At this stage in my career, I don’t have to hustle as hard to find freelance clients. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always prospecting and looking for an opportunity. The difference is that because I’ve already established myself as a brand and have the proper processes in place, it’s gotten easier for clients to find me.
However, it wasn’t always like this. I was a newbie once too. I also didn’t have a portfolio or name recognition. I started at the same place everyone else does – with nothing. Here’s what I did to find freelance clients as a newbie.
Understand sale is a process.
Before diving into the exact tactics, I have to stress to you that sales are a process. I was fortunate enough to have had a desk job that basically required me to sell every day, so I intuitively understood this “sales process” concept from the beginning even if I didn’t quite have the words to explain it at the time.
What I mean is this, sales take time. That’s why I like to teach that it’s all about having a conversation with people and being of service. Here are some examples that demonstrate that:
- Going back and forth with negotiating. It’s about both parties being happy, not winning or losing.
- Sending a pitch to a prospect even when you don’t know what their budget is for the sake of having a conversation about writing for them (budgets are negotiable).
- Refer someone you can’t work with to someone who is more qualified because you want to help them and don’t just see a dollar sign on their head. This could lead to them sending referrals your way later.
- Have a solid follow-up system in place because people may not be ready to work with you right away.
You need patience for sales and you need to show up to this process every single day. That’s why a lot of people fail to find freelance clients – because they simply don’t have the patience or the stamina. You’ll need extra patience in the beginning as you’re learning the ropes, so make sure to cut yourself some slack.
Where to Find Freelance Clients
Now let’s talk about where to actually find freelance clients as a newbie. Thanks to the internet, there are a multitude of ways you can find freelance clients. Below you’ll find just a few.
- Social Media: Brands often times post when they are looking for freelancers (or any job opening, really) on social media.
- Job Boards: These require a lot of patience, but remember that this is all a process. I’ve gotten some of my best gigs from job boards by practicing the techniques above.
- Build Your Own Online Brand: You can use social media numbers, visibility, and your expertise as leverage. It’s also a great way to have people come to you.
- Cold Pitch: Pitch brands and companies you’d like to do work for.
- Network: Get to actually know people both online and off. I’ve gotten great gigs this way.
If this doesn’t sound overly complicated it’s because it’s not. We often times make the act of finding freelance clients more complicated than it actually is. Simply follow the process consistently and, with time, you will build your client roster.
