I was listening to a podcast earlier this week, and it touched
on something that a lot of us freelancers gloss over…something I think is crucial to getting better clients.
Good clients come from deliberate progress.
It’s easy to get caught up in the grind and start thinking “If I just work harder…if I just tire myself out a little bit more, THEN the great clients will come.”
Truth is, that’s not true at all.
Getting great clients is
something you grow into. That growth comes at different speeds for all of us, so if you’re feeling like you’re moving slow, don’t get down on yourself. Fast growth can be fun, but sometimes (and I know this is true for me), slow growth might be exactly what you need to find that balance between clients that pay well, and clients you enjoy working with.
Wherever you fall on that spectrum though, when it comes to getting higher-paying clients, a typical growth
path will look something like this…
- Starting with low paying jobs or work in content mills
- Getting fed up and deciding you deserve better
- Learning to navigate bidding
sites
- Getting your footing, feeling comfortable in your niche and the value you provide, and deciding to set up a site or LinkedIn profile that advertises that.
- Cold contacting companies to start working with your own clients
- Deciding to invest in content marketing and active networking (on and offline)
- Clients contacting you and you choosing whether you want to work with them
Between each one of those steps is a decision…a deliberate choice to up your game just a little, take a small risk, and start getting clients
who appreciate your work more, and in return, who pay better.
This week, I want to ask you to honestly look at those stages and answer where you are now. No judgement…we all, myself included, have room to grow.
If you’re really ready to move forward? Reply to this email with your answer, and how you feel about that. Talk to you soon!
Megan
P.S.
Here are the Academy resources that you’ll want to check out this month…