All you need to do is get out of the way and start attracting customers. Regardless of your industry, entrepreneurs must know how to attract customers. No matter how big or small your client’s budget is, being an entrepreneur means building relationships. Entrepreneur Peter Corbett says that if you can successfully develop and manage one-to-one relationships, your business will thrive, no matter the size of your clientele.
Acquiring your first customer can seem like a daunting task, especially if you don’t have sales experience yet. Of course, the time spent on customer acquisition can feel like a lot of work. It can take months or even more than a year to get a corporate client.
If you have no prior experience, you may be wondering how you can land your first paying client. The good news is that there are several ways to get started. You can either tap into your local market or reach out to strangers to do their work. You can also consider using a freelance marketplace like Upwork to sell your services. In this article, I’ll give you the details on how you can get started. If you’re not sure where to start, check out the links below.
Getting your first paying client without any prior experience
One of the most common methods for getting your first paying client without any previous experience is through peer recommendations. A good recommendation increases the chances of landing a paying client because the client assumes your work is trustworthy. It also lowers the barriers of skepticism. So, getting a recommendation from a friend or colleague will give you an edge over other freelancers. Here are some tips for landing your first paying client:
Create a professional online presence. Set up a website and social media accounts. This gives potential clients an avenue to contact you and learn more about your services. Create a professional website using Squarespace or Wix. Use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to interact with potential clients. Make sure to include a photo of yourself and your work. A bio will make it easier for them to decide if you are the right candidate for the job.
Reaching out to strangers
Advertising on social media is a great way to find your first paying client. Although it can be intimidating to approach a stranger, you will soon reap the benefits. Think of your profile on Facebook as a storefront. Put up a link to your website and share your ad with friends. Someone who reads your ad might resonate with it and become your first paying client. The benefits of cold outreach are huge.
You can’t expect to get rich by expanding your existing accounts. Besides, these big accounts only represent a fraction of the business. You have to focus on capturing small businesses, which are a cheaper way to grow your revenue. Usually, big companies have silos where your sales force will have to reach out to strangers. However, it can be easier if you’ve already established a foothold in the company.
Upwork
The most important tip in Landing Your First Paying Client on Upworking is to take care of the initial impression. Clients will see your profile picture, title, and short overview first. Be sure to include a high-quality headshot and smiling face. Then, write a proposal highlighting your experience, talent, and expertise. In addition, be sure to highlight your most recent work and the best of your past work.
Upwork is filled with countless jobs posted on a daily basis. Landing your first paying gig can be a bit difficult, so be strategic and take your time. Don’t submit a proposal for your first gig unless you have plenty of experience. If you are new to Upwork, make sure to read up on the freelancers who have a lot of billed hours, solid Job Success Scores, and a lot of feedback.
After you have built your profile, take a look at recently posted opportunities on Upwork. Submit a proposal if you think you can do the work for the client. Try to remain active on Upwork to increase your chances of landing a paying client. Improve your profile – Your Upwork profile is your advertisement for your freelance business. Make sure to complete it in full and describe your services in a clear and compelling manner.
Upwork lets you create specialized profiles based on your skills and experience. You can choose to showcase specific skills based on what your prospective clients need. Be sure to save the old job title so you won’t make the same mistake twice. A good tip for landing your first paying client on Upwork is to create different profiles based on your specialties and experience. Then, focus on your specialized skills.
LinkedIn is a professional network. This means that the more people you know, the more likely you are to connect with them. Connect with the people who will be your ideal customers by using the desktop browser. The desktop browser allows you to send a personal message with your connection request, which might be what convinces them to accept your request. Do not send too many connection requests – only thirty to fifty percent of these will convert into connections. Also, don’t send too many in one day – use LinkedIn’s search function and engage with the content of those who accept your request.
Join groups on LinkedIn and post useful content regularly. People who are in your network are more likely to remember you when they have a problem, and you can deepen your relationship with them by sharing relevant content that helps them. Once you have built a reputation, you can begin to attract clients to you through your own content and share it with the group community. By participating in group discussions and sharing what you know, you can build your credibility and gain high paying clients.
Before searching for leads on LinkedIn, define your ideal clients. Your ideal clients are the intersection of your answers to both of the previous questions. Create a list of attributes that describe your ideal clients. Then filter leads based on these attributes. Use LinkedIn’s search features to narrow your results. Ensure that you define your ideal clients and you’ll have a much easier time finding them. Moreover, the social media dashboard will help you to identify the demographics of your audience.
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