How to find clients: freelancer, realtor and self-employed

How can a freelancer find clients?

Every self-employed worker, business owner, freelancer sooner or later faces the question: “Where to find clients?". It is not enough to be a professional, understand your business or produce a quality product.

If there is no client base, then sooner or later the business will go to the bottom. It is worth figuring out how to find customers, what methods exist for attracting them, and how to keep people by making them your permanent employees. Even a successful start-up will fail if this issue is not puzzled from the very first days.

What to consider when looking for clients

The basis of attracting customers is advertising. Its effectiveness depends on the type of proposed activity. For example, for those involved in sales, it would be more correct to focus on contextual advertising, and for promoting the service sector, the “cold calling” method is more suitable.

Important! When choosing a way to promote your business and search for a clientele, you should “try on” each of them, thinking over the possible result in advance.

There are 3 methods of attracting customers:

• active;
• passive;
• combined.

In order to decide on the category, you need to make a plan: indicate the desired audience size, the amount of income required, how much resources can be invested in advertising and promotion.

Deadlines play an important role, if they are not there, then it will be easier to achieve the goal. In other cases, you will have to make every effort to achieve results in a short period of time.

Search for a client for a targetologist

Immediately after completing the training courses, the beginner has questions – what to do next? How to find clients for a targetologist? It is not enough to acquire knowledge, it is necessary to monetize it, and this will require a client base.
In the best scenario, clients appear already in the learning process, if a person seeks to test himself in practice as soon as possible.

Attention! It is highly recommended not to start your search by sending spam. Even when responding to a vacancy announcement, it is important to set the right tone for the dialogue from the very first message. Letters in the style of “Hello, is the search for an employee still relevant?” either go unanswered or be rejected.

A smart option is to briefly talk about the achievements, and then explain to the employer what benefits this cooperation will bring to him. Such a brief presentation will help to interest the client, and if his vision of the situation matches what he read, he may make a positive verdict.

5 main rules when forming a dialogue with a potential client:

1. Establishing contact. A well-written first message will help move the conversation in the right direction.
2. Identification of all customer needs. The employer needs to make sure that his needs match the capabilities of the responding targetologist.
3. A small presentation of skills and abilities, a note about how this cooperation will be useful.
4. Work with objections. The emergence of controversial issues is inevitable, it is important to be able to seek compromises that would please both parties.
5. Make a deal.

Not every job is suitable for beginners and inexperienced professionals. As soon as the question arose, how to find clients for a targetologist, you don't need to immediately try to storm niches with high competition or a big check for services. It is also not recommended to respond to vacancies where you need to complete the work in a short, burning time.

Conflict and lazy clients are also not suitable for building their first client base, as well as for expanding an existing one.

It is best to pay attention to vacancies with a low or average bill, the presence of pleasant customers and high-demand goods. This is a chance to improve skills, gain experience and get a permanent clientele.

It is also worth considering options on how to find clients for a targetologist.

Case Publication

It's an obvious and simple method, but that doesn't make it any less effective. In the case, you will need to describe the logic of actions and all stages of work. Based on this information, offers will be received from customers who work in a similar niche.

Important! The case should have information that will give the employer a complete picture of what cooperation will bring to him. He should not have questions related to competence, skills, ability to perform assigned tasks.

Create posts and articles

At the very beginning of their career, novice targetologists do not yet have cases, but this does not mean that they have no chance of finding clients. You can offer companies or bloggers to help write posts for blogs and websites, or create an article for an online magazine. Such work will clearly tell about skills and knowledge much better than any case.

You need to write in a clear and competent language and remember who the customer is, what his requirements and ideas about the final result are.

Advertising in the comments

Many consider this a waste of time, but it is possible to find potential customers through comments on social networks. The main thing is to be able to express an opinion, to tell about your view. There is no need to throw out all the available knowledge, being afraid to seem insufficiently competent in the matter.
Most potential employers look not at the store of knowledge and experience, but at the freshness of thoughts.

By regularly leaving comments, entering into discussions and discussions, you can interest a lot of people in your person. No need to expect a wave of proposals for cooperation after the very first comment, here the key word is regularity.

word of mouth

Nothing works better than recommendations from colleagues and acquaintances. This method tops all the lists of ways in the heading how to find clients. Customers are more trusting of employees who were advised to them by good friends or colleagues.
The pinnacle of success is the moment when the recommendations come from former clients.

Having a personal page on the Internet

A page on social networks can tell almost everything about a person. A well-designed profile that combines work moments and personal posts is the key to success.

