First 3 Paying Clients for Freelancers

In this tutorial, we walk you through the steps to land your first three. These are clients who value you and are willing to pay for your services. Also, there is a lot to learn from the right kind of clients, like how to get even more of them.

Are you on the fence about leaving the 9-to-5 for a freelance career? Before you take the plunge, consider whether freelancing is right for you. There’s only one way to do that effectively: find a number of actual paying clients.

Landing one client can be a fluke. Two can mean you’re just lucky. But at least three will give you the confidence that there are people willing and able to pay for your services.

I had to learn this for myself, the hard way. When I quit my day job, I had only one major freelance client. I was thrilled because the contract was close enough to my salary. But on my last day at work, the new client pulled out without warning and only one week’s notice. That stung.

As someone who left behind the 9-to-5 (more like 8-to-8), friends and ex-colleagues now look at me with a bit of awe. The most common question I’m asked is “How on earth did you do it?” I’ve been asked that question so often.

I now have a quick, ready formula for them: start by finding at least three paying clients.

In this article, discover how you can find your first three paying clients and ensure you’ve got the right kind of clients as you move forward with your freelance business.

1. What Problem Can You Solve?

Sites like Upwork and especially Fiverr show that you can sell just about any skill online. These platforms can serve as a reference point into the freelance market.

Take a minute to identify:

• What are your unique strengths?
• What are you so great at that your friends and coworkers are always raving about it?

Having trouble identifying your unique skills and strengths? Try the following two strategies to achieve clarity:

1. Ask your friends and colleagues: “What are three things you think I’m best at?” Consider using a short anonymous survey via Google Forms to collect this feedback, as anonymity encourages honesty.

2. Browse freelancer sites: Look at the highest-paid freelancers in various domains. Take note of what they claim as their unique selling proposition.

Once you’ve identified your strengths, ask yourself this crucial question:

What problem do these unique skills and strengths enable me to solve?

Freelancing, or any business, is not about you; it is about your clients.

You may be exceptionally talented, but unless you can provide a service that meets a client’s needs, no one will pay you. Identify the pain points, needs, or wants you can help potential clients address.

To get started, make a list of ten real-world problems you can assist potential clients with. Then, evaluate each problem based on urgency, importance, uniqueness, and how well-positioned you are to provide the solution. Use this as the foundation to target the right clients.

2. Target the Right Market

So far, you have identified your skills, your unique selling proposition (USP), and the problem you’re going to solve. Now, you need to identify potential clients—specifically, your ideal client.

You may be eager to leave behind your cranky boss (who pays you a salary each month, regardless of their demeanor). You don’t want to land a cranky client who refuses to pay you.

Spend some time defining who your ideal client is. Start with:

• Are they willing to pay for this service?
• Are they able to pay (a good price) for this service?

Create an Ideal Client Avatar (ICA)

It’s time to create a detailed profile of your ideal client, known as an Ideal Client Avatar (ICA). This sketch will guide your outreach efforts.

Begin by identifying your clients’ demographics, then narrow it down to their psychological profile. Here are a few questions to help you outline your ICA:

• Basics: gender, age, profession, income level, and lifestyle.
• Aspirations: What do they want or aspire to?
• Challenges: What are their fears and frustrations?
• Preferences: What are their likes and dislikes?
• Habits: Where do they hang out, both offline and online?
• Leisure: How do they unwind?
• Decision-making: How do they make their decisions?
• Value: How does my product/service help them?
• Motivation: Why would they buy my product/service?
• Concerns: What apprehensions or objections might they have about my service?

You can download our Ideal Client Avatar Template as a PDF. Use it as a tool for understanding who you want to market and sell to.

Client Avatar Examples

For example, if you are a website designer, don’t just target “anyone who wants a website.” Be specific. Will you focus on corporations or small business owners? What do they truly want from their website? Is it about generating leads, sharing information, or selling products? What kind of ROI are they looking for?

Targeting the right audience can make or break your freelance business.

