It would be an absolute dream if we had a steady stream of new clients coming to us and beginning projects all the time. With enough discipline and hard work, you can build up your freelance brand over time and get to that point. But until that time, or in times of unforeseen circumstances like COVID-19, you will face periods …
How to land a client from cold outreach
Last week, I partnered up with Alex Cattoni on a webinar about what to do if client work slows down around you. We spent quite a bit of time on Q&A, and someone asked a very fundamental question: “How do I get my first client?” I remember being in that situation. Knowing you want to work with client – maybe even …
Get more referrals by focusing on advocates instead
I talk to a lot of freelancers and client-based business owners, and just about all of them tell me they could use more clients. When I ask them how they typically get clients, just about all of them will tell me it’s “mostly word-of-mouth.” And yet, when I ask about how they plan to get more clients, they will almost …
Show up with certainty, not belief
Last month I went to a show at a comedy club in LA called Largo. We saw a handful of acts and they were all in very different phases of “polished.” That’s common in the world of comedy – comedians will practice or workshop new material in smaller clubs to get a sense for what works and how to make …
One email to make December a huge month
I love December. Things slow down, feel more casual, and I can look forward to the year ahead. Now, two years ago, December was nerve-wracking. I miscalculated my cash flow, and was slowly bleeding cash while I waited to start the next Unreal Collective Accelerator cohort in January. It seems like people fall squarely into one of two camps in …
If you’re not being rejected, then you’re failing
I was talking with a new client of mine recently, and she asked me if she thought it was time for her to take her new offering out to the market and try to sell it. I told her she was definitely ready to go out and try to find clients – and that she should also be ready to …
How to convince someone to work with you
Your ability to make it as a freelancer totally hinges on your ability to convince someone to become a paying client. If you can’t do that, your freelance journey will come to a very quick end. There are a ton of articles, podcasts, interviews and so on about tactics and negotiation…but it’s important to understand the real, core reasons someone …
How to avoid competition as a freelancer
There are a lot of reasons why someone may choose not to work with you. They may think that the price is too high, the timing isn’t right, they don’t need your service, or they may even choose to go with your competition instead. More and more people are beginning to freelance, and, naturally, some of them will be your …