Important! The main thing is not to overdo it with self-promotion, you don’t need to write dozens of posts about income, experience and skill. It is enough to demonstrate this in several articles, further reinforcing the information with unobtrusive updates on the work done.

Customers, once on the page, should receive basic information that will give an idea of ​​​​the capabilities of a particular targetologist.

Target yourself

This method will help you catch two birds with one stone – find clients and practice your skills in targeting. Modern features allow you to run ads not only on work pages, but also on personal profiles. Audience to target yourself:

• pages with small and large businesses;
• entrepreneurs, it does not matter whether they are experienced or still completely new to the market;
• bloggers of all sizes.

The last point is considered the most relevant, because even large bloggers turn to targetologists for help, wanting to expand their audience.

Get hired as an assistant

If there is no self-confidence yet and it’s scary to take orders alone, you can try to become an assistant to an experienced targetologist. The specialist has a lot of knowledge regarding sales, as well as an established reputation. Watching his work as an apprentice, you can gradually get on your feet and become an independent professional.

The advantages of this option are obvious: there is always support and help, a more experienced worker will control the execution of the task and help sort out errors.

Websites and exchanges for job search

Large sites, such as hh.ru, often publish vacancies about looking for a targetologist. There is an opportunity to pass an interview online and become an employee in a big business. Such work usually has a high pay.

Finding Clients for a Realtor

From the outside it seems that everything is extremely simple in this area – the demand for real estate services is always high and therefore all specialists are packed to capacity with work. In fact, everything turns out to be more complicated: newcomers, little-known firms and entrepreneurs stand still for years without high income and constant orders.

Therefore, it is worth knowing how to find clients for a realtor and how to stand out from competitors in the field of activity.

Ways to find a clientele are divided into two camps: online and offline.

Online options are:

• social media;
• sites for the sale and rental of real estate;
• advertising through resources with bulletin boards;
• creation of a personal website;
• customer search services.

Offline ways:

• placement of advertisements in newspapers, magazines, on television;
• flyers, business cards and other types of printed products;
• word of mouth, recommendations from former clients, friends, acquaintances.

These methods work both in the field of buying and selling real estate, and in rent. If you wish, you can cover all areas or focus on 2-3 methods, using available resources in them.

How to get clients as a new realtor

It is more difficult for beginners, because there is serious competition in the real estate industry. It is difficult to declare yourself and stand out from the rest, so you should pay attention to the following methods:

1. Show your inexperience to your advantage. Emphasize that a young specialist with fresh knowledge and views has more modern approaches to work. Here customer loyalty plays a role, some look solely at the experience and the number of completed transactions, others focus on the interest of the realtor and his enthusiasm.
2. Arrange promotions and discounts for new customers. The presence of such moments disposes people. You can offer a free consultation or give a discount on services. Some lower the price for newcomers who come by recommendation.
3. Be open and friendly. To gain trust, it is important to be able to communicate politely, be in touch and answer even banal questions. When the dialogue goes on a positive note, it is much easier to make contact.

Attention! The main thing in developing a client base is the regularity of actions and perseverance. Don't expect a realtor to follow all the tips from the very first month by a top professional.

How to attract new clients to an experienced realtor

Even with a client base, you want to expand your horizons, increase income and experience. For proven professionals, this is easier than for beginners.

Tips for getting new clients:

1. Cooperation with partners. Colleagues from related fields are interested in mutually beneficial cooperation, such proposals should not be avoided. Working on barter or for a percentage will help you find new customers and improve your reputation.
2. Developed image. When looking for a professional, people look at the number of completed transactions, work experience and the availability of specialized knowledge.
3. Do not be afraid to talk about your baggage of skills and merits, the main thing is that this information be presented in an unobtrusive way.
4. Keep in touch with former clients. This will help if suddenly they or their loved ones need the help of a realtor in the field of buying and selling or renting.

If you combine search methods with attraction tips, you can find clients for a realtor within a few months and become a more sought-after specialist in the field of buying and selling real estate.

Finding Freelance Clients

Freelancing is famous for three advantages: there is no boss, there is no clear schedule, a person works anywhere and anytime. The only drawback is that no customers means zero income. Whatever area a freelancer works in, he needs a client base. There are seven effective methods on how to find clients for a freelancer.

Collaboration with colleagues

This option is good for beginners who do not yet have enough experience to look for clients on their own. Senior colleagues are often happy to share the contacts of employers. The main advantage of this method: the customer will definitely be adequate and with clear requirements, there is no risk of running into unscrupulous people.

