Finding the perfect client
Rarer than a tufted unicorn. More precious than an organic, free range, gold-plated diamond. As unique as a delicately crafted, teeny tiny Statue of Liberty hand carved in an HB pencil lead by that bloke off the telly. I’m talking about finding The One. The perfect client.
They reply to emails on time. They pay invoices promptly, or better, early. They consider you as an extension of their team, listen to your ideas and let you loose on projects. They hang on your every word; rapt by your deep knowledge of crisp flavours from the 90s; inspired by your renegade approach to semi-colons and entertained by your razor-sharp wit. And then they vanish into thin air, because spoiler alert: the perfect client doesn’t exist.
If you have found the perfect client, then hooray! You win the client game. But for the rest of us, finding exciting, inspiring and challenging work can be just as hard as the projects themselves.
How to find the right client? There’s a few steps to remember.
Wrap up before going in cold
There’s a lot to be said for a cold email. But boy, does that cold email need to be accurate. You need the name of the person you’re emailing. This shouldn’t be hard to find - if it’s an agency, have a mooch around the website and find the right person. Use their name, spell it correctly, and be polite when addressing them. ‘Hi’ or ‘hello’ is sufficient, unless you want to go for the more formal ‘dear’. ‘Ahoy’ or any other weird salutation probably won’t cut it.
How do you know the agency? Have you seen their work? Mention that. People like knowing their work is appreciated and admired. Do you know them through another contact? Mention that. They’re more likely to ring up Frodo or Sam and say hey, do you know this person? Don’t copy Frodo or Sam into the email, though. Hobbits can’t type.
It’s a numbers game
Okay, you’ve got the right cold email set up. You’re charming, eloquent and a delight to speak to. But how many people are you emailing? Because believe me, you’re going to want to multiply that number by at least 10. People are busy, some email addresses are out of date, some people have shared inboxes, or automated replies, or just simply never see your message. Send many, send often, and keep going.
What do you WANT?
Are you looking for work, a referral, or someone to partner with? Be clear about your intentions. After you’ve introduced yourself and explained what you’re after, be clear about how you can help them. Do you specialise in their area? Make sure the client knows what’s in it for them and how outsourcing work to you is going to make their job easier - because that is your main goal. Working for a client is a two-way street, after all. If you want a long-term partnership, single project, or retainer work, be open and honest with your client and understand how your goals and their needs can line up. If they can, great! If they can’t, maybe there’s a compromise to suit you both.
Social media is a blessing in disguise
Once merely the home to photos of pets and Ed Balls tweeting his own name, Twitter has become a beacon of business networking without the forced stuffiness of LinkedIn and without your mum’s friend Anne on Facebook. Weekly conversations like #ContentClubUK and #FreelanceChat are home to amazing connections and great opportunities, as well as wisdom from countless other copywriters in the community and around the world. You might not find your next client, but you’ll find other writers who will happily support you and your work.
LinkedIn is a super valuable tool, and a great place to find potential projects - as well as find out the names of who you need to speak to when you’re cold emailing (see above). While it’s definitely not as fun as Twitter, it’s the place to be for finding clients and work.
Know where your line in the sand is
Little tasks soon add up. If your client keeps asking for more, then you might want to give them more to maintain the relationship and keep your invoices rolling in. But how much is too much? Decide what you’ll do as a courtesy, what you’ll charge for, and what you’ll walk away from. Because without a clearly defined working practice, you can easily end up being stretched too thin or overpromising, then underdelivering. Much better to surprise clients with work that comes earlier than they expected than promise loads of extra moving parts only to fail to deliver any of them well.
Does this sound good?
Are you my unicorn? Can you pay in gold-plated diamonds? Or just got a tricky message you want simplifying? Then get in touch and let’s chat. The kettle’s always on.