Thread by @VittoStack

Finding your first customers as a developer is not easy.

Not matter if you know the basics of HTML, CSS, and Javascript or you already are a 10x full-stack dev:

You need a strong method to kickstart your business..

Get your first job as a freelance developer.
A thread ↓

Think about finding customers as a freelance developer, like a 5 steps funnel:

1.Find and contact
2.Gain trust.
3.Sell yourself
4.Price your skills
5.Make a customer not a sale

Optimize your success rate, and make more customers, using a strategy that works.

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How to find and connect with your first customers:

During your journey, you'll need to find clients, gain their trust, sell yourself, and close deals, recursively.

The more you succeed at those steps, the more wealth you'll build.

There are different approaches.

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Job, freelancing, and gig boards

Nowadays there are many websites where you can signup and search for a gig or a bigger job:
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- Freelancer
- Indeed and more

Check them out (ordered by popularity) and sign up.

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Freelancing platforms pros and cons

Pros:
- Easy to start
- Lots of impressions
- Platform TOS will usually protect you

Cons:
- Low conversions (if not optimized)
- Lots of competition
- Any kind of customer

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Social media

Social media platforms are also a great way to create connections and build a network to land your next gig.

You might be one message away from your next 6 figures job.

Be sure to create a profile that converts (see next tweets).

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Network and word of mouth

We are used to trust those we know.

Your next job might be near you:
- Ask your network
- Relatives
- Local Shops or companies

Do you think you can improve their business? Do they need a website?

Do not become spammy, sell solutions.

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Cold Emails and Messages

I could write a whole thread just to talk about cold emails, but the rule is always the same:

- Write out of genuine interest
- Propose yourself as a solution to a problem, as a resource
- Be kind, gentle, and not spammy

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Where do I find contacts to send cold messages?

Do you want to work with agencies? Search on google
Do you want to work with consultants? Search on LinkedIn
Do you want to work with developers? Search on Twitter

Again, do not be spammy, sincerely appreciate others.

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The Ego Booster technique

Stealing it from Mr. @mkhundmir, the Ego Booster is a very effective method to send cold emails.

The first time you contact a potential customer:
- Do not talk about yourself
- Appreciate his/her/their work
- Be genuine

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Why appreciating is key in cold emails?

People always love feeling appreciated about themselves, their work, or company. So why not reach out to them with a few kind words?

Sincerely appreciating someone is not the only way to write effective cold emails though.

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Cold Emails That Work

Luckily the inventor of the Ego Booster, Mustafa Khundmiri, wrote a book called: 'Cold Emails That Work'.

Link: gumroad.com/a/601658483/aR…

Contacting clients is not enough though, you need to gain their trust.

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Gain trust from your customers

You have a friend from Alaska interested in your services, convince her you are worth her money.

She'll want to see your past jobs, who you are, and if you are trustworthy.

How can you prove your value? Words are not enough.

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How to convince people you are worth their money.

I can't stress enough:
- Create an online presence.
- Create a portfolio with original projects
- Be sure your socials are consistent and professional
- Create a blog

First impression matters.

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Create an online presence:

Imagine John writing to you on Twitter, asking for a job.

You watch at his image:
is a building.
You watch his bio:
is a quote.

You stop reading and look away.
John might be you.

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Which social should I use to promote my online presence?

It depends, I love Twitter and LinkedIn, but Instagram for UI Developers is amazing.

No matter what, be sure to use a high-quality portrait as a profile, write a curated bio, and state your value.

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Do I need to have thousands of followers?
It doesn't matter.

If you are starting your career as a freelancer the only thing that matters is:
- Look authentic
- State your value/experience
- Show your skills and experiences

How? Learning how to write effective copy

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How to write an effective bio:

- Don't be egocentric
- Clearly state the values you bring to your customers
- Clearly states your expertise
- Do not be spammy
- Be short

You have 10 seconds to hook the reader.

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No one cares about what you did unless it's useful
This is a harsh truth.

No one cares you love playing the guitar unless you are applying for a band.

Be sure to write just what matters to get the job:
- The value you bring
- Your skills
- Your soft skills

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Create a Portfolio that converts

A portfolio is the core of your development business.

Do you want to develop SaaS? Develop a Netflix clone
Do you want to make landing pages? Make landing pages

You need projects. Real ones.

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Quality above quantity

One self-made project is better than ten made following a tutorial.
Make sure to highlight and make original projects.

Create stuff that reflects the jobs you are applying to, at least 3 projects.

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Best stuff first

Creating your portfolio, make sure to put the best stuff first.

I love seeing bad old stuff in portfolios because it tells me the journey of an individual, it looks authentic but put it last.

Show your best stuff first, and hook your viewers.

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Showcase your value

You have a stunning portfolio, and someone is trusting your abilities.

You need to start selling yourself.

As a freelancer, you are a sort of one-man band, a friend, a consultant, a professional.

Communicate that.

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Sell the best solution, not yourself

People are not paying you because you are "cool" they are giving you money because you are what they need to solve THEIR problems.

You are not an amazing front-end developer.
You create an eCommerce that converts 4% of traffic.

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Price your skills

Now that we have some project, a portfolio, and the skills to find customers it's time to value our services.

There are different philosophies about it, let me share mine.

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How should I price my services?

You have different ways, those are my favorites:
- Hourly rates
- Per project rates

Choose the first if it's a project with a predictable length.
Choose the second if it's a bigger project and the price can be calculated in months.

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Should I work for free?

If you have time for a Bootcamp you can work for free.
If you have time to waste watching videos, you can work for free.
If you have time to watch Netflix all day long, you can work for free.

Otherwise, no, you should never work for free.

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The more the demand, the higher your prices.

If you are a developer, a consultant, etc, this is a method to try:
- Decide how many hours to work a week
- Fix a price/hr
- Every time you see yourself fully booked for multiple weeks, increase your price by +25%

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Make a Customer not a Sale

Did you know that: acquiring a customer is 10x difficult than retaining an old one?
The challenge is to be good enough to see people asking for your skills recursively.

Become the resource people can't live without.

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"How to" returning customers

Sometimes is about the customer, sometimes about you:
- Be inclusive: Involve your customer in the process
- Communicate: update your customers a lot
- Boundaries, you do not work 24/7
- Be proactive: if you think it fits ask if it fits

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Conclusions:
- This is not a shortcut to success.
- You don't become a freelancer reading a thread.
- You become a freelancer, freelancing.

Be brave, experiment, learn and build wealth.

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What you just read comes from The Customer Funnel - Kickstart Your Freelance Journey.

Find and retain your first customer using a 5 steps approach.

Download it for FREE on Gumroad, in 14hrs.
vittorio.gumroad.com/l/thecustomerf…

Summary:
- Acquiring customers is a process
- Use freelancing or job platforms
- Use social media platforms
- Ask your network
- Cold Emai people
- Create a trustworthy online presence
- Create a portfolio with your best works
- Work for free only if you can
- Retain Customers

Hey, Thank you so much for reading!

I'm Vitto 👋
I write daily posts on startups, business, and development.

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