Freelancing is an alluring path to professional independence.
Freedom to simultaneously handle projects from multiple clients, no rigid work shifts, unlimited earning potential — its merits are too enticing for many to ignore.
The question is, can you convince recruiters, HR managers and employers to hire you?
Saying no to gainful employment to bet on yourself is a significant gamble.
While the whole world is your market, you have to compete with millions of other independent professionals for business. You must set yourself apart from the rest by having a solid reputation.
A bad reputation burns bridges and closes doors, so use these seven tips to earn clients’ trust and have a sustainable freelancing career.
1. Consider a Niche or a Specialization
Niching is when you focus on a single sector or industry. Specialization is when you concentrate on a skill you can use to attract clients across various sectors and industries.
Either can pay dividends, for it can help you appear authoritative and persuade prospects you’re perfect for the job.
Make no mistake about it — generalists can and do succeed.
Some freelancer breeds’ duties and responsibilities are universal enough.
For instance, virtual assistants usually do the same things, such as answering emails, taking phone calls, scheduling appointments and making travel arrangements, in whatever sphere they find themselves.
Although being a jack of all trades boosts your flexibility and adaptability, it can make you appear as a non-expert when being considered for roles requiring domain authority.
Hiring professionals may look at your resume and think you can do passable work at best despite having diverse skills.
On the other hand, masters of something come across as subject matter experts.
For example, technology copywriters are stronger candidates for content-creation gigs involving cloud servers, virtual private networks, and software development than their education counterparts.
The same logic applies to bilingual hired travel buddies for the elderly with a teaching degree versus paid companions who barely speak English and dropped out of college.
Deciding on a niche, a specialization or both can be challenging. Considering your personal interests and previous work experiences can help narrow down your options.
2. Forge Reliable Connections
Sometimes, what dictates your success is who you know — and not what you do and how well you do it.
If you’re starting from zero, organically building your network takes time and effort.
Begin with your circle.
It doesn’t matter if they’re completely different lines of work.
Being associated with them can lead one thing to another, allowing clients to find through mutual connections.
If you’re transitioning from traditional office work to freelancing without changing professions and industries, even better.
Don’t be a stranger to your former colleagues as they can serve as gig work conduits. When they move to another company, they can put in a good word for you once a freelancing role becomes available and help you land the gig before being publicized.
Having a referrer gives you the edge over your less-connected peers.
More than four in 10 business decision-makers who entertain word-of-mouth recommendations admit that referred talent gets hired almost 100% of the time.
The more gigs you have, the wider your network becomes. Before you know it, you’ll have a Rolodex full of hiring managers. Building relationships with professionals exclusively working in recruitment allows you to cut in line whenever gigs are up for grabs.
3. Name Your Price Reasonably
Determining how much to charge for your services is tricky.
You must figure out your target annual income, factor in the number of days and hours you’re available to work and take your expenses into account.
Billing clients hourly or per project is another vital decision to make.
Freelance rates are flexible, so they’re always subject to negotiation.
Set the lowest you’re willing to go to ensure a gig is worth your time before taking it. Agreeing to lower-paying work when you have better options can result in losses due to the opportunity cost — the foregone income arising from selecting one project over another.
Be upfront about your pricing and stick to what you say.
Bait-and-switch tactics irritate hiring professionals, especially after putting pen to paper. Nobody wants to work with fickle-minded freelancers.
Treat service contracts as they should be — sacred. Breaking a signed agreement can irreparably damage business relationships, tarnish your reputation, shut down possibilities for future deals and open yourself up to legal action.
4. Embrace Continuous Learning
Nothing screams reputable more than a freelancer with an unwavering commitment to professional growth.
Seek out opportunities to increase your value, solidify your credibility and adapt to the times.
Studies have shown that by 2027, around 70% of jobs will require some kind of postsecondary degree.
Even if your industry doesn’t require a full masters degree, having a certificate from a relevant course can make you stand out from the competition.
Consider finding online courses, webinars, workshops or local community college courses that can help you develop deeper knowledge and skills in your focus area.
5. Exceed Expectations
Clients expect you to provide error-free work, meet deadlines, be responsive and maintain your standards. Going above and beyond is almost always a pleasant surprise.
Doing things for your clients outside your billable hours is an investment, not a waste of time.
Under-promising is an excellent strategy for surpassing expectations. Advertising slightly less than what you’re capable of allows you to consistently over deliver on your promise, impress, and build goodwill.
6. Solicit Feedback
Proactively ask your clients what they think of your work and what your areas of improvement are. Many are afraid to hear negative comments — such as collaboration difficulties and deviations from company practices — but you should welcome constructive criticism.
Your blind spots may keep you from noticing flaws that can compromise your reputation. You can only work on the weaknesses you know, so seek your clients’ help to bring your deficiencies to light.
7. Build Your Portfolio
Curating your best work on a stunning site accomplishes many things.
It showcases your freelancing career highlights, establishes your personal brand, strengthens your online presence, sets the tone for your services and advertises your contact information.
Through feedback solicitation, you can gather and publish testimonials from satisfied clients to display social proof.
Some occupations lend themselves to portfolio building.
Examples include social media app developer, logo graphic designer, YouTube video editor, cartoon animator and ad copywriter.
Still, you can promote the projects you’re most proud of with creativity, even if you’re not a creative. Say that you’re a freelance accountant.
You can present case studies to discuss the challenges you faced and how you solved them. With your clients’ blessing, you can mention them to add legitimacy to your stories.
Protect Your Freelancer Reputation
A solid reputation you built for years can turn sour overnight. Use these tips to make a name for yourself in your domain and make every effort to keep your hard work from going down the drain.
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