Strong Client Relationships: The Secret To Freelancing Success
How do you build stronger relationships with clients? How do you get clients to give you project after project without competition?
To answer these questions, it helps to think like a client. What do clients want from their freelancers?
Clients Want Reliability Above All
Clients are busy. They have plenty on their plate to deal with every day. Working with you is just one part of their job.
So, make it easy for them to work with you.
Be 100% reliable.
How Can You Be Reliable?
Deliver your projects before the deadline. Every time. No last-minute extensions or excuses. Clients need to be able to count on you.
Communicate frequently on longer projects. How about regular job updates? Make it Thursdays, so your client still has Friday to get in touch if needed.
Clients should always know the status of their projects without having to ask.
Be Thorough So Clients Don’t Have To Worry About You
Create estimates that address everything you talked about. No, “Oops, I forgot to include that.” What goes into an estimate? Here’s a template.
Make sure your invoices match your estimates. That helps get them through accounting quickly.
Aim for perfection. “Good enough” IS NOT good enough. No spelling mistakes. No surprise tech issues if you’re a developer. If you’re a designer, deliver perfect files ready for production.
Take the time to double-check everything. Don’t be the cause of a hold-up or massive screw-up.
If clients have to start worrying about you, they’ll get rid of you. You’re not worth the aggravation.
Be Easy to Work With
You should have rules and boundaries for how you work. You’re not a doormat.
However… be prepared to adapt. If clients have communications preferences, get on board.
If they need you for a meeting, Zoom or F2F, be prepared. If you got a briefing ahead of time, read it, and have your questions ready. (And yes, you charge for meetings.)
Be An Active Participant
If you get a client briefing, you can assume they’ve thought it through before sending it to you.
But when you read it, you recognize that the briefing seems to be missing a few things. Here’s what you need in a creative brief from a client.
Speak up (politely). Make suggestions. Ask questions. Show a genuine interest in the job.
You and the client should aim to work like partners on the project. You both want the best possible outcome. Be an active participant.
The Biggest Secret to Freelancer Success?
Find clients who need a lot of what you deliver. It sounds obvious, but too many freelancers chase after “one-and-done” clients. It’s a brutal way to build a business.
If you write articles or blog posts, look for clients who produce a steady stream of content. You may have to compete to get a piece of that work, but so what? Go compete and win the jobs.
If you’re a web developer, do you offer to take care of web updates? Or are you doing an initial build, and that’s the end of it? Only one of these is a long-term relationship.
What Worked For Me
As a freelance writer, I worked mainly for corporate and retail clients who needed a lot of writing. I sometimes had projects stacked up, waiting for my attention.
I made sure I was clear with the clients on delivery dates and that I had the time to turn in excellent projects.
I only had a few clients, but that was plenty. I never hustled, “filled a funnel,” or looked for “100 leads a week”. No thank you.
I spent most of my time on billable work, the rest on my admin. Just a little bit on new business development.
The Result? Clients Stayed With Me For Years
When you make a client’s life easy, they’re yours, often for years. Many times, they’ll take you with them when they change jobs.
I can think of five clients who took me to their new jobs when they made a switch. That’s how I got into a major utility, two healthcare companies, a not-for-profit, and a bank. It is so much easier when a high-level marketing client brings you in as a trusted supplier.
These clients had big, important jobs and needed someone they trusted and could count on. Your job is to be that person.
The Book for Freelancers and Agency Owners
If you’re looking for tips on how to grow your business, you’ll want to read How to Start a Successful Creative Agency. It’s the essential business guide for writers, designers, developers, filmmakers, and photographers.
Buy Your Book Here
Over 300 pages and 23 chapters, available at Amazon (Paper & Kindle), Kobo (ebook), Apple Books (ebook), and Gumroad (PDF).
The book is packed with useful information to help creatives start and grow their business.
From Chuck Rees on Twitter:
“Your book is a gift to entrepreneurial creatives, @StroteBook. Thank you! It zeroes in on what matters. The right choices are as clear as day to those who have lived them. There are limitless ways to be creative, but learn from wisdom when it comes to running an agency.”
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This chapter covers essential areas such as Clients vs. Projects, Corporate Clients vs. Small Business Clients, How to Create an Opportunity Document, Benefits of Finding a Niche… and much more.
Questions? On Twitter, I’m @StroteBook. D.M.s are always open. On LinkedIn I’m Andy Strote. Ask away.