Top 5 Tips On Getting Clients When You Are Starting Out
--
How is it possible to attract clients when you are just starting out?
If you are young or haven’t had enough time to be in an industry, you will find it challenging to get those bigger clients.
About two years ago it seemed like a dream for me that I will ever be able to work in the software industry at such an early age without even a university degree.
What helped me is that I got lucky finding people that believed in me.
I learned that even if you only have one week of experience in the industry, your ambitions to learn and do good work will help you find the right people that believe in you.
Here are five ways that will (hopefully) attract clients to hire you.
1. Relationships
It is so important that I become speechless when I think about it. Build long-term relationships, help people, and be your self around others. Let people remember you for something good you did to them.
You will be surprised; but it’s as simple as having a LinkedIn profile, contacting someone you find inspiring, and asking them out for a cup of coffee. Most of them will say yes; even the busy ones will block some time out for you when they notice you are genuinely interested in them.
Take to the next level, and make it a habit, get to know one person every week.
And last but not least, attend events, you will soon start to see things happening.
It only takes one person, one call, one meeting to change the direction of your life.
2. Your environment
Surround your self in an environment where things can happen. It’s the only reason why I sat in a co-working place; it’s more likely that I land new projects there than sitting at Starbucks or home.
Know your value, and be willing to negotiate, make sure you are happy with the terms of the work, which will make you comfortable working on the project and give you great results.
3. Network with Local Businesses
In Sweden, we have many events yearly to meet other local businesses, I found it most useful when meeting someone in real life; to give a sense of who you are, and what you stand for.
The more a project costs, the more critical it’s for you to have developed a relationship with the person; focus on increasing the odds for yourself to land that work you are looking after.
4. Start small
Remember, small work gives you time to build a relationship with your client, it’s more likely they will choose someone they are comfortable and have trust in then someone more skilled that only sent them an email. And always put in an extra touch, it shows you care.
With the connected world we live in today, it seems like there is always someone better than you, better looking, better service, more followers, and whiter teeth.
Before the internet, if you were good at cutting trees in town, you had few people to compare and compete with, so it was easier to manage high self-esteem. Now make a simple google search about people working in your field and look at their resumes, you will be like
5. Confidence
We need more self-awareness about how we compare ourselves to others. Life is not a race; it’s a journey; it might become a race when every human being in the world accepts the rules and starts at the same line.
Stand there like you already have reached your dreams, don’t ever feel less valuable because you haven’t done something you are proud of in your portfolio yet.
Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world. If you do so, you are insulting yourself. — Bill Gates
Conclusion
To land big projects is to develop relationships. If it is hard to convince them about hiring you, start by providing a cheap small service that will give you the opportunity and time to build a relationship with them.
Carefully pick the right people in your circle; you are most likely to be the average of the five people you spend your most time with.
Be in environments where it’s most likely for things to happen. Love what you do and give things time to grow.
