Are you struggling to land high-paying clients for your graphic design services? Then you need to go back to the drawing board. Many freelance designers struggle to find the perfect clients because they are either searching for clients in the wrong places or accepting to work with cheap clients
Cheap clients can be a nightmare because of a variety of reasons; most of them are prone to these 7 traits and characteristics which you should be aware of…
- frustrating to work with
- not respect you as an expert
- always wanting a discount or a deal
- indecisive
- unprepared
- late with payments
- hard to keep on track
Great-paying clients, on the other hand, are a pleasure to work with because of these 6 core traits & characteristics. They…
- respect your expertise and authority
- are engaging and responsive
- are willing to pay top dollar for excellent work
- understand their business
- pay on time
- are motivated to succeed, and get next level
Landing these great-paying clients can be a herculean task. However, by following this proven 7-step formula, you will be smiling all the way to the bank every payday.
1. Know your perfect client
One of the reasons why most designers land bad clients is that they fail to establish who their ideal customers are. As a freelance designer, you have the chance to determine and know your perfect client. Ideally, you should define your ideal customer based on the services that you offer.
If a prospective customer shows signs of respecting and valuing your work, then probably he or she will make a very good client. However, that’s not enough. You should make an effort to find out about their businesses and the common problems they face, to establish whether your services can provide viable solutions.
2. Where do your customers gather?
If you want to land high-paying clients, you must search in the right places. The good news is that this does not have to be a challenging task. With advancements in technology, you can start your search right away by going online.
Some of the best places to look for clients include websites, online communities, forums, and social media platforms. You may also join professional groups tailored for designers and freelancers for leads on where to find appropriate clients.
Moreover, take your time to find out about their industry interests and media consumption, to know the best way to reach out to them.
3. Talk directly to this customer on your website
Customer engagement is pivotal to acquiring the right clients. When a potential customer makes the effort to visit your website, do not hesitate to welcome them and explain to them what you have to offer. Your message and tone should be inviting and persuasive so that the client does not end up opting for your competitors.
Notably, you should talk to your customer, and not about yourself. In any case, the customer is the reason why you started your business in the first place. Considering this, your discussion should revolve around what value you bring to the table, and how your services can help grow their businesses.
Be clear on how your services can address your customer’s pain points. If possible, draw up a plan on how you are going to solve your customer’s problems and demonstrate how you will go about it.
Importantly, remember to create an easy method for your client to contact you. You may provide your phone number or email address, depending on your availability and their preferred mode of communication. This way, the client will learn to trust you given that you are easily reachable.
4. Gather client testimonials from top-paying clients
Using social proof such as reviews and testimonials is one of the ways of attracting top paying clients. Testimonials, feedback, and recommendations from top-paying clients not only build trust, but also add credibility to your business.
The psychological effect behind this concept means that high-paying clients are more likely to purchase your services if other top-paying clients did it before. With this in mind, you should ask your current clients to describe how working with you allowed them to achieve their goals.
5. Ask your top-paying clients for quality referrals
Another fail-proof way to find quality customers is by asking your current top-paying clients for referrals. Depending on your business relations, many clients may be willing to share your contact information with their friends and business associates. However, you need to keep your end of the bargain by delivering exceptional services consistently.
Remember to send a handwritten thank-you note or perhaps a small token gift to your client when winning a referral as a client. This will ensure that your business relation lasts for a long time.
6. Start blogging
You might not be the perfect blogger or an expert content creator, but venturing into blogging can give you a head start as far as finding top quality clients is concerned. Ideally, you should use your expertise to address some of the problems clients face in the industry.
You should provide tips on the latest strategies and techniques that are essential to solving these problems. Soon enough, tour ability to provide viable solutions will not go without notice, and you will be able to establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
That notwithstanding, do not forget to offer potential clients an opportunity to connect with you at the end of your blog posts.
7. Don’t be afraid to charge higher rates
Lastly, you should know your worth, and charge rates that correspond to what you have to offer. Many freelance designers are afraid of charging higher rates for fear of losing out prospective customers. The truth is that you will only attract bad clients if you charge cheap rates.
Moreover, charging cheap rates only shows that you do not value your work. This means that the top-paying clients are likely to ignore your approach if the impression they get is that you do not value yourself and your work!
Do you want to know a secret? We bet you do!
High paying clients do not pay for the best profiles on social media or for attractive descriptions in freelancing platforms. They do pay for results. If you are able to deliver exceptional results consistently, then you are likely to land the top-paying clients. Follow our above-mentioned 7-step formula to land those clients you have been yearning for.