It’s not easy if you’re wandering in the wasteland of your mind… wondering if anyone will ever hire you.
And the tugs and pulls to be down on yourself can be strong.
“I’m not good enough”
“Why was it so easy for them?”
“LinkedIn sucks and everyone was lying about finding clients on there.”
Sure… I contrived some of those…
But it’s still true that it can be damn hard to keep your mind away from that stuff.
And that really is the trick to finding clients. Just not getting waylaid by the head trash that contributes zero progress. And might even take you backwards.
Getting clients isn’t rocket science. And when you’re getting going, a lot of it comes down to it being a numbers game.
Now, some people will just step out their front door and trip over their first client.
The rest of us might need to set ourselves up a bit more for success.
Like becoming confident we have something to offer clients. Are OK chatting with human beings. And can put ourselves a little outside our comfort zones every day.
And the secret sauce?
Just keep going until you get a client.
It’s what I did. And untold millions of freelancers did.
And it sucked a bit (sometimes a lot).
I was like, “Why haven’t I got a client after sending these 4 proposals?”
My pride and I thinking that every minute of blood and sweat I put into those had to be recognized and paid for with a… “Yes! I want to shower you in unending riches for writing a web page for me.”
Reality? … Heh.
Not wanting to depress anyone with this. It’s just the way it is.
But cool thing is… I learned a heck of a lot about writing, clients, sales, and myself by writing 200+ proposals.
I did get my first client after only the first few. But my results aren’t typical. Neither are the next person’s. Or the next’s.
And that’s where it can be so hard. Because we’d love a formula right?
Plug this stuff in one end and out pops the right answer.
Plug in 10 proposals and out pops a brand spanking new client for us.
Getting clients… whether it’s number 1 or number 100… doesn’t follow a formula.
But it DOES follow a universal law. And that law is…
The only way to get clients is to market your services.
Whether that’s the “lucky” person who stepped out and mentioned their business to the first person they saw.
Or it’s the person who sent 214 cold emails to companies they wanted to work with before they struck it “lucky.”
There’s a lot of different forms of marketing. And to clients at different stages of readiness for hiring.
Some are incredibly direct, such as cold email.
But you’re sending to people who probably aren’t thinking about hiring right then and there. (Although, you’re putting your name out there… which may pay off later.)
Some are in response to an invitation from a client.
For example, on Upwork, where a client is chomping at the bit to get started with their job. And they just need to pick the right freelancer to do it.
Another not-quite-a-law-but-good-to-remember thing is…
Pick one or two methods of marketing and go for it!
Perhaps one that’s reaching out, like cold emails. Or writing proposals to Upwork jobs.
The other… more slow-boil. Like networking in groups on LinkedIn or Facebook. And gradually growing your network.
By keeping to a couple of ways, you’ll have a stronger focus. And can go deeper on using those avenues well.
Ready to build your email list? Go here…
EmailForTheWin.com
Chris Milham