05-08-2025
The 5 Soft Skills That Set Successful Freelancers Apart
While being highly skilled in your area of expertise is essential for success, there are several key soft skills you also need to master as a freelancer.
Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and the Stanford Research Center found that 85% of job success is due to well-developed soft skills and people skills, versus only 15% for technical skills. In a world where AI is replacing jobs and technical skills, soft skills will continue to be in demand - and could be the difference between surviving and thriving as a freelancer and business owner.
Here are the most important soft skills to help move any freelance business to the next level.
1. Interpersonal Communication
Being able to effectively communicate and have constructive two-way conversations with leads, clients, and other stakeholders is still an essential skill for freelancers. Although video meetings and online communication platforms like Slack may have replaced some in-person interactions, most freelancers can't avoid human conversations. It's essential to convey clarity and power when communicating with clients, whether it's a discovery call, a briefing meeting, or if you're presenting metrics. Being a clear communicator can increase trust and respect towards you as a business owner.
2. Public Speaking
If the idea of public speaking makes you break a sweat, you're not alone. Around 75% of people get anxious when it comes to public speaking. However, being able to stand in front of an audience and confidently present can be a competitive advantage in your freelancing business, as it can help position you as a leader and expert in your field. A great way to grow your business is to be a guest speaker at networking groups, associations, and other local business meetups. If that sounds daunting, it's worth developing your public speaking skills first with Toastmasters training.
3. Problem Solving
Freelancing isn't just about execution. Clients also partner with freelancers for strategic thinking and creative solutions to tricky problems. A skilled freelancer is not afraid to adjust a strategy to suit a client's needs better, solve a roadblock, or use data to better inform your decisions. Rather than using a cookie-cutter approach to client work, offering customized solutions to their business problems can help build trust, leadership status, and lead to long-term relationships.
4. Emotional Intelligence
Speaking with clarity and confidence is one thing, but talking and leading with emotional intelligence (EQ) is another, and is a soft skill that helps to set you apart as a freelancer. EQ plays an important part when collaborating with clients, but even more so when it comes to difficult conversations, such as scope creep or unpaid invoices. To exercise EQ, use active listening (truly stopping to listen to their needs and pain points), empathy, and cultural awareness in all of your interactions. Understand that each person has their own unique background and perspectives.
5. Mindset
A strong mindset is the backbone of any successful freelancer. There will be quiet times when workload has reduced and revenue has dropped, which will test your resilience, perseverance, and ability to adapt. Therefore, having a strong growth mindset, self-discipline, and the ability to reframe failures as a learning curve can be the key factor for succeeding in business. To build your mindset, invest in personal development books, training, or coaches, and surround yourself with other successful business people you can learn from.
In the wise words of Steve Jobs, 'I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance'.
