I’ve put together my top 10 Freelance Tips to help you grow a successful business.
If I had the knowledge & experience I have now it would have saved me a lot of precious time so I’ve summed my major findings over the years into a quick read post.
These 10 freelance tips are sure to put you in the fast lane to success! It’s your turn to profit faster!
1.Invest in Yourself
You want your clients to respect you and know that they are getting value for their money, right? Yes (OF COURSE)! So always be up skilling. Take your education seriously and invest. The more you know the more your clients will happily pay for your services.
2. Impress your Client
Be organised – Implement on boarding and project stages to impress your client. Deliver a not only fantastic looking site but a sales tool for them to use. A website that boosts traffic and encourages conversions will result in more paying customers. Referrals from your impressed clients are the easiest and most cost effective way to get more clients.
3. Save Yourself a TON of time
I will only meet up with a lead once they know my offering including pricing and I get to know what they are after. Don’t waste hours giving free advice (to time wasters with no budget) like I did. Just explain to the lead that you’re more than happy to catch up but just want to make sure you’re a good fit first.
4. Ask Questions
It’s all in the details. Literally! Don’t be afraid to ask questions to find out what your client needs and why. If they are not sure how can you possibly give them what they are after? Gosh, they don’t even know. After all, you’re not a mind reader.
5. Get to Know Your Client
After you have done the groundwork with the prospect it’s time to meet. This casual catch up is a great opportunity to build a trust and a good working relationship. Learn about your prospect and what they are up to on the weekend or what they like to do in their spare time. You might just have a thing or two in common.
6. Be Transparent
Detail exactly what the client is getting in the quote/proposal and make it clear anything that hasn’t been listed is at an extra cost. Remember to include or exclude things like page/product limit, hours, revisions, stock photos, copy writing, domain & web hosting, extra functionality and so on.
7. Stick to the Project Scope
A BIG problem you want to watch out for is creep on the project scope. Now it is nice to throw in a bonus or extra value for the client but plan for it. Make sure you’re not just endlessly changing an image or colour because “it just doesn’t look quite right”. Include your standard rounds of revisions stick to them and if the client needs more, they pay the agreed rate.
8. Avoid the Red Flags
One thing I wish I started doing sooner was avoiding the red flag clients but I guess you get better at seeing them. When your asking questions if your gut is telling you RUN just run. I once did a paid meeting at a prospect’s business (against all my normal rules) because there was potential for big money to be made. Throughout the meeting the prospect told me a few weird stories that didn’t sit well. After leaving tt didn’t take me long to decide not take the agreed payment for the meeting and cut the cord on that one.
9. Get Working
There is no point in building a website that is all design and no purpose. Make sure you consider the clients needs as well as their target client when planning the design and offering suggestions. If you’re just getting started you will have to work hard and put in extra time but your clients will love you. Remember, referrals do pay off. Great testimonials on your website are GOLD.
10. Love What You Do
One of things I love most about having my own biz is that I make the rules. I don’t have to continually complete meaningless tasks because someone above me said so. Freelancers get to decide what projects to work on and who to work with. Therefore allowing you to share your passion with your clients, whilst getting paid. Winning!
Let me know if any of these freelance tips help you with your biz!
For more tips & insights sign up below or follow @profitforpassion on instagram.
