As a freelancer, your biggest concern is finding clients. If you don’t have any clients, then you won’t make any money. The thing is, how do you go about impressing potential clients and getting them to believe in you? Well, you have to use these three simple tricks, that’s how!
Create A Portfolio Of Your Work
If any of you have acquired freelance work before, then you should know the one thing that every potential client wants to know before they hire you; how good is your work?
After all, why would someone hire you if they have no evidence that you’re capable of carrying out the task they have in mind. If you can’t provide any evidence of your work, then they’re far more likely to hire someone else that can.
As such, work on creating a portfolio of your work, selecting the best and longest examples you can find. If you’re a newbie and haven’t had any freelance jobs before, then don’t worry. What you can do is search around for voluntary work that will help you build up this portfolio. Or you can take my video course How to Create a Writing Portfolio When You Don’t Have Any Clips. In it I teach how to get clips (without writing for content mills) and how to create a professional portfolio.
You can also start writing a blog and show off their writing skills that will impress potential clients.
Hand Out Professional Business Cards
A lot of freelancers make the mistake of only turning to the internet to find clients. Of course, there are loads of great websites where you can find potential freelance jobs and start collecting a pool of clients.
However, you have to realize that there are also opportunities away from the internet too. A business person could walk into a coffee shop on their break and be thinking about some freelance work they need done. Then, they might spot a freelancer's business card on a notice board or stacked near the till and their problems are solved. Get professional plastic business cards created and hand them out to people or place them in shops to open up a world of possibilities.
Plus, a professional business card makes you seem like a serious freelancer. They’ll be thinking, "Okay, this guy/gal is a real pro. They have their own business cards!" Here's an example of mine:
Build A Professional Website
A website is pretty much a digital business card. People find your website, it tells them something about you and provides them with contact details, etc.
If you have a professional website dedicated to your freelance career, then you will wow potential clients. It makes you look like the real deal, like you’re really taking things seriously. Plus, it doubles up as the perfect place to showcase your portfolio. People can find your site and find links to all your previous work.
It doesn't take a lot of money to start your website. In fact, if you have a blog, just use that. Create static pages for your contact information, an About Me page and a page that has links to your clips.
These three simple ideas will make a dramatic difference in your freelance career. If you’re struggling to impress potential clients, and have seen a few leads slip away, give these ideas a try and watch them have an almost instant impact.
Note: This post contains affiliate links.