Networking is an essential part of getting your first clients as a freelancer. Joining an online marketplace is also a great way to let potential customers know that you are available for work. Referrals are a great way to get to know a new customer. To maximize these possibilities, create a presence that your audience can spend time in.
A great way to do this is to write a guest blog related to your specialty and promote it. Ultimately, your audience exists in the real world, so you should be there too. Face-to-face interactions are more memorable than their digital counterparts, and forging these relationships expands your network to a huge new audience. You can also use email marketing campaigns to reach out to potential customers.
Make the most of your social media and email marketing with these easy-to-use social media sharing tools. If they don't respond after two emails, it's best to move on as you don't want to earn a reputation as an annoying consultant. You can also respond to job offers, but instead offer them your consulting services. You can teach in business incubators (organizations aimed at accelerating the growth and success of start-ups and early-stage companies), in companies that specialize in corporate education, or you can teach at universities or on Udemy. Many companies are investing tons of resources in long-term jobs that could be better met by a consultant.
If there's one thing I want you to learn from this post, it's that getting clients for your consulting business isn't as difficult as you think, but it's not as easy as you might expect. Before you start looking for consulting clients, you should find out who they are and create an online presence or portfolio to attract them. Even if your working relationship with a consulting client is coming to an end, don't see it as the end. This section of a consulting proposal is often overlooked, but I always include it and consider it important. You may be the best in your field, but if you don't know how to market your consulting services, no one will notice you.
If you're just starting out, these strategies will help you get more freelance or consulting clients for your business faster than anything else. There are many software companies such as Hubspot and Shopify that have partner programs for people who can serve their customers who want to use their tools but don't know how to do it. Especially if you're planning to work for local clients, you need local SEO to rank for consultants in your area. When you submit a cold job offer, you are opening up a new path rather than responding to a job offer where you compete with other consultants for the same position. These are the basic elements of any marketing strategy, both for consulting services and any type of business; it is important to always keep them in mind.
Some consultants will send a proposal for the client to sign and approve first and then send a separate contract for the client to sign.
