Finding enough of the right clients — meaning they pay on time, respect the boundaries you set, and are genuinely great to work with is difficult. Even finding any client can be a challenge.
But I’m not saying that to discourage or scare you.
Attracting and working with high-quality clients is something you absolutely deserve. You just need to adopt a different mindset in addition to implementing fresh tactics when you’re thinking about how to get clients.
Though it might sound like an impossible feat, or at the very least one reserved for veteran freelancers only (not so — everyone has to start somewhere), rest assured that’s not the case.
Finding those clients is possible, and this article is going to show you how.
Let’s get started.
How Do You Know Your Ideal Clientele?
There’s an old saying: niches are riches.
Once you’re clear on the niche market you serve, you can then move on to define your target audience.
So, the first question is, what is your market? It could be a particular industry (i.e., tech, education) or type of person. For example, Unemployable serves ambitious solo business owners, including freelancers, entrepreneurs, and startup founders.
From there, you’ll be able to do something critical to your business success: choose who you want to attract, and equally as important, who you’re happy to let other freelancers serve.
How Do You Attract Ideal Clients?
Just like dating, you need to take some time to get clear on who you want to spend your valuable time with. After all, work is the sum total of our days, and enjoying the people and subject matter you engage with is crucial.
That’s why you became a freelancer in the first place, right?
Identify Your Ideal Client
The first step in identifying your ideal client is to create buyer personas, or what Unemployable Founder Brian Clark likes to call “characters.”
This involves first getting in touch with your values and what you have to offer. Then you can sketch out what type of person will benefit most from your services.
While you’re creating a composite view of your ideal client’s attributes (demographics, psychographics), you also gain insight into what makes your target audience tick.
What are their pain points and challenges?
Finding that empathetic sweet spot of how you can serve someone best gives you both a sense of purpose and a leg up on the competition.
So while creating characters may seem like something only big brands need to do, you can see why any business — even your solo venture — can benefit from this fundamental marketing exercise.
Tailor Your Portfolio or Website to Align With the Work You Desire
To attract the clients you want, you have to show them you’re the right freelancer for the job.
Building a portfolio that highlights your skillset and experience is an excellent way to attract the right clients. It’s important that your freelance website appeals to your ideal customer persona. That means choosing the right portfolio items and focusing on the problems your ideal client is experiencing.
Chances are, your potential client is in contact with a few freelancers with similar abilities, so it’s critical you not only demonstrate that you are well-versed in that particular area of work but that you can differentiate yourself from others.
Because the truth is, there are tons of freelancers out there. You have to show potential clients why they should work with you.
Feeling overwhelmed? Not sure where to start? Don’t worry.
A few questions to consider when building your portfolio are:
- What services do you offer?
- What work have you done that speaks to your skill set and the work you want to be doing more of?
- What type of work will appeal to your ideal client?
For example, are you a graphic designer who wants to work with women-owned businesses? Demonstrate that in the pieces you select.
Do you love working with clients in the B2B space? Communicate that in your portfolio.
If you’re just getting started and don’t yet have the work to reflect the types of clients you want to work with, then critiques or audits are always a great option.
For example, if you want to write blog posts for ecommerce companies, do an audit of a major ecommerce company’s blog and include what you would do differently or how you would approach improving their blog if you worked with them.
The key here is to demonstrate, regardless of your experience level, that you have a comprehensive understanding of what it is you’re offering and to whom and why clients should hire you for the job.
Produce High-Quality Work Time and Time Again
This one seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many freelancers either don’t turn in projects on time or fail to produce quality work consistently.
If you find yourself having a hard time balancing your workload and meeting client expectations, consider evaluating your situation:
- Are your deadlines unrealistic for your current workload or the project as a whole?
- What does your freelancing project management system look like? If you don’t have one in place, it’s time to change that.
- Are you charging enough money for the work you do? Perhaps you’re taking on too much work to try to meet a financial goal when the solution may be to consider raising your rates.
- Are you excited by the work you’re doing?
There’s a breadth of reasons why freelancers fail to meet the mark, but if you can meet expectations — better yet, exceed them — you’ll be in a much better position than others in your industry.
How Do You Find More of the Right Clients?
Now that you have all of your client-attracting ducks in a row, it’s time to dive into finding the high-quality clients you desire — and deserve.
The trick to finding enough of the right clients is to be both proactive and selective.
Engage with Dream Clients on Social Media
There’s no question that social media can be a massive time suck for most people. The endless scroll of memes and headlines can be overwhelming and leave you feeling unproductive.
However, if used strategically, social media can be an excellent way to grow your business and find the right clients.
So, what might that look like for you?
