Freelancing Life – No Work? No Problem!

As a freelancer, looking for work possibly makes up half of the time you spend on your business. Freelancing can be a challenge – especially in the beginning when you’re building up your client base. But what do you do when the work just isn’t coming in?

Patience is King

Don’t be disheartened. Winning clients can take some time, so keep at it! The work will come. This business requires a thick skin. You have to be OK with hearing the word “no” or not hearing anything at all. I know first-hand that some months you just can’t believe your good luck and other months it feels like you’re wondering how to pay the bills. It can make you bipolar if you don’t realize that’s just how this life is and you have to roll with it.

So, how will you overcome dry spells? The following ideas will give your lead generation a little boost!

Diversify Lead Sources

Even if there’s a tried and true method that’s winning you clients, don’t rest your laurels on that single lead generator. Look for different ways to market yourself and generate new leads. You will drive yourself crazy if you tackle all of these ideas at once. So try a few and really give them a fair chance and effort before giving up.

If you’re at a loss for different ideas, here’s a short list of things to try:

• Online Freelancer Websites – bid on project briefs from online websites like Upwork, Fiverr, Thumbtack, 99designs, etc.. Each one has a different model and different cost structure.  Some require you are a hawk and bid on projects quickly. Some match you to clients automatically. For some you have to put in work or money upfront, for others you don’t pay or work until you have a signed client. If there are others you enjoy, share them with us so we can all try them out!
• Grass Roots Marketing – Leg work can take you pretty far if you’re willing to put in the time and energy. There are lots of free ways to advertise – cold calls, walk-ups, emails, flyers on doors, etc.. Target your efforts so your time is not wasted.  Be selective about who you approach so the extra time you put into it has more likelihood of converting to a client. Putting the time to visit or call someone who isn’t likely to say yes is not worth your time.  Increase your chances of winning by focusing on what your strengths are and who is most likely to need it. This means really understanding who needs your service and how to find them.For example, if you’re a logo/brand designer, check out local businesses who you feel could use a fresh logo. Approach them with some free concept designs to show them what their logo could be. Yes, you’re putting in free work that might not get you paid, but if you have the time, spend the time and the money will come.
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  Social Media & Online Marketing – Reach new audiences!

  Online Advertising – Paying for advertising can help expose your business to new clients.  Facebook Ads and Google AdWords are two popular advertising platforms where you can reach a lot of people and for not a lot of money.  These types of advertising are more about awareness and reach.  Typically, leads convert to paying clients after 6-9 “touches” or exposures to your brand. Be aware that this type of advertising does not pay off overnight so set a realistic budget and time-frame that gives it a chance to come to fruition.

• Networking Group – There are often neighborhood/community networking groups you can join. The typical group will be organized by an individual who finds people from different industries to join the group. This is a great way to share ideas, talk to other entrepreneurs and business owners in your local community. And more importantly, everyone in the group typically helps refer business to each other.  This is one of the main reasons why networking groups often only have an industry represented by one person so everyone in the group can refer business to that individual.
• Direct Marketing – Snail mail advertising can still be effective! There’s less junk mail these days. This advertising channel is wide open now and the likelihood your piece of advertising will be noticed is higher. Letters, postcards, etc. aren’t expensive — really the cost of postage. The question is how to find addresses!  There are lists you can buy from marketing firms. There are public registries where you can download lists for free.

Offers and Freebies

Sweeten the deal a little. You don’t want to be a “discount” freelancer, but to bring in the business, consider offering occasional, time-limited deals. Don’t be shy to charge what you feel you’re worth. When business isn’t coming in, it can be a gut reflex to start discounting or reconsidering your pricing. While you should always constructively reflect on all aspects of your business, don’t be afraid to stick to your guns until you’re sure it’s not working.

Occasional deals provide the opportunity to attract new clients but not completely blowing your original pricing. There are a lot of creative ways to craft an offer. Discounted pricing is an obvious option. Be creative!

One way to structure “freebies” is to offer more work as opposed to a discount on pricing. So for example, you can offer one month of free updates for every website you build.  You get the website at full price but the give free updates (which, to be honest, how many updates can there be after a newly built or refreshed website?).

You may have a strong service that brings in a lot of work but another you’d like to give a boost to. Try offering a discount/freebie on the weaker service to the clients who sign on to your main service. For example, if you are a life coach and you have a line of workbooks/journals you’ve created but just aren’t selling, consider offering a free workbook to all new clients who sign up! Be sure to follow-up and get reviews and testimonials in order to boost your workbook sales!

Cultivate Referrals

If you do good work and your clients are happy, they can be your best marketing engine. Word of mouth referrals are strong leads. As a freelancer, this can be your secret weapon. You may think that this will just happen on its own, but it won’t. You need to ask for referrals. Not everyone will give them and that’s OK. Be discerning about who you ask for referrals. Did they love your work? Did you enjoy the project? The beautiful thing about being a freelancer is you can be picky. And you should be picky if that’s the main reason you chose to be a freelancer.

First and foremost, you have to do good work. It starts there. You will not get referrals if you don’t perform your best work, provide exemplary experience and go above and beyond expectations.  Merely completing the job, isn’t enough to get someone who doesn’t know you beyond being your client to talk you up.

Next, ask for reviews and testimonials. It can be hard for some people to make this ask, but if you’ve done good work and you’re confident about that, there’s not much of a risk of asking. The worst they can do is not give you a review (if you truly are confident they loved your work).

Finally, ask your clients to spread the word. Even people who aren’t freelancers will understand the value in giving you a referral and they will be quite happy to do so if you did a fantastic job for them.  There are so many ways to structure this ask depending on your industry, your style and how bold you feel.  You can give your clients your business cards and ask them to hand them out if they know anyone who may need your service.  You can ask people if there’s anyone they think you should approach — some people feel more comfortable directing you to a source of leads rather than directing the leads to you.

Donate/Volunteer for Non-Profits

One great way to get exposure, build your portfolio, and keep your skills honed is to donate your services.  Non-profits often need a lot of services they can’t afford. They can either use your services directly or auction them off to raise money!

Not only are you supporting your local community but it’s a wonderful way to build your portfolio, maybe try out new skills, etc. and help organizations that need it most. If you have blocks of time you need to fill, this is a wonderful way to do it!  You will likely not get too many people saying no to free work!

Wrap-up

In conclusion, the overall takeaway is to try different things and don’t give up. As a freelancer, your career will always be a balance of doing the work you love and finding work (or clients). Even when things are working, you never know when conditions will change and that lead channel dries up. Set yourself up for success by developing multiple channels of lead sources.

DISCLAIMER: The information and advice I offer on this site are 100% from my own experience, understanding and independent research. I encourage you to do your own research, form your own opinions and practice your own strategies and share what works with the community.