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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.