Establishing a Client Base to Freelance

When it really comes down to it, if you want to go out on your own and do anything “freelance”, you only need one thing – clients. If you have clients, you’ll have work. If you have work, you’ll get paid. If you get paid, you’ll make it as a freelancer. Its as simple as that

Starting out as a freelancer you’ll be constantly reminded of and you’ll learn the importance of getting clients. It should be your main focus. The freelancers who are on top of their game (including the consultants and other contractors) are rarely left with significant down time. When one job ends, the next begins, in a cycle that goes on for as long as they wish.

How can one get the clients then? There are many methods one can use to attract clients and we have compiled a list of the big ones below. Some methods will be easier to manage than others. Each method below could be the subject of a very long discussion, but here is an outline of four methods.

1. Cold Contacting – In the old days, there was cold calling. Now, with the plethora of communication mediums available to us, I prefer the term cold contacting.

The principle is simple. You have to get out and contact your potential clients and sell your wares. To most people this is a very difficult job, as rejection rates are high (IE. the number of potential clients who say “no” is much higher than those who say “yes”.) You need to have a really positive attitude to rejection to make this form of client acquisition work. Having said that, I have never met a person who has mastered the art of cold contacting, who wasn’t a rich person. When mastered, its a skill which can be applied to any industry in the world. As such, this method of sales can then become another skill which you can freelance with.

2. Marketing and Advertising – This is the most expensive method of client acquisition. It simply entails that you put a sales message somewhere where your potential clients will see it and do it in a way that will make them call you. If you get this right, half the time the client has already made up their mind to use your services before they call you, so you do not have to sell at all. One big benefit of this type of client acquisition is that you can reach a much larger audience, than you can cold contacting people.

Being successful with your advertising campaign is not easy. It will require time and definitely money. Besides finding the right forum, you’ll have to construct the perfect blend of images and words that will get your potential clients thinking you’re right for the job. During the trial and error process, all your precious resources will be spent, but if you can end up with the right advertising program, you will soon be on a roll.

3. Referrals. While it is essentially another from of cold contacting, you’ll find that the success rate of referrals is far greater, comparing it to the former. Therefore, you won’t have to endure the same amount of rejections and you’ll probably be able to persist much longer.

To get referrals, you run through your own personal contact list and get in touch with all of them. Anyone can be the source of a referral: your mother and father, a distant relative, a friend, some people you know from school, a neighbor or even your ex-coworkers. The personal level of communication is the difference. With that common understanding, your services are far superior to any stranger offering the same. Introductions are a cinch and the better a friend your contact, the better a shot you have at winning a new client or two. If an acquaintance is still feeling you out, it could be the opportunity to get to know a new person, making them a more reliable source for a referral in the future.

Definitely the best referrals will come from current clients. That say it all: they have hired you, they are working with you at the present moment, they are happy with you and anyone else would be, too. It adds to your credibility.

4. Build a partnership with a company stocked with clients. I learned this lesson firsthand when I left the Australia’s Superannuation industry in 2003. Deciding it was time to freelance, I made some moves before I realized what an asset I would be in the same industry. Instead of going to the clients of my old company, I went to the old company itself and offered myself out as a freelancer. The hard part was already done: they knew me and had the clients. It was a natural fit. All that remained was working out a mutually beneficial scenario, in which they would gain income and still be able to maintain their relationships, while I set up a situation that would bring me income and continued work for a long time.

Working with this type of program, my plate has been full for many years, working with the clients that were already in the company’s trust. While I spend considerably fewer hours on the job, I am earning more than I did while working for the company. It works for them, too, as I am an employee who requires no office expenses and only gets paid when they get paid. Actually, the company saves money since I don’t need an office.

It doesn’t always work so well for freelancers. I have had a good bit of luck to be in my situation. In many cases, employers do not swallow pride and go into business with former employees, either on principle or because they see no benefit. There are plenty of other options out there with established companies, so think big. Many companies will be willing to try out a different type of arrangement.

As your freelance career continues to develop, you’ll see that there is no single way to do anything, especially when it comes to finding and winning clients. Everything listed above will work if executed in the proper way, but if you talk to freelancers who have been at it for a while, you’ll see that it’s usually a mixture of several different methods to get the job done. Experiment: after all, that’s the essence of freelancing.

Damian Papworth freelances as it affords him quality time with his baby daughter. He recently did some research on baby high chairs as he needed new high chair pads. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

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