The #1 Client-generating Freelance Marketing Boost

Because I was on vacation last week (and far too busy the week before to get another post up before I left town), I missed all the great comments you’d left on my last post about the notion of a “going rate” in freelancing. So I took the time yesterday to reply to each of you. Thank you for your patience, and for your questions and wise advice.

Today, it’s more of the same. Not work, but more of the same “what’s the going rate?” and “how much should I charge?” questions. It’s almost forgivable because yes, there are brand-new freelancers out there who don’t have any idea what to do first or where to find answers.

But it’s not totally forgivable because anyone can type “how to charge for freelance work” into a search engine and weed through a slew of articles and posts on that topic. And lord knows, we’ve talked it to death on this blog. So we’ll let you do that little bit of searching on your own.

On to the next obvious question –

How do I find clients?

This one is tougher to answer. But again, there are plenty of answers out there for the asking. (Pssst — try typing that into a search engine)

Today’s post isn’t about either of those questions. It’s about this one:

How do I find clients without working so hard at it?

We all love to simplify. Marketing isn’t tough, but it’s time-consuming. It’s a bit of an effort to put together a good sales pitch, be it one you present in email or in person. And you still need to do that, if only so you’ll have that answer handy when your next potential client reaches out to you. (Plus, you’ll be better at marketing if you’ve defined what you do and what you offer.)

So I’m about to share with you the one thing that’s gotten me most of my new clients this year:

Referrals.

Yep, that’s the secret sauce, right there. I gained three new clients this year, and quite a few last year, through referrals from trusted freelancers. Writer friends. Friends. Colleagues. Networking chums.

[bctt tweet=”Anyone can get #freelance referrals rolling in.” username=”LoriWidmer”]

Really, it’s not hard. In some cases, it takes no more effort than asking a satisfied client for the referral.

In other cases, it takes some work on your part. Not much, because it shouldn’t be a full-time job to find freelance referrals. But I promise, it’s painless.

Here’s how I built a strong referral network:

1. Make friends.

That’s the part a lot of freelancers miss out on. If you go into every interaction as though you have to sell these people on who you are and what you do, you miss out on a lot of referral juice. That means being friendly with clients, too. Plenty of referrals over the years have come from clients who’d heard from a colleague at another company that they were looking for a freelancer. In fact, one current client of mine came through that very kind of interaction.  So I guess you have to A) exceed expectations on your project deliverables, and B) build a working friendship.

And that’s not hard. Ask how they are. Get to know them.

2. Get face time.

That’s actually been made easier with Zoom meetings now. Instead of attending a trade show or business event, you can now meet your potential clients on video conferences, webinars, you name it. Go armed with smart questions. Take notes. Join any virtual happy hour (that’s where the real business is conducted anyway). Get to know the people attending. Let them get to know you. Have your elevator pitch ready for when someone says “What do you do?”

3. Be a freelance buddy.

I have the benefit of tons of freelance pals here in virtual world and offline. I email quite a few writers on a weekly basis because they’re my colleagues. They’re pseudo-coworkers. And they’re fun people. From those same freelancers, I’ve netted plenty of referrals, and I’ve given a few referrals to them.  How did I manage to get this great back-and-forth referral thing going on?

I made friends. Refer to point #1. Freelancing is a lonely business for the sole proprietor in all of us. Having friends means you can share ideas, laughs, frustrations, and yes, referrals. I don’t care if I never get a referral from some of my writer friends. They’re my friends. That’s a bigger gift in many ways.

A note that I’m sad to say is necessary: While the majority of freelancers are great humans, there are freelancers out there who are, frankly, leeches. They’ll milk you for everything they can get out of you without any regard for giving back. Don’t be that freelancer, and don’t keep that freelancer in your orbit. Make friends first. In time, you’ll know whose friendship is worth keeping. And beware of any freelancer who tries to pry client lists or client contact info out of you.

4. Look for opportunities in every conversation.

While you’re at it, look for how you can help someone out with a referral. Listen up and make the suggestion when that client is complaining about being swamped with work, when they’re having troubles filling that empty position in marketing, when they’re trying to expand into a new industry segment or market, and nearly anywhere in a conversation. Ask what their plans are for putting out info on new products or services, if they’re planning to expand somewhere.

One referral I gave recently was the result of a seriously overworked client (and an overworked Lori) who needed more writing help. I wanted to maintain the relationship and work with them when I could, which meant I wouldn’t be able to take every assignment. Enter another writer, who is already going gangbusters with this client. Am I afraid the writer will “steal” my client? No. Because this client has the need for multiple writers, and I have limited time and not enough knowledge on a few areas the client needs content for.

There are many other ways to get referrals, but knowing how to build a solid foundation can serve as an excellent place to start. And don’t forget to share referrals. Helping one freelancer is helping all freelancers.

Writers, where do your best referrals come from?
What are your referral success stories? Any horror stories?
Any advice for writers wanting to build a referral network?