To succeed as a freelancer, you'll have to be versatile and independently motivated, but the biggest thing is having the client base to keep you going. With steady clients, you'll always have work, and with work, you'll know a paycheck is on the way, which means that you're making it work.
When you are starting out, well to be honest, at all times through your career as a freelancer, this finding clients thing will be a big focus. The really good freelancers, contractors or consultants will never leave a job until they have the next one lined up. Therefore, the really good operators will have a constant source of income.
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. Instead of the classic phrase "Cold calling," this phrase is better in an era when methods of communication extend far beyond the telephone.
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. Asking around for referrals is similar to cold contacting, except you're contacting people you know first and asking for an introduction. That difference makes referrals much more attractive and much more effective. The number of rejections experienced is much fewer.
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.
The ultimate referrals come from recent or current clients. No better testimony exists than someone currently working with you or a satisfied customer of recent times. Your credibility factor is unmistakable. Anyone with a real need for work would hire you.
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 you grow in your freelancing career, you'll quickly learn that there is no absolute and perfect way to find your next client. All of the above are proven methods in their own right, but the most successful freelancers, consultants and contractors will use a mixture of some or all of the above. So try different things, experiment and make your own way with your own style. That after all, is what freelancing is all about.
When you are starting out, well to be honest, at all times through your career as a freelancer, this finding clients thing will be a big focus. The really good freelancers, contractors or consultants will never leave a job until they have the next one lined up. Therefore, the really good operators will have a constant source of income.
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. Instead of the classic phrase "Cold calling," this phrase is better in an era when methods of communication extend far beyond the telephone.
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. Asking around for referrals is similar to cold contacting, except you're contacting people you know first and asking for an introduction. That difference makes referrals much more attractive and much more effective. The number of rejections experienced is much fewer.
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.
The ultimate referrals come from recent or current clients. No better testimony exists than someone currently working with you or a satisfied customer of recent times. Your credibility factor is unmistakable. Anyone with a real need for work would hire you.
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 you grow in your freelancing career, you'll quickly learn that there is no absolute and perfect way to find your next client. All of the above are proven methods in their own right, but the most successful freelancers, consultants and contractors will use a mixture of some or all of the above. So try different things, experiment and make your own way with your own style. That after all, is what freelancing is all about.
About the Author:
Damian Papworth freelances as it gives him more time with his baby daughter. He just did some analysis on baby high chairs as he required new high chair pads. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.
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