The Friday Freelancer #013: How to generate high-quality clients.

This week we are going to discuss one of the most talked about topics.

How to generate high-paying clients.

I'm going to list a few strategies for you to try and dispel a couple of myths along the way.

Firstly, welcome to all the new freelancers that have joined us this week.

Your support and interest in the newsletter are much appreciated.

Remember if you have any questions about freelancing, graphic design, or business, feel free to message me on LinkedIn and I'll see if I can help you.

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OK let's get into it.

Let's ask ourselves this question first. Why do you want high-paying clients?

And I've underlined high paying for a reason.

Why do you want high-paying clients rather than just more clients?

Some common answers are:

• because I want to earn more money
• because they will be better clients
• because I'd prefer that...(hmmm) etc

Yes I get it, earning more money from clients is great but let's address the real problem you can't find high-paying clients.

1. You are not actively looking for them
2. Your service is not attracting them

So let's talk about number 1.

How to actively look for clients

Ask for referrals from past or current clients

One of the most cost-effective ways to generate more leads for your business is to gain referrals from your past or current clients. When you are getting your clients the results they desire, the chances are that they will be drawn to send you more people like them that can help.

Create engaging content on social media

As you know by now everyone is on one or many social media platforms these days. The important thing to remember is that your ideal client is also on social media. I've discussed it many times before, you need to create content that speaks directly to those people. Does it have to get 1000 likes or be shared by top influencers, no! At the very least we create content to be top of mind. We want our brand to be the first thing they see when they log in.

Follow up with lost deals

The money is in the follow-up. What about those leads that decided not to work with you months or a year ago? Perhaps they didn't have the budget or were going through a hard time or perhaps were related to something more personal. Just because they said no then, doesn't mean things may have changed for the positive. Don't assume they won't work with you, so follow up and see where they are at.

Start a blog or newsletter

I see both of these options as great ways to build relationships and authority in your space. I mean, you guys signed up for this newsletter! It's also the perfect place to show that you're a real person who is authentic and genuinely wants to offer value in their everyday lives.

Create an E-book or downloadable

Writing a long-form document is also a great way to build authority and leads. The document should highlight solutions to a specific problem or challenge your ideal clients to face on a daily.

Showcase a case study

I think it's a no-brainer to show the results you got with a client on your website. But sadly not many designers do this. It works well even if you are designing a logo through to a 20k website. Make sure you highlight what you did to get the result. This will help your leads understand your process and what working with you will look like.

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OK, I've shared with you some proven strategies I've used in my own business to generate clients and potentially high-paying clients too. But to get high-paying clients to sign on consistently means you have to align one other thing.

How to attract high-paying clients to your service

Raise your rates

Upping your package prices and hourly rate will allow you to attract high-paying clients. Why does this happen? Because there are two types of people. One that understands value and is happy to pay in fair exchange, the other doesn't and will haggle on price. Which would you rather attract?

Create an experience for your clients

Think about the best experience you've had in your life. What kind of experience was it? How did it make you feel? Did it make you feel special? Odds on it did, and that's because they made it a memorable experience for you not just buying a service. Remember I said, there are two types of people. Well, the person that respects the value you are bringing also values an experience. I'm talking about an on and offboarding sequence, professional presentation deck, responsive communication, giving them a plan etc.

Reframe how you talk about your service

This is also a make-or-break situation with how well you can sell your service. When talking to business people most of them don't care about the font you used or your process. It's a hard truth I know, but as designers, we need to get out of our heads and think about our client's needs, not ours. The number one reason they hired you is to get more clients. Therefore, talk to them about THAT as the reason they should hire you.

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As you can see there is no silver bullet to getting clients. You have to put in the work to reap the reward.

But as I said above, attracting high-paying clients has to be done BEFORE asking for them. Otherwise, you'll just attract the money-hagglers and the time-wasters.

I hope this has been helpful and remember when you're ready I can help you in two ways.

1. Get 1:1 mentoring from me for a month or a year. The choice is yours. Sessions start from $200 to discounted for packages. Book a meet and greet call here to discuss with me specifically what you need help with - it's free.
2. If you're an experienced designer that wants to grow their freelance design business then you can join my signature coaching program The Six Figure Designer. A personalised program designed to get you earning 6-10k per month in 12 weeks. See testimonials and book an interview by clicking here.

See you next Friday!

Huw