Step #1: Make a List of Ideal Clients
Scroll through LinkedIn, industry publications, or wherever your ideal clients are active online and compile a list of people you want to reach out to or work with. This will help guide your efforts so you can maximize your time.
Step #2: Be Genuine When Reaching Out
There’s something to be said about the long game. Instead of going straight for the kill — or asking your ideal clients for something — work on building genuine relationships with them.
Whether you leave an insightful comment on a blog post they wrote or jump into a conversation on Twitter, approach each situation with the intent of fostering a professional relationship with the person you want to work with.
Step #3: Always Provide Value
Instead of asking how clients can help you, ask them how you can help them.
Understanding how you can provide value to potential clients and other people in your industry instantly sets you apart (in the best way) and helps build relationships.
The bottom line: Having a process to guide you as you spend time on the social channel of your choice can help safeguard against wasting time. Plus, pitching ideas, inquiring about work, and seizing opportunities will be easier if you already have a rapport with that person.
Leverage Past Clients and Ask for Referrals and Testimonials
Did you leave things off great with a client, but they don’t have any current work they need your help with?
Ask them if they have any business contacts that could benefit from your services. If they do, see if they would be willing to make an introduction.
Your past clients likely have an extensive network that could lead to additional work, so if you feel comfortable asking for help, take advantage.
At the very least, be sure to get a testimonial from your past clients to use on your website or in other marketing materials as a form of social proof.
Once you have those highly sought-after clients …
Perfect Your Sales Pitch
This one can be easy to overlook, even when you’re focusing on finding enough of the right clients. Being able to explain what services you offer to potential clients — and to the rest of the world in general — will not only help you on sales calls or new business meetings, it’ll also help you weed out the clients you may not be a good fit for.
If you can avoid “hopping on a quick call” (which always takes longer than you’d imagine) with every potential client under the sun and instead focus on the people you jibe with, you’ll save time and energy. And, most importantly, it will help you build the business you want.
It can be difficult at first to explain your service offerings, especially if you’re still experimenting and ironing out the details. But the sooner you can solidify your sales pitch and learn how to close a sale, the faster you’ll be able to create a client roster that makes your heart soar and your bank account swell.
Be Picky About Who You Choose to Work With
One of the wonderful things about freelancing is the opportunity to pick and choose who you work with. The relationship you have with each of your clients will vary, which can serve as teaching opportunities to help you grow.
However, not every relationship may be right for you. Even if a client aligns with the type of work you do, if they’re not a good fit, they’re not a good fit. Plain and simple.
But how do you avoid those situations?
Be strict about setting boundaries with clients and make it clear from the get-go what your processes are. It may be hard to see some red flags depending on how much experience you have, but it’s essential not to ignore them when they pop up.
Make it a priority to continually work with clients who can pay your freelance pricing and appreciate your services and what you can provide.
If your clients can’t see the value in what you do for them, you’ll quickly learn that working with them will be a challenge all on its own. And if you’re not sure what your value is yet, it’s time to figure that out.
Once you’ve captured your ideal clients, don’t take them for granted. You must continuously meet and exceed their expectations. And remember, they’re human just like you. Small gestures can reinforce your relationship and yield numerous benefits. How about a small gift? Explore some of our client gift ideas to get you started.
Network with Others Who Have High-Quality Clients
Just because you’re a freelancer doesn’t mean you have to be a lone wolf. It’s good business to make connections with others who service the kinds of clients you also want to work with. This can be anyone from a colleague who does what you do to someone in a complementary field.
For example, if you’re a content marketer who loves writing lifestyle articles, connecting with a graphic design or web development company who caters to lifestyle brands can be a fantastic source of referral business. You can arrange to write a guest blog on an authority publication in your field, which will expose you to new hunting grounds.
Networking can be done online through groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, or industry websites, or in person (i.e., conferences, local meetups). Pick places appealing to you and in your wheelhouse, and as important, relevant to your ideal customer’s interests.
Finally, don’t be shy! Keep in mind that you provide a valuable service, and you’re helping your contact when you take good care of their client.
Always Be Looking for Your Next Client Connection
Whether you work on a retainer or a project-by-project basis, one main key to finding enough of the right clients is always being on the lookout for the next potential opportunity.
Even if you don’t have the bandwidth to take them on now, that doesn’t mean you can’t book them at a later date or grow a healthy business relationship that may be beneficial in the future.
There are going to be times when you have a client doesn’t pay or goes missing on you. Instead of scrambling around looking for a replacement, those contacts that you’ve formed along the way can help you seamlessly ramp your business back up.
The key to growing a viable, successful freelance business is to know what you’re looking for in a client and a project and take steps to secure that type of work.
Want to learn more about how to build a business that’s fulfilling and profitable? Tune into the Unemployable podcast for more freelance advice and best practices.