For instance, a web developer I know taught himself coding and web design after his military service. He realized his background set him apart from other web developers. Instead of mass outreach, he focused on creating websites for veteran-owned businesses.

This was a smart move; he understood their needs and had a built-in trust factor, making it easier for him to connect, rather than competing with countless other web developers on freelancing sites.

By targeting the right audience, he minimized his competition.

3. Connect With Potential Clients

Now that you know your ideal client, what’s the best way to reach out to them? Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a fancy website (unless you’re a web designer), a big blog, or a large social media following to get your first clients. Those come later.

When you’re just starting, simplicity is key.

Your first few clients will always be special. They are the ones giving you a chance and believing in you before the rest of the world does. Therefore, focus on building relationships.

Get into the mindset of your Ideal Client Avatar. Go where they are, engage with them, and build rapport. You could take them out for coffee or a drink, or if you’re connecting online, arrange a chat via Skype. For example, if you’re a website designer, look for people who recently had their website revamped by a freelancer of similar caliber.

Ask for a Quick Interview

Search for closed jobs on Elance or other freelance sites, or contact local businesses that recently updated their website. Reach out and ask for a short interview—either in person or via email. Ensure your approach is friendly and non-demanding. Here’s an email template you can use:

Hello [Name],

I just saw your new website design, and it is amazing. I especially love the use of [list some features that impress you].

I’m a new web designer, and I was wondering if you could spare some time to help answer a few questions. This would really help me serve your industry better.

You are definitely at the forefront of your industry, and I’d love to learn from the best. It’s just a few questions at the end of this email.

I understand you’re busy. This will only take 5 minutes. Thanks so much for your time! I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

Questions to consider asking:

• Why did you decide to hire a freelancer instead of other options (like an agency)?
• Why did you choose this particular freelancer? How/where did you find them?
• What challenges did you face while working with this freelancer, and what could have been improved?

Alternatively, you can send out a small survey. Paul Jarvis, a veteran web designer, shares how he used similar techniques to build his client list.

You may need to reach out several times for responses, but after interviewing 5-7 people, patterns will emerge. You’ll gain insight into how these prospective clients think, which will help you craft more compelling proposals once you get started.

4. Frame an Offer They Can’t Refuse

Now that you’ve conversed with your ideal clients and identified their pain points, it’s time to prepare your pitch. This is where many freelancers stumble—often by focusing too much on themselves.

For example, when pitching a service, you might say:

I can create a website for you. I code perfectly compliant HTML and CSS3. I know JavaScript, AJAX, and PHP. As a bonus, I’ll make your site responsive.

Does that seem like a winning pitch?

Hint: It isn’t.

The potential client likely doesn’t understand or care about those technical details. What they really need is a website that positions them as an authority in their domain, engages viewers, and generates leads or sales.

You must convey to your prospective clients that you understand their problems, their business, their needs, and that you can provide just the right solution.

That’s what they hire you for—to fix their problems, not just to create a website for them.

A good proposal should include:

• Problem statement: Your client’s problem, needs, objectives, and goals.
• Recommended solution: Your proposed strategy, outlining how you are uniquely positioned to solve the problem.
• Fee and project schedule: Project timelines and fee structure.

You can use free templates from Bidsketch to simplify this process. Here’s their template for web design proposals, which includes examples of how to frame each section.

At this stage, don’t get too hung up on perfecting the price. Aim for a ballpark figure that feels right. Once you’ve tested the waters with your first few clients, you can refine your pricing strategy and negotiate higher rates. This tutorial on what rate to charge as a freelancer can provide additional insights.

Conclusion

It will take a few iterations and numerous proposals to land your first clients, so remain patient and persistent. Reflect on the solutions you can offer and identify a group to serve.

Build genuine relationships with people in that market—repeat the cycle until you succeed.

Once you’ve serviced a number of clients, you’ll improve at finding the right clients, engaging with them effectively, drafting winning proposals, and delivering exceptional service.