Four Ways for Freelancers to Successfully Land Big Clients

By big clients we mean clients with deep pockets. Budgets to spend and contract to sign. That's why this post from Freelancers Union is so appropriate. Of course, the first way to land big clients is to let them know you exist and to pitch them. The art, my friend, entails in the pitch itself. 1. Research. The clients you're pursuing require more research, plain and simple. You know what though? They're worth it. Per the piece, you should spend at least one hour reading through anything and everything about this company. Social media feeds are helpful so you can get a grasp on how the company views itself. The piece points out: "If it’s a large corporation with multiple locations, try to find out if certain locations specialize in different services. Then find the department that aligns with what you do. Then do some private searching on LinkedIn to find out who works in that department. Recall your past gig experience: who was the person who hired and managed you? Look for someone with that job title." 2. Explain what you do. Think bigger than what you currently do, too. You're not just a project manager, says the piece. Instead, you're the go-to person who makes the company's problems disappear. Check that -- the person's problems to whom you're pitching. Speak to the person your pitching and solve his or her problems. 3. Understand that they have a boss. The person you're pitching indeed has a boss who's likely putting pressure on them to make a hiring decision and to make it a good one. Plus, deadlines are looming. Give them all the information you can to make it easy for them to sign you on for the project. 4. Understand that they don’t want to train you. They need you to come in and roll up your sleeves to get right down to work. They assume you have the required skills and experience and need little to no training. The piece advises, "Tell them you always spend the first few days listening and watching. Say something about how good you are at seeing the big picture, filling in where needed, and instead of trying to talk a lot about what you do, repeat back to them what they need."

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Four Ways for Freelancers to Successfully Land Big Clients

Vicki Salemi

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Vicki Salemi