5 Tips to Land Your First Client

Quitting a traditional job and starting a new career as an entrepreneur or freelancer is an exciting but daunting experience. Determining how you’re going to make money is just the first step. You also need to find people who want to use your product or service.

Landing that first client is essential when you’re first starting out on your new venture. It proves that you have a viable company idea. Having at least one client also gives you the confidence you need to start attracting more customers and building a portfolio of your work.

So, how do you land that all-important first client?

1. Be Patient

First, don’t expect to land the ultimate client on day one. Many freelancers fail to thrive because they haven’t got enough savings to keep them going while they’re building their online presence and attracting potential customers.

If you don’t have enough resources to keep going with no clients initially, it might be a good idea to stick with your traditional job for a while.

The more savings you have when you start off as a freelancer, the less urgently you’ll need to find that first client. This means you’re not as likely to make mistakes or come across as desperate.

Make sure you have enough cash to look after yourself and invest in the tools you need to market your business, such as social media marketing and website building.

2. Get Social

Start out within your current network. Who do you know that might be interested in your services? Can anyone you’re connected with introduce you to people who might want to work with you? If your network is still quite small, look for ways to make it grow!

Attending events relevant to your industry or niche is a good idea. You can also get involved with things like community fairs and events. There are even business groups that freelancers and professionals can join to meet new people.

3. Collaborate

To succeed in business, you need to work with other people. If you view every person or company as a rival you need to defeat, you’re not going to have much room for growth.

Instead, look for ways to work alongside other experts providing similar services and solutions to you. For instance, if you’re a graphic designer, you could work with a copywriter and give their customers access to your design skills for a discount.

That way, you’re both complementing each other’s work and giving customers access to more value. At the same time, you’re not trying to “steal” anyone’s customers.

You can even look into working with other brands on special deals and promotions for long-term clients. As you continue to build your reputation, your reliance on other companies will diminish.

4. Build Your Online Presence

Perhaps the most important thing a company needs if they want to be successful today is an online presence.

Start by building your website to show off your previous work and explain the services you offer. Make sure your site is optimized for both user experience and search engines.

Content writing will help you to rank higher in the search results for the phrases your customers are searching for. This will mean you have an easier time finding the clients that are right for you. Aside from building your website, make sure you’re active on the social media platforms your customers use.

5. Encourage Word of Mouth

Finally, as people get to know you and your business, encourage them to recommend your services to their friends. Even if you don’t have any customers to give you business reviews, having other people vouch for your character and work ethic can be a great way to boost sales. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can get people to recommend you on there too.

After you get your first client, encourage them to leave a testimonial or review about your work. The more reviews you get from happy customers, the more likely it is that you’ll grab the attention of more customers.