We all have asked this question ourselves at one time or the other. Sometimes, we come up with excuses and blame them on others (especially our luck). Sometimes we shut down the system and look outside the window only to blame ourselves! Trust me when I say this – we all have been there!
Finding a client is hard, but what’s harder is ensuring that they stay with us for a long. Yesterday, we ended a contract with one of the clients who paid well but was getting on our nerves. In my subsequent newsletter, I will discuss how to ensure that the client stays with you and help you grow as a professional.
Today, let us focus on finding the right client!
But before I jump to that, have you heard about the IKEA effect? This is something that I discuss with my full-time writers when I get them on board for CJ (those who dropped me a mail and said what CJ is, CJ Digitals is my writing agency named after the initials of my dogs). The IKEA effect states that people tend to value an object more if they make it themselves. More importantly, the IKEA effect talks about how we tend to like things more if we have put in extra effort to create them!
Understand that you will create hundreds and thousands of blog posts or content pages for your clients or agencies. But what you will love and admire the most is the content you have created for yourself — something that we call our portfolio!
A couple of days ago, I was on a one-on-one consultation call with a freelancer who asked me about the importance of having a portfolio. I told her the same thing that I am sharing with all of you here, ‘your portfolio is the start of your bread and butter (beer in some cases) – make sure it resonates with who you are, what you do, how you do it, what you did in the past, and what plans you have for future!’
How can you implement the IKAE effect into writing or other freelancing jobs?
The IKEA effect would suggest that clients value the strategies, visions, missions, and goals you have played a part in building.
Next time you pitch to a client, talk about the things you helped build! Your portfolio should shout about your work so that your client will say, “Oh, you made this happen? I think you are the right person for us!”
If you are not able to find relevant clients, this is what you should do:
- Create a portfolio: If you have not worked for anyone yet and are just freelancing in the early days/weeks/months/years, write for yourself and share it on your blog/medium.
- Stay active on LinkedIn: LinkedIn is more than just connecting like-minded people. This is a great place to get inbound leads. Participate in my 30-day writing activity that would help you write over 24,000+ words in a month, boosting your confidence and improving your network (you might get good paying leads as well).
- Skill Up: If not today, then when? If not now, then how? Right? Today is the perfect day to skill up your freelancing game! Learn new things! Instead of putting Kesariya on repeat, this is the right time to listen to some great coaches and mentors.
- Create Case Studies: Create multiple case studies in and around your learning and previous gigs. As I say during my classes, case studies are the perfect way for your client to know how easily you can solve the problem! It also helps them understand what you did as an individual to resolve a given set of problems! Remember the IKEA effect? The client will see and learn how you build something from scratch!
- Be Confident: Even if you are not getting clients or projects, do not be disheartened! It happens to everyone. This is a serious game, and only those who know how to swim against the tides can survive! I understand the money factor (we all have bills to pay!) and how easily we make the fist to hurt ourselves with those sharp nails, but that is not the way ahead — learn from your mistakes and skill up this game!
And if you want to bitch about some client or discuss some project, I am here!
Until the next time, Baw-Baw!
– V