Had a few Qs recently from folks on how to find clients as a freelancer or independent. Sure - the advice to "blog" or "start a newsletter" is technically good advice but it's not very helpful.
Here's a thread on some tips and advice that might help 👇
Here's a thread on some tips and advice that might help 👇
For context - everyone's experience is difference - but I'm an independent consultant and ~60% of my all time revenue comes from just four people....!
Not four *clients* but four individuals that I know - that refer the majority of my business.
Not four *clients* but four individuals that I know - that refer the majority of my business.
(that screenshot is from my post Strange Attraction which is a lengthy version of this thread....
tomcritchlow.com/2019/03/12/str…
)
tomcritchlow.com/2019/03/12/str…
)
How does this happen? Here's the gist:
1) You need to let people know you're "for hire"
2) You need to explain the kind of work that you do
3) You need to do this repeatedly to stay visible
4) Sometimes you need to work in an unblocked medium
Let's break that down...
1) You need to let people know you're "for hire"
2) You need to explain the kind of work that you do
3) You need to do this repeatedly to stay visible
4) Sometimes you need to work in an unblocked medium
Let's break that down...
1) No matter what kind of work you do a *ton* of work is possible via your network. Your friends, your peers, past clients and so on. And people are..... forgetful! So you need to be explicit that you're "for hire" and accepting clients. This doesn't mean begging for work tho...
1a) For example - every year I post a yearly update (here's my recent 5 year one: tomcritchlow.com/2019/10/24/5-y…) and this doesn't *ask* for clients but it is incredibly obvious that I'm "for hire" and doing client work. If you don't tell people they'll imagine all kinds of things.
2) It's important to *explain* both the kind of work you are doing and the kind of work you WANT to do. Don't worry about any kind of "positioning" or being too formal - instead just show your thinking... Be curious and write and post about things that are interesting.
2a) For example - here's a post I wrote about trying to describe the work I do in a lengthy, meandering way: tomcritchlow.com/2018/07/25/med… but this kind of thing helps your network know what kind of things you're doing
2b) Remember: mostly you're not looking for clients *directly* but rather looking to increase your awareness with your network so that they can and will refer you work. (though more clients than you think read this introspective stuff too - everyone loves a human voice)
2c) Another example from my own work that might be less obvious. I do a ton of writing "about being an independent consultant" which you might think is weird but it does happen to serve a crucial role explaining (in multiple 5,000 word posts!!) the kind of work I do
3) A mistake however is to imagine that you really want to make all this writing *good* and *detailed* so you work on it, obsess over it and carefully polish it. I get it - this is tied to your identity as an independent!
Except - this likely means you won't publish very often..
Except - this likely means you won't publish very often..
3a) And unfortunately humans are fallible and have terribly short horizons - it's crucial to be *repeatedly visible* often in only small ways. Such that when a client, project or referral comes to mind they don't have to wrack their brain to think who would be a good fit
4) Finally - all of this can be daunting if you think in traditional ways (e.g. blog posts, newsletters, etc). Sometimes these can be very loaded terms with baggage and expectations. So look for ways to work in mediums that are fresh and unblocked for you.
4a) Friend of mine was feeling blocked and a lot of pressure around writing blog posts - so why not play to your strengths and post presentations as posts? Find the medium where you can be fluid and creative.
4b) Great example of this is @markpollard on Instagram - lots of free flowing ideas in fresh unblocked formats: instagram.com/markpollard/
@markpollard 5) Finally - notice how poor a vehicle the case study is for the objective here. Case studies are stagnant and rarely visible and often only show the end result - not the thinking behind the work in any real way.
@markpollard End: SO! If you're feeling stuck for clients - think about creative ways to publish frequently with your own voice, in a medium where you're free to simply say "I exist" and "I am working" and "here's what I'm doing & thinking about right now".
