How To Find Clients As A Freelancer

When it comes down to working as a freelancer, you truly only need to establish a client base. With clients, you'll continually get jobs. With jobs, you'll get the paychecks you need to stay on your own and continue to freelance. That's really all it takes.

When you are starting out, well to be honest, at all times through your career as a freelancer, this finding clients thing will be a big focus. The really good freelancers, contractors or consultants will never leave a job until they have the next one lined up. Therefore, the really good operators will have a constant source of income.

How can one get the clients then? There are many methods one can use to attract clients and we have compiled a list of the big ones below. Some methods will be easier to manage than others. Each method below could be the subject of a very long discussion, but here is an outline of four methods.

1. Cold Contacting. It used to be called "cold calling," but since there are so many ways to contact a client now, this phrase is much more appropriate.

Cold contacting is the somewhat arduous process of blindly seeking clients for your services, whether by email blasts or random phone calls. The somewhat unpleasant part is the rejection involved, always a demoralizing feeling. After being rejected a dozen times or so, you might get one lead and have to develop that alone. You have to steel yourself for long days of battle, but if you can make it by cold contacting, you'll be a giant success. Every other method is simpler and feed off the existence of better leads. This skill can extend to other careers.

2. Marketing and Advertising - This is the most expensive method of client acquisition. It simply entails that you put a sales message somewhere where your potential clients will see it and do it in a way that will make them call you. If you get this right, half the time the client has already made up their mind to use your services before they call you, so you do not have to sell at all. One big benefit of this type of client acquisition is that you can reach a much larger audience, than you can cold contacting people.

Putting out the right ads is not a simple thing. Besides having the right medium, you'll have deliver a convincing argument backed up by a savvy blend of words and pictures to put your name on the minds of clients. While you're trying to figure out the best approach in a advertising, it's costing time and money. Once you do it right, though, you'll see the benefits.

3. Referrals - This is an extension of cold contacting, albeit typically this type of client acquisition activity has a much higher success rate than cold contacting. As such, your tolerance for rejection does not have to be as high as it does for those going cold.

Trying to get referrals mean tapping your personal contacts to get some new clients. You contact all of your family members, old friends, acquaintances, their friends, friends of the family, former co-workers and so on, finding out if there is anyone they know who could use your services. The great thing about referrals is that it's much more personal than cold contacting. You're not a stranger because you have a friend or at least an associate in common. You already have the introduction, while the recommendation is certainly implied, if not explicit. Whether or not your contact has personal experience with your work, chances are they will be happy to recommend you as a person. The client will look at you as a definite option, since you have some common contacts, making you much more attractive than a stranger.

Definitely the best referrals will come from current clients. That say it all: they have hired you, they are working with you at the present moment, they are happy with you and anyone else would be, too. It adds to your credibility.

4. Build a partnership with a company stocked with clients. I learned this lesson firsthand when I left the Australia's Superannuation industry in 2003. Deciding it was time to freelance, I made some moves before I realized what an asset I would be in the same industry. Instead of going to the clients of my old company, I went to the old company itself and offered myself out as a freelancer. The hard part was already done: they knew me and had the clients. It was a natural fit. All that remained was working out a mutually beneficial scenario, in which they would gain income and still be able to maintain their relationships, while I set up a situation that would bring me income and continued work for a long time.

Using this method, I have filled up my calendar going for years now, contracting to my old clients through my old employer. I earn much more this way, for much less time, than I would have when I worked permanently for them. They love this situation too though, as they have no overheads for me, and don't pay me when there is no work. They actually save money with the office space I no longer occupy.

It doesn't always work so well for freelancers. I have had a good bit of luck to be in my situation. In many cases, employers do not swallow pride and go into business with former employees, either on principle or because they see no benefit. There are plenty of other options out there with established companies, so think big. Many companies will be willing to try out a different type of arrangement.

In fact, as you continue to freelance, you'll see that there is never one road to travel, in finding clients or managing your business. Everything that was explored above will come in handy with your freelance career, but when you talk to freelancers you'll realize that usually a mixture of many things makes the best method. There are countless ways of handling the same situation. Be creative, try new things: freelancing is all about trying the unexplored, so give it a shot.