Trust is the most valuable currency in freelancing. Unfortunately, you don’t have much of it while looking for your first client. It also happens to be the answer to Google query, “What are the biggest problems freelancers and their clients face.”
Freelancers differ from employees. Not just because of the work hours. Successful freelancer has to wear many hats. Be a jack of all trades, as they say. But most importantly. A great freelancer has to be reliable and trustworthy. If you say you will deliver, you deliver. No matter what.
Did you notice I didn’t mention anything about skillset? That was intentional. Top-notch hard skills don’t make you a good freelancer. Communication, punctuation, and people skills do. Anyone can buy a book, online course, or read a manual to a new, shiny framework or graphic design software. Continuously delivering slightly above expectations, that’s harder.
Trust is a big problem in freelancing. It’s an even bigger problem for freelancing newbies. Your potential clients have little reason to trust you. You can’t blame them.
- Are you gonna deliver on time, or ever?
- Will you cover all the scope?
- What about any future issues, bugs, or complaints?
They don’t know.
Of course, this goes both ways. Will you get paid after investing hours, days, or weeks into a project? You can only build trust with actions and time.
There are, however, some things you can do to improve your chances.
So. What can you do to increase your chances of landing a client next time you present yourself and your work?
Continue reading “The Catch 22 of Freelancing: How to Land Your First Client”
