Reaching out to new clients can feel overwhelming at first, especially as a first-time freelancer. It really doesn’t need to be. If you’re struggling to find freelance clients, start by simply closing what we call ‘The Gap’.
Let’s start with a slightly troubling thought... Right now, there are people who desperately need your skills, your energy, and your enthusiasm. But their biggest problem…? They can’t find you. Not yet, anyway.
There’s a gap that stands between you both, but not a physical one. It’s a gap in understanding:
🤔 They don’t know how to find you
🤔 They don’t know what you do
🤔 They don’t know how you can help them
😱 …they might not even know the job title of the person they need
In reality, there are just a few simple details they really need, in order to know you’re the right person for the job.
It’s your responsibility to close this gap, making it plain and simple that you are the person they need, by showing them who you are, what you do, and what a successful engagement looks like.
If you can close this gap, and answer their most likely questions up-front, you’ll secure trust, win contracts, and get paid. It’s important to remember that potential clients are not always experts in the area they’re looking to hire for. This makes sense when you think about it. If they were, they wouldn’t need to hire YOU for this project.
For example:
A project manager might need someone who codes in Python, but may not know Python themselves.
OR
An entrepreneur might need a sales copywriter, but not know their CTA’s from their ABC’s.
The reality is, they don’t need to. They know the problem they have, and that they need help to solve it.
Each potential question, concern or issue this potential client might have now has a corresponding answer. Now, the major questions, queries or concerns are answered up-front
Most freelancers see the work itself as their only responsibility. In reality, helping your clients as a freelancer starts with helping them to find you. Show them you’re the right hire for the right job, by pre-empting their questions, and considering what they might need to know in order to hire you. They’ll know the results when they see them, but until then, you need to guide them towards becoming a client.
Here’s how you can start:
Whether you’re applying for an advertised opportunity through a job board, reaching out via cold email or via LinkedIn, remember: your client is likely being swamped with bland, generic resumes. This is a major source of pain for them. Whenever they post a job online, they’re flooded with mundane applications. Most of these applications will make them wonder if anyone is even READING the job posting they so carefully worded.
But one application stands out from the crowd: YOURS. Because you know to make it SPECIFIC. When it comes to freelance work, clients need to know that you are THE ONLY PERSON for the role, so speak to their specific issues directly. Your application / email needs to read like a friendly, professional direct message. You are speaking to them, not some other random potential client, and they are not hiring someone for a ‘general’ role.
Everything should speak specifically to the change you can deliver for them. Have a tightly worded intro to your work, and make the work you present limited, and strictly focused on the type of problem they are currently facing. Show you value their time.
Make it obvious to them how you can help, or what the engagement between you both might look like in practice. Break down the stages of how you work, how long it may take, and what opportunity they have to give you feedback along the way.
Even if this varies from project to project, it is worth giving them a clear sense of how you approach things, and what they can expect. They’re taking on a lot of unknowns, so make it easier for them. Have a process, make it clear, and recap on how it works.
They’re tired of being messed around by low quality, unprofessional freelancers who don’t take their problems seriously. Be the person who they are crying out for. Go beyond the problem they describe, ask them how it figures into their wider goals, and help with those too. Become indispensable, and make them feel rewarded for their own work.
These are not one-time steps. As a freelancer, you’ll need to do the same for every client you reach out to. Don’t worry though, it will soon become second-nature to you.
👉 STEP 01: Make your application specific.
👉 STEP 02: Show them HOW you work.
👉 STEP 03: Take their problems seriously.
The important thing is that you can see the most common of these ‘Gaps’, you attempt to fix them. Often, these will seem obvious to you, but I promise, they’re not obvious to anyone else. Close the Gap, do great work, and get paid!
If you enjoyed this, you’ll love my short course 'Go Freelance With Confidence'
I cover everything a first-time freelancer needs to find their first clients and start earning. It includes email templates, case study documents and call scripts that will help you hit the ground running.
Learn more at https://freelancecourse.cc/
You might also enjoy my other articles on freelancing:
Freelance copywriter working with agencies, brands and startups.
