How I closed my first paid freelancing client and how you can too

How I closed my first paid freelancing client and how you can too

If you found value in this thread you will most likely enjoy my tweets too so make sure you follow me on Twitter for more information about web development and how to improve as a developer.

Closing your first client is hard

And it's also one of the most important steps of your freelancing journey

Once you do that, it gets easier

This week I closed my first web design client for $500

Here is how I did it (and how you can do it too):

First thing first I don't want to repeat myself

Here is a thread with my entire freelancing strategy (@DONVESH helped me create this)

twitter.com/VladPasca5/status/1450801786261..

After you read this one you might also need to read this thread about outreach

twitter.com/VladPasca5/status/1458412628041..

Now, let's continue with the good stuff

So a few weeks ago I reached out to someone on Twitter

He liked some of my web design work so I DMed him to let him know that if he ever needs help with web design I'm happy to help

After that, we talked a bit more about my service and how it can help him

We didn't end up working at that time but he said that he will refer me to others in the future

And guess what?

He did and that's how I got my client

He referred me to the client that I closed

Then he created a group with us, and I started talking with the client

He was looking for a landing page for his Gumroad product

I sent him my portfolio website

Then we talked about the price and the payment

After we agreed on that the deal was closed

Now, let's analyze why I closed this client

This is really simple

Because for 3 months all I did was for free in exchange for testimonials and social proof

This helped me create a name for myself which lead to that referral

Also, the past work and the testimonials I have listed on my portfolio website helped a lot

This is why I tell you all to work for free at the beginning

This is KEY

This is how you can close your first paid client too

Sure, it's not something that happens in the short term

You need to play the long term and not give up after one week

If you do this, I can guarantee that you will close your first paid client in 6 months

So what to do next?

  • Go back to the top and read the thread about my freelancing strategy
  • Take action and follow it

I hope found this useful and if you did please let me know. If you have any questions feel free to DM me on Twitter.