Landing Clients From Start To Finish - Part Two
I'd go so far as to say that applying to jobs and landing new clients is part of freelancing which I get a kick out of the most.
However I think it's interesting that there are so many blogs on writing a great proposal, deciding how much you should charge and finding suitable jobs to apply for - but not many on what comes next.
Winning a job is a great start - but turning that job into a productive, long-term relationship with a client is the next step. Let's talk about what happens next!
Time for the highly anticipated Part Two!!
If I land a content-writing gig, there are usually a couple of things I want to know before going on to accept the offer. The first step is finding out exactly what tone and style your client is looking for.
Example: I've just finished a contract for a company whose app which helps people save money. I wrote a first draft for their blog and sent it over.
Turned out that I hadn't quite nailed the tone - whereas my draft was fairly vocal about promoting the clients app, they were actually after a more balanced and authoritative tone (similar to Money Saving Expert) which weighed up the pros and cons of various techniques.
Had I known this from the outset, there wouldn't have been any need to go through the article and change the style of my text.
For any content writing gig, I'd suggest asking a client a) if they already have a blog to so that you can gauge the style they are after, and b) if there are blogs which inspire them so you have something to go by. Often this will give you a clear idea of things like tone, paragraph structure, overall length and information density.
Other things you should endeavor to make clear from the start include the expectations of how much time it will take to complete the gig and how much your client should expect to pay (particularly for hourly contracts).
When it comes to negotiating a price, here's my approach for a client who had a lower budget for her project in mind than I would usually expect.
In fact, this is pretty much my usual tactic - so long as you aren't working for next to nothing, working towards a clients budget instead of your own for the first milestone makes you seem genuine and professional, which reassures clients.
You'll probably come across guys who have big plans for an ongoing blog but lost interest after your first post - this has happened to me.
To point out the obvious, ensuring your client is happy with your work is step #1 to building a long-term working relationship. If this means putting in a bit of extra time to ensure you've captured the clients needs then it might be worth doing. After all, that time is a wise investment if it means you'll get further work - by which time you'll have a clearer idea of how to meet their needs.
In fact, I usually ask clients for as much feedback as possible after submitting a draft of the first blog. My approach is usually something like this:
Ultimately if you explain (sooner rather than later) that the initial blogs might take a bit longer to nail, not only are you letting the client know you want your work to be exactly as they envisioned - you're also buying yourself a bit more time.
Hopefully those are helpful pointers in creating great written content and helping you gain long term clients!
(That was this morning, and I've already been given my second assignment from this client)
If the client has changed their mind about needing long term work then in my opinion it's better to suggest leaving 5* feedback for each other (if appropriate) and letting them know that you'll be around when they next need you.
Personally I wouldn't mark a client down for offering long term work and refusing to come through on it, as things may crop up which affect their business - but if the expectation of an ongoing contract was discussed as important to you beforehand, it may be worth pointing this out.
A n y w a y...
Hopefully this two part blog has been of some help when it comes to landing and retaining long-term clients. If not, I recommend the comments section as a great place to potentially slag off the author (who won't care as he's only sat around drinking rum and coffee anyway)...
Real talk though, I'd love to hear more tips, and if anyone has questions for me please get in touch. You can also connect with me at linkedin.com/sammy-brichard.
However I think it's interesting that there are so many blogs on writing a great proposal, deciding how much you should charge and finding suitable jobs to apply for - but not many on what comes next.
Winning a job is a great start - but turning that job into a productive, long-term relationship with a client is the next step. Let's talk about what happens next!
If you've just arrived be sure to check out Part One of this blog here, which focuses on finding suitable jobs and writing a great proposal!
Time for the highly anticipated Part Two!!
Asking the Right Questions
Even if the job description for your clients project was incredibly detailed, chances are you still have questions about how to make the project a success. Not only will finding out more improve your chances of nailing exactly what the client is expecting of you - it will show them that you are enthusiastic and pro-active.If I land a content-writing gig, there are usually a couple of things I want to know before going on to accept the offer. The first step is finding out exactly what tone and style your client is looking for.
Example: I've just finished a contract for a company whose app which helps people save money. I wrote a first draft for their blog and sent it over.
Turned out that I hadn't quite nailed the tone - whereas my draft was fairly vocal about promoting the clients app, they were actually after a more balanced and authoritative tone (similar to Money Saving Expert) which weighed up the pros and cons of various techniques.
Had I known this from the outset, there wouldn't have been any need to go through the article and change the style of my text.
For any content writing gig, I'd suggest asking a client a) if they already have a blog to so that you can gauge the style they are after, and b) if there are blogs which inspire them so you have something to go by. Often this will give you a clear idea of things like tone, paragraph structure, overall length and information density.
Other things you should endeavor to make clear from the start include the expectations of how much time it will take to complete the gig and how much your client should expect to pay (particularly for hourly contracts).
When it comes to negotiating a price, here's my approach for a client who had a lower budget for her project in mind than I would usually expect.
In fact, this is pretty much my usual tactic - so long as you aren't working for next to nothing, working towards a clients budget instead of your own for the first milestone makes you seem genuine and professional, which reassures clients.
Perfecting your First Assignment
Of course, after this it's time to actually do some work (you slackers!), however for me part of landing a client is landing them for the long run.You'll probably come across guys who have big plans for an ongoing blog but lost interest after your first post - this has happened to me.
To point out the obvious, ensuring your client is happy with your work is step #1 to building a long-term working relationship. If this means putting in a bit of extra time to ensure you've captured the clients needs then it might be worth doing. After all, that time is a wise investment if it means you'll get further work - by which time you'll have a clearer idea of how to meet their needs.
In fact, I usually ask clients for as much feedback as possible after submitting a draft of the first blog. My approach is usually something like this:
Ultimately if you explain (sooner rather than later) that the initial blogs might take a bit longer to nail, not only are you letting the client know you want your work to be exactly as they envisioned - you're also buying yourself a bit more time.
Hopefully those are helpful pointers in creating great written content and helping you gain long term clients!
Landing the Next Project
If after the first blog your client doesn't seem immediately interested in appointing you again, it can be worth asking (without pestering them). My tactic is to wait a few days before going with something like this:
(That was this morning, and I've already been given my second assignment from this client)
If the client has changed their mind about needing long term work then in my opinion it's better to suggest leaving 5* feedback for each other (if appropriate) and letting them know that you'll be around when they next need you.
Personally I wouldn't mark a client down for offering long term work and refusing to come through on it, as things may crop up which affect their business - but if the expectation of an ongoing contract was discussed as important to you beforehand, it may be worth pointing this out.
A n y w a y...
Hopefully this two part blog has been of some help when it comes to landing and retaining long-term clients. If not, I recommend the comments section as a great place to potentially slag off the author (who won't care as he's only sat around drinking rum and coffee anyway)...
Real talk though, I'd love to hear more tips, and if anyone has questions for me please get in touch. You can also connect with me at linkedin.com/sammy-brichard.
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