Finding new clients is perhaps the hardest part of being a freelance writer. However, if you’re lucky (and good at your job), sometimes customers will spread the word around themselves. In other words, work will arrive at your doorstep on its own.
I’m partial to being proactive when it comes to drumming up business, though. That’s why instead of waiting for people to send work my way, I prefer outright asking for freelance client referrals.
In this article, we’ll talk about why you should ask your freelance clients for referrals and discuss some tips to do it the right way. Let’s help you land some new clients!
Why You Should Ask Clients for Referrals
Usually, signing new freelance clients is a very time-consuming process. You have to find job postings, pitch those clients, go back and forth on terms, sign a contract, and only then do you start working.
In my experience, it’s the back and forth that takes the longest. That’s the part of the process where you’re discussing what work you will do, how much you’ll charge, delivery dates, and more. Plus, there’s always the underlying issue of trust, which is hard to come by when you’re working remotely and neither party knows each other.
The great thing about referrals is both you and your new client have at least one contact in common. They know you can be trusted to deliver high-quality work and to do it on time. Otherwise, no one would be sending you referrals.
On your end, you know that new client probably won’t flake on payments or be hard to work with. In other words, freelance client referrals are a win-win for almost everyone involved. The only party that doesn’t get much out of the arrangement is the original client who spreads the word around. However, that’s something you can fix by playing your cards right, which we’ll go over in a minute.
The bad news is, you probably won’t be getting referrals until you have a sizable pool of freelance clients. If you’re not at that stage yet, then I recommend you check out the Paid to Blog Jobs board, where you can find tons of freelance writing listings.
3 Tips to Ask for Freelance Client Referrals
Instead of waiting for referrals to come your way, I recommend seeking them out. However, you need a lot of tact to pull this off, which is why I put together this quick list of tips.
1. Don’t Ask New Clients for Referrals Right Away
Once you start working for a new client, there’s still a period where you’ll be building up trust. After all, they might not know what to expect from you and vice-versa, so you need to tread delicately and deliver excellent work on time always.
After a while, though, you’ll fall into a rhythm. Those clients will realize they can trust you so the relationship can relax a bit. When you get to that stage, then you can consider asking for referrals. My favorite way to do it is to mention it in an offhand manner, like this:
Hello John,
I’m attaching an invoice for the latest articles we worked on together. The details for each piece are inside and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Aside from that, I’m looking forward to continuing working together and if you know of anyone who is looking for a freelance writer, please feel free to share my contact info with them.
All the best,
Ideally, you’ll never send an email just asking for referrals. However, the subject is something you can bring up if you are certain your client won’t feel offended by the question.
However, in my experience, you often need to sweeten the deal if you want your customers to send additional clients your way, which is where the next tip comes in.
2. Offer Modest Discounts In Exchange for Successful Referrals
If you want people to agree to help you out, the best way to do it is to offer them a way to benefit from it as well. That’s true regardless of what you’re asking and even more so when it comes to clients.
It sounds cynical but you need to remember that we’re talking about work relationships. What I like to do is offer existing clients small discounts if they send new customers my way. It’s simple and it often works because it gets them thinking about if they might know someone who needs my services.
The key with this approach is how to mention it without coming across as too salesy. Let’s use that same example we did in the last section, only with a slight change this time:
Hello John,
I’m attaching an invoice for the latest articles we worked on together. The details for each piece are inside and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Just a quick reminder – I offer a 5% for all ongoing contracts if you send referrals my way. In any case, I look forward to continuing working with you.
All the best,
Right off the bat, you hit them with the hook, which is the discount offer. Five percent might not sound like much, but it can be a nice tidy sum depending on the size of your contract.
How much of a discount to offer is up to you, but I recommend you keep the figure modest so as not to sound desperate. In any case, it can also be a good idea to include a referral clause within your freelance writing contracts. That way, it’ll all look more official and you can refer new clients to it in case they’re interested.
3. Don’t Press the Issue If Your Clients Aren’t Interested
Just as with any type of relationship, you need to know when to back away if the other party isn’t interested. In this case, that means not pressing the issue if a client doesn’t bite.
For example, a customer might not mind you mentioning referrals in one of your emails. However, they’re sure to notice if you keep bringing it up time after time.
My personal rule is, I’ll mention referrals every once in a blue moon if a client doesn’t bite. For those that do, then it’s a subject we never need to bring up again since they’re already aware of it.
Conclusion
If you are an excellent freelance writer, you shouldn’t have too many problems finding work as long as you’re also good at pitching. However, that does not mean you shouldn’t consider asking for freelance client referrals. Personally, I love referrals because there’s a level of trust built-in right off the bat since you have people in common.
However, asking for freelance client referrals can be tricky, so here are a few tips to help you do it the right way:
- Don’t ask new clients for referrals right away.
- Offer modest discounts in exchange for successful referrals.
- Don’t press the issue if your clients aren’t interested.
Have you ever had freelance clients refer their friends to you? Share your stories with us in the comments section below!
Image credit: Pixabay.