THE IDEA

It’s easy to feel like you need to be the best in your field to succeed. You look at the award winners, the people with huge followings, the ones whose work gets shared everywhere, and wonder how you can compete. If you’re not at the top, the thinking goes, why would anyone choose you?

Here’s what many clients will quietly tell you: they’re not choosing the best. Most of them couldn’t tell the difference between the very best and the very good even if they tried. What they can tell is everything else. Did you reply when you said you would? Did the project come in on time? Were you pleasant to deal with? Did they have to chase you? Did you explain things clearly?

Those things are often what decides who gets hired, who gets rehired and who gets recommended. A talented professional who misses deadlines and goes quiet for days will lose clients to a solid, reliable one every time. Being easy to work with is a skill, and it’s one that clients notice far more than you’d expect.

The good news is that this is entirely within your control. You may not be able to become the most gifted person in your field overnight. You can become the most dependable one starting today. Answer promptly. Do what you said you’d do. Tell clients early when something changes. Make their part easy.

Keep improving your craft, of course. But don’t wait until you’re the best to believe you deserve the work. Being great to work with is already a reason for people to choose you.