I used to be really bad at earning money.

我以前真的不善於掙錢。

Early on, I was a junior financial planner,

早期，我是一名初級理財師。

and my job was to help people manage their wealth.

而我的工作就是幫助人們管理他們的財富。

But my salary was so low that I started riding my bike to work

但我的工資太低了，所以我開始騎車上班了。

to save money on gas,

以節省油錢。

and I started a garden to save money on food.

和我開始了一個花園，以節省食物的錢。

Now I run a bookkeeping agency

我現在開了一家記賬公司

that specifically serves creative businesses.

專門服務於創意企業的。

[TED: The Way We Work]

[TED：我們的工作方式]

[Made possible with the support of Dropbox]

[在Dropbox的支持下得以實現]

This might sound strange coming from a former financial planner,

這話從一個前理財師口中說出來，可能聽起來很奇怪。

but I'm not a fan of capitalism.

但我不喜歡資本主義。

Almost everyone I work with and know and love is an artist, including me.

幾乎所有和我一起工作、認識和喜愛的人都是藝術家，包括我。

So I know, the way the system is set up,

所以我知道，系統的設置方式。

freelancers and artists are too often way underpaid.

自由職業者和藝術家的工資往往太低。

They often feel like focusing on money will corrupt their creativity,

他們常常覺得關注金錢會敗壞他們的創造力。

or they think they're just not that good at making money anyway.

或者他們認為反正他們也不是那麼好賺的。

But the truth is, we can be good at it,

但事實上，我們可以做好。

and in fact, we have to be,

而事實上，我們必須要。

because our freedom is at stake:

因為我們的自由岌岌可危。

our freedom to create, to influence

我們的自由創造，影響

and to use the power of money

並利用金錢的力量

to change the very exploitation that keeps artists broke to begin with.

來改變讓藝術家們一開始就破產的剝削方式。

I'm not struggling anymore,

我不再掙扎了。

and I've learned a lot since being a financial planner,

而我做理財師以來，也學到了很多東西。

and I just wanted to share that knowledge.

我只是想分享這些知識。

So here's what I've learned and done.

所以這是我的心得和做法。

One: what you do.

一：你做什麼。

When it comes to your offer,

當談到你的提議。

you have to be able to answer the following question:

你必須能夠回答以下問題。

Why would anyone hire you over your competition?

為什麼有人會僱用你而不是你的競爭對手？

If you can't answer that question, neither can your potential clients,

如果你不能回答這個問題，你的潛在客戶也不能。

which means you can't charge more for the thing that makes your work special.

這意味著你不能為你的作品特別的東西收取更多的費用。

Price becomes a differentiator, and bidding becomes a race to the bottom.

價格成了差異化，競價成了競爭的焦點。

What sets you apart could be what you do, why you do it or how you do it:

你與眾不同的地方可以是你做什麼，為什麼做，或者你怎麼做。

a string quartet that arranges and plays hip-hop medleys

絃樂四重奏樂隊

or a branding firm that has a unique way of marketing technology to Baby Boomers

或者是一家品牌公司，對嬰兒潮一代有獨特的技術營銷方式。

or a prop and set designer

或道具和佈景設計師

who's known for crafting beautiful papier-mâché miniatures.

她以製作精美的紙糊小模型而聞名。

Two: who you do it for.

二：你為誰做。

After you determine what sets you apart,

在你確定了自己與眾不同的地方之後。

position yourself for your ideal customer.

為自己的理想客戶定位。

In order for this to be effective, you must narrow your focus.

為了使之有效，你必須縮小你的焦點。

Without focus, you try to be everything for everyone,

如果不專注，你就會試圖成為所有人的一切。

and you end up being nothing for nobody.

而你最終卻什麼都不是

Then, use the kind of language that appeals to your target customer.

然後，使用那種能吸引目標客戶的語言。

Create the kind of marketing materials or the kind of portfolio that attracts them.

製作什麼樣的營銷材料或吸引他們的作品集。

Then be in the real-life and virtual places they are.

那就在他們現實生活和虛擬的地方。

For example, if you're a videographer

例如，如果你是一個攝像師

and you want to work with mission-driven companies

您希望與有使命感的公司合作。

that bring clean water to places where it's scarce,

將清潔水帶到缺水的地方。

create a video trailer that shows exactly how the power of film moves people to act.

製作一個視頻預告片，確切地展示電影的力量是如何讓人們行動起來的。

Three: when it's time to talk money, understand the real value that you create.

三：在談錢的時候，要明白自己創造的真正價值。

You're not just being compensated for the time that you work on a project.

你不僅僅是在一個項目上工作的時間得到補償。

You're being compensated for everything you've learned

你所學到的一切都會得到補償。

and everything you've done over the years

以及你這些年來所做的一切

that make you excellent at what you do.

讓你在你所做的事情上變得優秀。

Ask yourself questions like:

問自己這樣的問題。

How does your service impact a customer's bottom line?

你的服務如何影響客戶的底線？

How do you create efficiencies that generate cost savings?

如何創造效率，節約成本？

How much money can your customer make

你的客戶能賺多少錢

from a product that you helped them create?

從你幫助他們創造的產品？

For example, if you're a freelancer that helps YouTube creators

例如，如果你是一個自由職業者，幫助YouTube的創作者

develop merch like T-shirts and dad hats,

開發T恤衫和爸爸帽等商品。

mention how much money you've helped your clients generate.

提到你幫客戶賺了多少錢。

Or, if you've created a diversity and inclusion training program

或者，如果你已經創建了一個多樣性和包容性的培訓計劃。

for corporations,

對公司而言。

talk about how much time and money a company saves purchasing your product

談談公司購買你的產品可以節省多少時間和金錢。

instead of developing their own.

而不是發展自己的。

Four: make sure your price includes your taxes, your overhead and your profit.

四：確保你的價格包括你的稅金、你的管理費和你的利潤。

When you're a freelancer, you are your own business,

當你是一個自由職業者，你就是你自己的企業。

so you're responsible for marketing,

所以你要負責營銷。

accounting, taxes, legal, insurance,

會計、稅務、法律、保險；

overhead and profit.

間接費用和利潤。

If you price too low,

如果你價格太低。

you've already negotiated against yourself.

你已經和自己談判了

And if a potential customer balks at your pricing,

如果一個潛在的客戶對你的定價不屑一顧。

don't apologize.

不要道歉。

Just say that you're running a business

就說你在做生意

and you can't afford to do the work for less.

而你又不能少做一些工作。

Instead of corrupting your creativity,

而不是敗壞你的創造力。

focusing on making more money could actually enhance it

悶聲發大財

by giving you the freedom of choice.

通過給你選擇的自由。

Because when you earn enough working with clients that value your work,

因為當你與重視你工作的客戶合作賺夠了。

you don't have to compromise by working with clients who don't.

你不需要通過與客戶的合作來妥協。