How to Win Your First Freelancing Client in 3 Easy Steps

Choosing to work for yourself can be extremely intimidating, and starting out is arguably the hardest bit. But it isn’t as complicated as you might think. Following tried and tested strategies can see you go from fledging freelancer to reputable business within just a few months. But for now, let’s focus on the very first hurdle to overcome on the journey towards success – discovering how to win your first freelancing client.

Win Just One and the Rest Will Soon Follow

Convincing someone to trust you at the beginning of your new venture is one of the hardest parts of working for yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in the belief that you need to take on dozens of clients to be taken seriously. Focus on winning the trust of just one client at the beginning. You’ll find it becomes easier to scale as you gain confidence, build up a portfolio and develop your business model. 

How to Win Your First Freelancing Client in 3 Steps

1. ) Think About What They Need Not What They Want:

Say you’re looking to start out as a social media copywriter. You might try and sell your services to a prospective client by explaining how you’ll grow their following and make their feeds look amazing. 

While this might sound like something they’ll want, it doesn’t exactly give them enough incentive to trust you. After all, they probably have dozens of people telling them the same thing every year, so why should they go with you?

The key here is to tell them why they need that service. If you think their current copy isn’t up to scratch then tell them – just remember to be polite about it! Helping them to spot existing problems in their current operations is a huge incentive for them to take action. 

You could explain why it might be affecting their profitability and/or credibility – things that are integral to the success of a business. 

Showing a prospective client how you’ve identified problems that could be holding them back is the first step towards winning their trust. 

2. ) Propose Your Solution 

Next, you’ll have to let that business know exactly how you’ll start fixing the problems you’ve identified. This is where you’ll showcase your skills and convince them that you – and only you – are perfect for the job. 

Now is also a great time to let them know how your help will win them more business in the future and increase profits. 

It’s important to remember that even though you’re dealing with a business, it’s the people there whose trust you’ll need to win. Work on establishing genuine relationships with these decision-makers so that they’ll want to engage with you on the regular. 

Turn up your likeability factor, show them how passionate you are about your work, and let them know you’re excited to improve their business. 

3. ) Give Them Your Best Price and Lead Time

While it may be tempting to charge the standard industry rate for your services, that’s probably not a good idea. Remember, you are just starting out and so your first project is likely to bring challenges you’ve not faced before. If you can’t overcome these challenges as effectively as someone who’s more experienced than you, then you shouldn’t be charging the same rate as them. 

Selling your services at a low price when starting out will help you undercut the competition. Not only that, but it’s a great way to make clients think you’re incredible value for money (especially if you’ve done a good job). 

Happy clients are more likely to use your services again, AND sing your praises to their network. These two benefits alone will see you reaping far more monetary rewards than charging at a high rate initially. 

As you win more work, you can gradually start to increase your prices. Once you have an attractive portfolio and a few favourable testimonials, people will be happy to pay a premium for your services. 

With regards to lead time, nothing impresses a client more than a quick turnaround. It shows that you’re reliable, efficient and that you value them. These are the fundamental building blocks to ensuring long-term working relationships with those on your books. Just don’t sacrifice your quality for the sake of a speedy delivery! 

Remember – Patience is a Virtue 

Above all, winning your first freelancing client requires patience, resilience, and a whole lot of drive. You might submit 20 proposals before someone decides to trust you. 

Winning that first freelancing client is one of the hardest parts of starting a business, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. 

As you build up experience, reviews and a portfolio, your business will start selling itself. We promise!

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