As a freelancer, you’re only as good as your latest work.
Here are the 3 tactics I used to land my first 3 copywriting clients without any professional freelancing experience.
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Here are the 3 tactics I used to land my first 3 copywriting clients without any professional freelancing experience.
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1/ From Zero to One
The first one is always the hardest. It looks like a daunting and grueling task: selling yourself to strangers.
How to convince someone else I am capable enough and let them part with their beloved money?
The first one is always the hardest. It looks like a daunting and grueling task: selling yourself to strangers.
How to convince someone else I am capable enough and let them part with their beloved money?
In the beginning, this is tough as there isn’t any experience to show your client. There’s one thing you could do:
Proof to your potential client you're capable of the thing you said, by doing the work. Let’s say, a prospect needs help with their brand identity and strategy.
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Proof to your potential client you're capable of the thing you said, by doing the work. Let’s say, a prospect needs help with their brand identity and strategy.
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In preparation for this meeting, go over their resources — website, ads, blog posts, etc. — anything you can get your hands on. Analyzing what’s there and identifying what isn’t there.
Based on this, you come up with little tweaks or initiatives in their current strategy.
Based on this, you come up with little tweaks or initiatives in their current strategy.
Be all about overdelivering at first, blow them out of the water, and present big-time value.
Landing a freelance client becomes difficult when the focus is too much on your hourly rate, coupled with the actual output.
Landing a freelance client becomes difficult when the focus is too much on your hourly rate, coupled with the actual output.
⭐️Takeaway:
Focus on providing value, and not so much on the output you deliver:
"Here is the price I charge, here is what you get for that, and this is what it brings your company. Here are all the premium things I include that separate me from my competition."
Focus on providing value, and not so much on the output you deliver:
"Here is the price I charge, here is what you get for that, and this is what it brings your company. Here are all the premium things I include that separate me from my competition."
2/ Overdeliver
Look at their business as a whole and show them other areas they can improve. It shows they can rely on you to find the work needed to be done.
For example, I use copywriting to get in contact with clients, but in the initial phase I figure things out:
Look at their business as a whole and show them other areas they can improve. It shows they can rely on you to find the work needed to be done.
For example, I use copywriting to get in contact with clients, but in the initial phase I figure things out:
• How’s their content strategy?
• How do they feel about their overall brand?
• What are their ultimate goals?
• What part of their business are they insecure or uncomfortable with?
• How do they feel about their overall brand?
• What are their ultimate goals?
• What part of their business are they insecure or uncomfortable with?
Use this information to decide whether there’s more opportunity to jump in. Move back and forth by giving advice on different aspects of their business.
Being flexible and knowledgeable highlights your value to your client.
Being flexible and knowledgeable highlights your value to your client.
By figuring out there are other problems at hand for the particular company, it’s easier for you to position yourself as an external consultant.
This way, you get your foot in the door, and by giving much more value than expected beforehand, you can sell yourself to them.
This way, you get your foot in the door, and by giving much more value than expected beforehand, you can sell yourself to them.
⭐️Takeaway:
Start seeing yourself as the expert you are.
Don’t get all braggy, you know what I mean. If not, this approach won’t work for you.
List all the skills you’ve acquired over the years, whether those appear to have nothing in common with the business you talk to.
Start seeing yourself as the expert you are.
Don’t get all braggy, you know what I mean. If not, this approach won’t work for you.
List all the skills you’ve acquired over the years, whether those appear to have nothing in common with the business you talk to.
Know that those skills have benefited you in the past, so they will in some way or form in the future.
If you don't believe in yourself, why should a potential client do it?
Go for it.
If you don't believe in yourself, why should a potential client do it?
Go for it.
3/ You are the product
Being a freelancer means you’re on a continuous learning curve.
The moment you stagnate, your product will decline as well. You’re only as good as your latest work.
Learn to market your products better. Provide better services.
Being a freelancer means you’re on a continuous learning curve.
The moment you stagnate, your product will decline as well. You’re only as good as your latest work.
Learn to market your products better. Provide better services.
Learn to tackle bigger problems, and you can increase your price. Believe that your work is good enough to justify this and you’re halfway there.
You have to treat yourself as a business because as a freelancer, you are the business.
You have to treat yourself as a business because as a freelancer, you are the business.
Invest in yourself the same way as you’d have done in case you had inventory or employees to take care of.
Mental, physical or relational investments, all matter as much.
You're worth it, and your business needs it.
Mental, physical or relational investments, all matter as much.
You're worth it, and your business needs it.
⭐️Takeaway:
Being a freelancer doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. Join forces and team up with other creators or solopreneurs. Join cohorts or communities. The best way to find those is via Twitter.
Being a freelancer doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. Join forces and team up with other creators or solopreneurs. Join cohorts or communities. The best way to find those is via Twitter.
Approach places like Medium, Twitter, or Quora as a new type of networking event and provide value, help others, and connect with people.
Do this for 30 days straight and see how many opportunities will arise.
Do this for 30 days straight and see how many opportunities will arise.
The creator-community on Twitter is a great online place to start. Full of people learning and building in public, elevating and supporting each other, and actually making money (you can find me here).
Having an external force of accountability or support network forces you to become better. At least, that’s what I’m hoping for you, considering the fact you’re reading this article.
The fact you’re reading this means you’re on the right way, keep pushing.
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If you want more content on writing and personal branding, let's connect. I post threads like this over 5 times per week.
You can find my best performing thread here:
You can find my best performing thread here:
https://twitter.com/jessievbreugel/status/1349707320608116736?s=20
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