What’s the key to a long and fulfilling freelancing career? Land repeat freelance work! And what’s the best way to land repeat freelance work? Do such a great job that clients want to work with you over and over again!
Okay, so it might be a little more complicated than that. But at its core, freelancing is all about adding value for your clients. And when you do that consistently, your whole job gets easier and more profitable.
Landing repeat freelance work and getting referrals from clients you enjoyed working with both are much easier than seeking out brand new clients.
So how do you get to a point in your business where you have a consistent pipeline of work coming to you? Set yourself up for success by adding value for clients no matter where you are in your career.
Freelancers at the Start of Their Journey
You want to make money as quickly as possible. Who doesn’t? And you absolutely can earn money when you’re starting out.
But if you’re in this for the long haul, you also need to be thinking about the future. Lay the foundation for excellent, value-laden service for your clients by treating your freelancing work as a business.
Remind yourself that this is not just a hobby or something you do for fun when you feel like it. That makes it too easy to let yourself off the hook. You’re building a business!
- Set goals.
- Set aside time to work toward those goals.
- Be intentional about where you spend your time and energy.
- Prioritize learning, pitching, and building your portfolio.
Repeat freelance work will only come to you after you’ve put real effort into learning and increasing your skills.
Repeat Freelance Work Once You’ve Landed Clients
At this point, the most critical considerations are delivering your absolute best work, and providing the best customer service experience.
Kick off the project by getting crystal clear with your client on the scope and goals. Touch base with your client throughout the process. And then be open to feedback, edits, and other constructive criticism about the project itself.
On the backend, ask for feedback about your process as a freelancer. What did they like about working with you? Why? In what ways could you improve the experience for the client?
These questions will help you going forward for sure. But they also go a long way towards repeat freelance work and referrals.
- Asking for feedback shows how much you care about the quality of your work.
- Being open to improving your process shows your respect for the client.
- Taking the time to get your client’s perspective helps you stand head and shoulders above the crowd of sub-par freelancers.
Even the best freelancer in the world needs to develop customer service skills. Without that foundation, you lose out on the rapport that comes with a positive relationship with a client. And the client is less likely to refer you to colleagues to hire you for repeat freelance work.
Your turn! What are your tactics for getting repeat client work? Let us know in the comments below!
Last Updated on July 1, 2023.
