6 Proven Ways To Get More Clients As A Freelancer
So you’ve registered as a freelancer, how do you start to get the clients and earning more money?
Here are 6 tips to help you stand out from the rest;
- Complete Your Profile.
Most freelancers fail to see that in order to look professional and trustworthy, presentation is important. You want clients to choose you because you give enough information in your profile including images, past experiences and as much detail as possible. Lazy one liners do not draw clients to you. If you make the effort to give as much detail in your profile and listing as you can, you are guaranteed to get more attention than a profile with barely any information or images.
Your profile acts as the hub for your social media presence, portfolio and case studies. Both your profile information and content should look and feel professional and consistent with your image. Remember to align them to your unique value proposition and highlight the results you deliver for clients.
TOP TIP : Include photos and videos of your activities and achievements. Make your personality shine. Images of awards and testimonials from clients should be proudly posted as well.
2. Communicate Often.
Abandoning your freelance profile is very easy to do as maintaining it takes motivation. However if a potential client cannot reach you they will go somewhere else. In a competitive marketplace it’s important to be in touch with clients because as the saying goes ‘the early bird catches the worm’. Make it clear that you are business savvy and looking for more work.
3. Promote Your Services.
If you want clients to find you in a sea of talent, the best way to stand out is to actively get more views to your profile. You’re embarking on a new journey so tell people about it. Your primary network consists of close friends, relatives, colleagues and peers in your industry or profession. You’ve built trust over time, and they’re confident in your expertise and knowledge on a certain market or topic.
Okay, some of them may stare blankly at you as you try to explain what an Expat Coach or Travel Fixer is. But telling the people closest to you what your freelance business is all about is a win-win.
First, it’s a great rehearsal for when you need to tell other people what you do. It’ll help you refine your pitch and make it really clear. If you can get your family and friends to understand, it’ll be child’s play explaining yourself to people in your industry.
Second, you’re not just speaking to them, but getting your message out to everyone they know – their unique networks. By making it clear what you do, they’ll be able to sing your praises the next time someone they know is looking for someone who does what you do.
Don’t forget all those people you’ve been connecting with on Facebook. This is your payback for looking at their baby and pet pics for all these years. So tell them what you’re doing.
Remember, too, to reach out to former employers. Loads of people start out being freelance by working with people they used to work with. Which is why it’s a great idea not to get drunk and upset your boss on your last day.
4. Upsell and cross-sell to current clients.
Upselling and cross-selling are two simple ways to acquire new business from existing clients.
You will need to be sensitive to the fact that your clients may be facing additional pressures created by Covid-19, and they may not have the time or the budget to start new projects. But if you have products or services that can help them overcome these challenges, then they may be delighted to hear from you.
When looking to sell additional services to your clients, try the following approach:
- When you talk with your client, ask them about the challenges they currently face in reaching their goals
- Listen to what they say and dig deeper into their responses
- Offer your services as an additional value-add to solve specific pain points
For example, if you’re a Real Estate/Property Agent, you can offer location consultancy, follow up consultation or rent negotiations for your clients after they have selected a property. Especially handy if there is a language barrier. Whatever it is, make sure it alleviates a problem they have. This is how you make your upsell relevant to clients.
5. Ask for written feedback.
If you have a profile on Settlu, ask your former clients to write an honest review about your services. They are also welcome to do this on any of your listings. Settlu encourages reviews so freelancers build credibility and trustworthy reputations with clients. Feedback is what usually influences people to try something new, which is why Trustpilot and other review sites are such a big deal. People don’t like scams, so showing you can be trusted to deliver what you are selling is incredibly essential.
6. Get Verified.
Not only reviews and testimonials increase your credibility to prospective clients, but getting Verification Of Identity is an absolutely essential part of being a freelancer. Just as if you worked in a corporate office, Starbucks or any establishment your credentials need to be verified in order to confirm your identity. It’s no different on Settlu as people genuinely want to know you can be trusted and that you have a clean background. In an open landscape such as online work all sorts of people can be anyone they want to be. Verification not only reassures clients but also protects Settlu platform from scammers, identity thefts and all sorts of legal woes.
Wrapping up
This guide is designed to act as a hub of ideas to attract new clients. Not all the options we’ve laid out will be right for you, but there should be a handful of techniques that will work again and again.
Remember, growing a business takes commitment and patience. The best way to use this guide is to identify three to five approaches that you feel confident will work. Then, follow this process to execute:
- Find in-depth guides on each topic to learn best practices and techniques
- Search for examples on how others have executed them and gained results
- Create a plan to test these new approaches and select the metrics to measure success
While there are many approaches you can use, not all of them will work for you right away. Experiment with the techniques that are relevant to your business and double down on those that get results.