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Services Offered
How to Write a Compelling and Inclusive Services Offered Listing
Our community is full of writers, illustrators, accountants, embroiderers, bodyworkers, caregivers, teachers, and other creative professionals who work directly with their clients on a freelance basis. If that sounds like you, a well-written listing can help the right people find you.
To support Listers who are offering their services, we created this guide on how to write the most accurate and engaging Services Offered listing. We hope these tips can help you spark connections with other Listers in our community who will benefit from your services and skills!
Write a clear and compelling Services Offered listing headline
A strong headline should quickly describe what you offer and give people a reason to keep reading.
The most impactful headlines usually include a combination of three elements: the service you provide, who it's for, and the benefit or outcome your clients can expect. You want to be as clear and concise as possible, so if writing all of those details results in a headline that’s too wordy, focus on pairing the service with either the audience or result.
Here are some headline examples we love from previous Services Offered listings:
The what & why combo: “Interactive Tarot Readings for Deeper Connection to Self”
The what & for who combo: “High-Quality Online Lessons for Young Adults in Voice, Piano, and Speech”
Both of these headlines are clear about the service being offered and add a little bit of specificity to entice the potential Lister to reach out.
Clearly describe your service to draw in the right clients
Your Services Offered listing description is where the magic happens! This is your chance to dive deeper into what you wrote in your headline, giving your potential clients or customers a clearer picture of what you offer.
Think about the questions someone seeking your service might have, and use your Services Offered listing description to answer them. Some examples may include:
What services do you offer?
What is your process? Is there a particular approach you like to follow?
What can clients expect when it comes to communication?
Is there a specific time frame you usually deliver your services by?
What outcomes and benefits can your client expect from working with you?
Is there anything you would need from your client to get started?
This is also a great opportunity for you to make sure the Listers who reach out will benefit from your services. We recommend thinking about the following answers and expanding on them in your Services Offered listing description:
What kinds of work are you most interested in?
What does your dream project look like?
If you are offering a location-based service, do you have specific preferences regarding how far you’re willing to travel?
The more precise and specific you are in describing your services, the better the chances that the people who reach out to you will meaningfully benefit from your work.
Photo by Alexandra Giel
Share your service fees up front
Being clear about what you charge up front is helpful for both you and the client. It makes it more likely that people who reach out will be more willing to follow through on working with you, since they already know what to expect cost-wise.
Upfront pricing is also one way to avoid the potential bias and discrimination in a negotiation. It is especially important to be transparent about salaries in light of chronic wage gaps, so sharing your fees from the start gives you and your potential client an equal footing.
Finally, if you are able to offer sliding-scale fees, pay-what-you-can, or special rates for those who experience oppression or can’t afford your standard rates, we encourage you to do so.
Photo by Meagen Addison
Tell your potential client about yourself
In your Services Offered listing description, take the time to introduce yourself, and feel free to be as creative and personal as you like. You might consider sharing:
How you first got started in the craft, service, or skill you are offering to the Listing Project community
What you enjoy most about the service you are offering
Your values or philosophy when it comes to your craft
Listings Project is all about making connections. It’s likely that the people who reach out to you want to get to know you as much as you want to get to know them!
Share your past work and client testimonials
Sharing examples of your past work and testimonials is the easiest way to communicate what you can do and the impact it has on others. Consider adding the following to your Services Offered listing description to give your potential client or customer an idea of what they can expect:
A link to your personal website or online portfolio, if you have one.
Links to client work, publications your work has appeared in, or past events you’ve been featured in.
If you have any specific credentials or licenses that are legally required for you to perform your service.
Photos of your work or the space that you work in. Images can go a long way towards helping potential clients envision what it might be like to work with you.
A few quotes or testimonials from past clients who are willing to serve as references.
Even a few of the above can go a long way in building trust with someone considering reaching out.
Listings Project Community Tip
When writing about yourself in your Services Offered listing, it may feel natural to include your credentials. At Listings Project, we try to discourage an over-reliance on credentials to signal expertise and skills. Focusing on credentials can lead to bias and discrimination.
As an alternative, we suggest you include an acknowledgement of your teachers in your listing. We’ve noticed more and more people choosing to publicly shout out and recognize the people who they’ve learned from. In particular, if you practice in a skill or craft that you’ve learned from people who don’t share your identity, we think it’s wise to give credit to these people publicly.