Let’s get real and talk about the one prerequisite needed prior to any discussion around setting your rates, writing proposals, or up-selling retainers and productized consulting. Finding clients. For many new freelancers (and even seasoned freelancers) who don’t have a strong referral base or a system for acquiring leads, this is one of the most…
I recently sat down (literally!) with my friend Steli Efti, the founder of Close.io. For about an hour we talked about how freelancers and consultants can create more referrals for their business. Steli is a master of sales — you won’t want to miss this episode! Mentioned this episode: Steli on Twitter Close.io The B2B Referral…
In this article, I will attempt to answer the #1 question I get: where do I find high-value clients? By “high-value client”, I mean somebody who hires you as a consultant in the best sense of the word. These are clients that value your input and expertise, and regard you as much more than just…
Today I want to focus on helping you win more proposals. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: if there’s one part of your sales funnel that you should optimize, it’s how you write and deliver proposals. How much time do you spend finding prospective clients, qualifying them, meeting about their project, and…
This week I sat down with Jan Jones of Oozou, an agency based out of Bangkok, Thailand, and Jonathan Tarud of Koombea, another agency, this one in Colombia. We discussed what it’s like to run an agency when your clients are half a world away from you. Whether you’re in San Francisco, Topeka, or Saigon, you’re…
Ben writes in from the Philippines, “My biggest problem in freelancing (mine is web development) is not having enough ”good“ portfolio to show prospective clients. Do I really need to have one? I want to start all over again as a freelancer. Do I need to have portfolio pieces before I can start making my…
One of the most frustrating gigs I ever bid on was a project for a local university. My consultancy got most of our clients through direct inquiries or referrals; for the most part, we completely avoided the RFP game. In my mind, it was on the same level as spec work. An employee of mine…
A friend of mine posted on Facebook that he had listed himself on Fiverr, which is a marketplace of people willing to do all sorts of things for $5. Well, I know Kevin, and I know that he’s a high value .NET freelancer. So admittedly, I was a little confused at first… why would a…
Last week, I described how a basic 5 day email course fueled by a Facebook ad campaign is my total marketing effort for selling my latest product, WordPress Conversion Funnel. However, I realized I didn’t go too in-depth into how I’m actually structuring and writing email courses, or about the role they play in my…
When I attended my first Chamber of Commerce meeting, I really felt like I was a fish out of water. I came in shorts… and a t-shirt. I didn’t have any business cards, nor did I have any idea what I was doing. And everyone was in suits. Talk about embarassing! But I eventually figured…