Here are a few ideas on how to get those first few clients:
1.
Offer Your Take on an Existing Product
This is
particularly useful for designers. Redesign a popular website with your own
unique take, and explain why you've made the changes you've made. You can see
some examples here, here, here, and here. Which site
should you redesign? Focus on a site the type of client you want to be hired by
uses the most.
Why do this? A
few reasons: first, you've flexing your chops as designer to demonstrate your
skills to both your peers and potential clients. Second, you're showing that
you have specific ideas to make someone else's business better. Third, you're
creating the type of work you want more of, based on the style and type of
client.
2.
Utilize Job Boards
Try We
Work Remotely, Authentic Jobs, Smashing Jobs, Elance, Krop,
and even Fiverr. In the beginning, become a
fire-hose of pitches. Lead with solving theirproblem and not
boasting about your skills. If you're starting out and just plain need the
work, bid on anything—even if it's less than what you want to make. Everyone's
gotta start somewhere.
Side note:
When I started my rates were quite low. Then I established a rule of thumb:
Whenever I'm booked more than two months in advance for more than two months,
my rates should go up. I've done this five times since I started and it's
always worked out well (as in: I make more but stay packed with work).
Why do this?
When you start out you don't a huge network. Responding to as many projects as
you can gets your name and portfolio in front of as many people as possible.
Even if you spend a few minutes before replying to a posting to learn a bit
about the company, you'll be miles ahead of everyone else. If you hear back
from the company and they don't hire you, ask if you can keep in touch. This is
useful if they have future work or even others they can refer you to.
3.
Use Your Existing Contacts
Fellow
graduated classmates? Employees from the place you interned? Other freelancers
you've established some rapport with? Send short and personal emails to
everyone you know, telling them what are you freelancing for, and quickly
describing the type of clients you're looking for. You can even offer them a
"finders fee" if their lead lands you a gig.
Here's an example:
Hey [Name],
Did I tell you I've started doing freelance web design? Check out my
portfolio here (list free sites or personal projects).
I know how connected you are to creative entrepreneurs, so I'm wondering if
you knew anyone who may need a website? I can even sweeten the deal for you by
offering you a finders fee as a token of my gratitude.
Mention what
you do specifically, where they can see your work samples, and the type of
clients you are looking for. Be brief, make it easy for them to say yes with a
finders fee.
4.
Talk to Other Freelancers in Your Field
These people
aren't necessarily your competition—they're your community. Introduce yourself.
After you establish a bit of rapport, offer to help them or pick up their slack
if they're too busy to handle their own workload. There are countless
networking events online and in real life. A good way to make connections with
industry peers is to show how helpful you are.
Where do you
find them? Social media, networking events, professional organizations
(like AIGA for designers) and associations
(like the Freelancers Union). If you went to school
for what you're freelancing in, then keep in touch with classmates. And keep in
touch with past coworkers. You'd be surprised how often I've been hired by
folks I had worked with previously who had moved onto other companies.
Talk to
successful freelancers in your industry and ask them specific questions about
how they get the work they do. The quick question email technique is a great way to
get your foot in the door too. You get a good piece of advice from a freelancer
who knows their shit, you become a blip on their radar, and you're seen by them
as someone who wants to learn from them, and not as someone begging for work.
I got this the
other day, and was happy to offer advice:
Paul, I know you're busy and charge good money for consulting, but I'm just
starting out as a web designer and had a question I hope you can answer:
How did you land your first client?
5.
Find out Where the People You Want to Work for Spend Their Time
Networking
events? Online communities? Find them, go to those places and start
conversations. Be helpful, not pushy or sales-y.
To list a few
online communities for three industries:
Designers: Designer
Chat, Sidebar, Designer
News, Reddit Web Design
Programmers: Hacker
News Slack, Hacker News, Reddit
Web Dev
Writers/Content
Marketers: Inbound, Copyblogger forum, Scribophile
6.
Create Diverse Content and Make Yourself Known
You aren't a
writer if you aren't writing. You're not a photographer if you're just buying
fancy camera gear. But more than just working on your craft, you can start a
blog, a podcast, or a Youtube channel to help make a name for yourself. Too
many freelancers focus their content on their own industry—create content that
benefits your potential clients.
Rather than
just writing about my summer vacation, here are some specific ideas for what I
might blog about:
Something you
wish every client would know about the type of work you do.
If clients ask
for the same things (i.e. make the logo bigger) and they're the wrong questions
to ask, what can you teach them about the right questions to ask?
What are some
quick fixes clients could make to their business, based on your expertise?
What are some
success stories or case studies from work you've done?
What resources
can you share with clients? What books can be recommend?
7.
Start for Free
Free work gets
a bad rap, but when you're just starting out, sometimes it's necessary
to build your portfolio and pursue any opportunity that you can get. Working
for free is a lot more feasible if you're still at a job that pays, where you
can do it on the side.
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