that your solutions are valuable beyond the time it takes to create them. It signals to the client that you’re an experienced professional who can share valuable knowledge and insights that are a worthwhile investment for their business.
In other words, clients assume a consultant will be an expert. You won’t have to spend much time convincing them during your onboarding process.
In contrast, clients often see freelancers as a way to get work done cheaper and faster than if they hired a consultant or agency. In their eyes, freelancers are cheap laborers rather than strategic partners.
Clients who hire freelancers often provide the initial direction for the project and expect you to complete the work from there. They usually don’t understand the value of the solution and it requires more effort to shift their mindset.
Do you really have to choose?
As the freelancing industry continues to grow and mature, the differences in terminology are becoming less obvious. There are extremely talented freelancers positioning themselves as consultants, but calling themselves “freelancers”. Therefore, it’s no longer safe for clients to assume all freelancers are cheap laborers who don’t provide any value.
Many people, including myself, have been calling themselves “freelancers” for years and still manage to work with high-paying, high-profile clients from all over the country. They can do that because their work, experience, and approach to projects are the same as a consultant.
The copy on their websites speaks to potential clients with the same verbiage a consultant would use. They also provide a lot of value to their client’s businesses like a consultant would.
Based on this observation and conversations I’ve had with successful consultants, I believe that the way you position yourself is more important than what you call yourself.
That said, I do suggest avoiding hybrid names such as “freelance design consultant” as this may confuse potential clients and cause them to question your professionalism.
The way you position yourself is more important than what you call yourself.
These terms aren’t completely interchangeable and your personal convictions won’t change the client’s perception of each term. But I think freelancers graduate into consultants as their career evolves.
It’s also important to understand the search volume of each term. If you’re attracting clients to your business through a portfolio or marketing website, this could influence which term you use. Here’s some insight from Google Trends:
When to call yourself a “freelancer”
It’s safe to call yourself a freelancer if you’re selling tangible deliverables. This is the term most closely aligned with client expectations for freelancers. If you don’t yet have extensive knowledge of your industry and are focused on selling copywriting, design, development, or other services, “freelancer” is likely the most appropriate way to refer to yourself.
However, calling yourself a freelancer can potentially limit you to working with clients that have lower budgets and are interested in cheaper, “commodity” services. The word “freelancer” has an unfair bias attached to it which might make it more difficult for you to acquire high-paying clients.
When to call yourself a “consultant”
It’s safe to call yourself a consultant if you’re selling knowledge, advice, or insights in an advisory capacity. Most consultants will focus on charging for the value of the solutions they provide.
Calling yourself a consultant will help you attract high-paying, high-profile clients to your business, but you have to have the expertise to justify this title.
You must be able to effectively solve the client’s business problems and help them achieve real business goals. These clients are looking for impactful business outcomes, not just high-quality execution.
Again, if you call yourself a consultant without knowing how to navigate business conversations, you could end up looking foolish and high-quality clients might be able to see through this poor positioning.
Position yourself for success
If you’re interested in getting better clients, charging more for your work, and dominating the freelancing market regardless of your title, my FREE book about freelancing can help you do just that.
Last updated on March 9th, 2023
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