The disadvantage of such word of mouth is that experienced specialists do not share contacts of large, “monetary” customers, they offer to work with someone at an average or low price.

Cooperation with the agency

Having an agency behind your back gives potential customers confidence in the employee. Some of them are afraid of cooperation with "loners", if we are talking about a beginner.

Professionals earn decent money through the agency.

Become an assistant to a senior colleague

This is a great opportunity to gain experience, learn some knowledge and skills. As an apprentice, you can also gain customer service skills by interacting with some of them. In the future, such connections will help to painlessly go into free swimming.

Placement of cases on the Internet

Without promotion through the Internet, it is impossible to expand the client base. Creating a case will increase the chances several times. Content marketing will bring in a lot of customers in a couple of months if done right.

Creating your site

When you already have experience in your field and a sufficient amount of knowledge, you can safely create a personal page on the Internet. It’s really possible to make a website on your own by finding a designer on the Internet to create them, or turn to a freelance programmer for help.

Attention! Creating a personal website takes time, effort and financial investment. If you correctly approach the process, then in the future everything will pay off, otherwise it will be money down the drain. The better the Internet site is, the faster things will go uphill.

word of mouth

Do not be afraid to ask former clients to recommend services to their friends and acquaintances. If you responsibly cope with all the tasks set, then in the future people themselves will want to share the contacts of such a specialist in their field.

Freelance exchanges

Trivial, but working method to find cooperation. On such resources there are always many potential customers who are looking for customers. In addition, the exchange guarantees payment for the work performed, thus, unscrupulous individuals are immediately eliminated.

Main cons:

• high competition, will have to face many failures;
• professional exchanges have paid access to the system.

Some freelancers find clients on exchanges and then switch to direct cooperation. This is a good starting point for beginners and those who have not yet gained enough experience and knowledge.

Finding clients to sell products

The first step is to form a vision of the final target audience.
Important! You will need to study the client base, understand what their needs are. This is the key to a successful marketing strategy.

As soon as work with the first paragraph is completed, you can go out to people. It is recommended to start with the inner circle: family, friends and acquaintances. Even if they refuse direct cooperation, new clients will come from their circle of communication through word of mouth.

Being engaged in wholesale and retail sales, you should pay attention to thematic events related to the specifics of the goods sold.

Cold calling

The method remains frequently used, despite the fact that unscrupulous sellers have slightly discredited it. It is not worth placing high hopes on telemarketing, but even 10-15 new clients is already a result.

Creation of promotional materials

You can distribute business cards and booklets at events, through mailboxes, with the help of promoters on the streets. This is a surefire way to send out information when it comes to small businesses. The more ways will be involved, the faster the expansion of the business will be.

Additional methods for finding customers for sales:

• ads and feature articles in newspapers, magazines;
• launching advertising through television and radio, cooperation with small local stations and channels is inexpensive.

Working with partners will also bring mutual profit if it is based on a percentage agreement or barter.

Non-standard ways to attract customers

When the question arose, where to find clients, it is recommended to pay attention to unusual methods.

Gamification

To lure a person in a playful way is affordable and modern. The main idea is to create a mini-game, where the final prize will be a discount on the company's goods or services. In the future, the rate will increase, this will increase the level of excitement among potential customers. Once they get hooked, they will eventually want to take advantage of the offer or even become a repeat customer.

Important! You should not make the game quest too lengthy, it should be simple and take no more than 10-15 minutes. In this option, the emotional component plays the main role, it is important that a person does not burn out before he reaches the coveted prize.

Opportunity to make a show

If your budget allows, consider creative ways to expand your customer base. For example, by promoting a product, you can visually recreate situations in which it will be useful. You can distribute such performances at events, or by filming and posting on social networks. The more unusual the approach, the more likely that people will be interested in the offer.

slide presentations

Experts believe that the slide presentation format with storytelling elements is a great way to promote yourself or your business. Such ads can be placed on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.

The rules for finding a new audience are the same for everyone, so when it comes to where to find customers, every piece of advice should be taken into account. Even if the method is not suitable for a particular profession or business, there is an opportunity to learn new knowledge and apply it in your own way, adapting it to the product.

Being a responsible and competent specialist, you can expand your client base in 1-3 months, it is enough to correctly present your capabilities and skills. This applies not only to experienced colleagues, but also to beginners. It is important not to be afraid to express yourself.