The proposal. The cover letter. The pitch. Whatever you want to call it, this is the piece of the puzzle that can make or break your career as a freelancer. If you never master it, you never close clients and you never get paid. Wamp wamp.
You don’t have to be some super charismatic, natural-born salesperson to nail your pitch and close clients though. You just have to listen.
The biggest mistake freelancers make when pitching to new clients is not REALLY listening to them.
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When a client is looking for a freelancer, they usually have a pretty good idea of the work they want to get done. They know what their goals are and that they need someone like you to help them get there. So when they’re searching for the right person to hire, they typically want to know 3 things:
- Can you do what they need?
- Can you do it when they want it?
- Can you work well together?
That’s it. Most clients don’t really care about your entire work history or what you studied in your third semester of college. They are looking for someone to solve their problem and help them build their business.
So what’s the best way to communicate these 3 things and win the contract? Easy. Listen! When you’re speaking to a potential client really listen to what they are looking for. Ask them questions about their goals for your work. Ask them what they hope to achieve and in what timelines. Ask them if they have specific tactics in mind for the work or if they’d like you to take the lead on problem-solving. And take notes.
Taking notes during your conversations is a game-changer, folks! When you’re writing up your proposal you will be able to use the exact words that your potential client used in your call. When a client reads their own words it is going to instantly resonate with them and they’re going to say “she knows EXACTLY what I’m looking for. Where do I sign?”
Pay attention to what the client wants and communicate to them the value you bring to the table. If you can answer those three simple questions in a way that resonates with them, you’ll win every time.
Start clearing out room in your apartment to keep all your piles of money.
Beth says
You have nailed it at the right spot, Kayli. Patient and careful listening is the key to success. If freelancers / contractors / solution providers carefully listen to their clients first rather than just pitching or selling their solution, they can enhance their success rate and repeat customers.
Excellent post. Keep up the good work.
Len says
Great post. I agree, especially the part about tactics and goals, because clients want solutions and results. (It’s also the same with submitting a guest post or pitching to a publication. Editors are looking for a specific type of content for the kind of audience they have. )
I love this tip: “Taking notes during your conversations is a game-changer, folks! When you’re writing up your proposal you will be able to use the exact words that your potential client used in your call.” Will do this next time!