Getting clients for your freelance business can be tough. Some people won’t be receptive to your pitches, and too much aggression will turn potential clients away. When you don’t have a sufficient way to handle freelancer payments, that counts as another turn off to clients. Before your company starts starving for clients, use the tips below to find new leads.
6. Networking
Networking inside your normal circles is always a good idea. But networking outside of your comfort zone will yield better results. Going to events that specifically target your industry is not only expected, but should be mandatory for any business. While a lot of these events can seem redundant, they are still the best way to meet up with important clients that will influence your business.
5. Ask For Referrals
A shy businessman is someone that won’t have a company for long. Ask for referrals instead of waiting for a client to take action. It is not the client’s responsibility to talk openly about the greatness of your company. If you have a thousand satisfied customers and none of them leave a referral, then what does that say about your business?
4. Choose Better Marketing
When marketing is effective, a steady stream of clients will come in. Some will even mention your marketing and ads as a positive. When marketing is bad, you have to consistently pour more money into it. A marketing budget should plateau at some point instead of ballooning into an unmanageable cost for the company. If clients aren’t responding to your marketing campaign, then choose a better one instead of pumping up the old one.
3. Offline Is Just As Important As Online
Getting wrapped up in the digital age of convenience gets rid of a lot of benefits of traditional client acquisition. Sure, the majority of people are online. But that doesn’t mean it is the best way to reach a potential client. Put just as much effort into getting clients the traditional way and you’ll be surprised at the results. Freelancers that are good talkers will benefit the most from getting clients in a face to face setting.
2. Optimize Your Website
A bad website design will turn away any potential client you may have. Imagine researching and gaining the trust of a client and then losing them after a website visit. That is not only bad business, but it messes with networking opportunities within that client’s circle. The easiest way to shut yourself out from future business is to have a bad website.
1. Follow Up With Past Clients
A follow-up is a good way to not only get a referral, but to mend broken links. Clients aren’t always forward with why they won’t do business with you again. When you have a lot of one and done clients, a little investigating can make a difference. Contact them to touch base, and learn from your past (or current) mistakes.
Wrap Up
Keeping the old clients happy while finding new ones is a delicate balance. Don’t take for granted how important new clients are to a growing business. By applying the tips mentioned, your business is prepared to last for multiple years.
