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Acquiring latest clients is much more tedious (and consequently costlier) than “activating” current clients. Ever wonder how to get clients to keep coming back? A 2014 study by Harvard Business School suggests that increasing retention by 5% can boost a business’s profits by 95% — and it holds true for one-person businesses too.
Greater than 30 million individuals are projected to be a a part of the gig economy, suggesting major competition and emphasizing the necessity for repeat business. By 2026, the worldwide marketplace for freelancing services is predicted to expand at a (*6*)CAGR of 15%. Having a repeat business would make it easier to ensure continued success and growth as a freelancer.
Wondering how to keep clients coming back is a crucial query. Allow us to first explore what a repeat business means for a freelancer.
Why repeat business matters for freelancers
Not having repeat business compels you to continuously send cold emails for networking, approaching prospects on social platforms, hunting leads on freelancing platforms, etc. As an alternative of specializing in doing actual client work you’re keen on, you spend more time acquiring latest work.
Having your clients come back recurrently requires avoiding the “feast or famine” cycles and maintaining a stable income. This involves getting anchor clients (those with repeat business) on whom you’ll be able to rely for consistent money flow. It almost works like having a salaried job, but with the liberty to pick projects you would like to.
According to the Freelancing in America: 2019 poll commissioned by Upwork and Freelancers Union, freelancers cope with the next challenges:
- 59% of freelancers indicated they live paycheck-to-paycheck.
- Only 43% of respondents indicated they might survive without a salary for 2 weeks.
Listed below are some more benefits of repeat business as a freelancer:
- Knowing clients’ expectations higher: You might be conversant in each other’s requirements and work methods due to your previous collaboration. Every part from briefs to invoices to due dates and other logistical issues is sorted after a couple of months, enabling you to deliver higher what clients expect.
- Retaining is cheaper than marketing for a latest one: In the event you’re a freelancer who hasn’t yet found a regular stream of business, you understand the struggle of continuously promoting oneself. That’s why it’s necessary to understand how to keep clients coming back.It’s exhausting to find latest business opportunities using traditional or nontraditional channels, including word-of-mouth and online job boards. Ultimately, you’d be spending to market your skills to acquire latest projects.
- Ensure stable income: Repeat business helps stabilize your income, especially when you could have contracts in place (more on it later).
The challenges and benefits highlight the importance of repeat business for a freelancer. Keep reading for 6 things to make it easier to learn the way to keep clients coming back.
1. Be proactive
Repeat business from existing clients and increased referrals are tangible results of proactive client relationship management.
So, keep in touch with clients through email, social media, project management tools, etc. Keep lines of communication open and assure that you just and your client are clear on expectations, schedules, remuneration, and deliverables.
Sharing what you’ve achieved or learned together with your clients is at all times a good idea. Send out a quick email to allow them to know when you just attended a course or received training that may improve your service.
Listed below are the important thing suggestions that may make it easier to stay proactive with existing clients.
Communication
In the event you are working on something, ask them what you would like to deliver work that matches their expectations. As an illustration, when you are a graphic designer, take a transient, ask them to share references, know whether or not they wish to highlight a particular color, etc.
Such proactive questions show your involvement, enabling you to get the client’s attention and precise requirements that ensure quality output. For starters, you’ll be able to refer to these client communication skills.
Adhering to a timeline
Certainly one of the main answers to how to keep clients coming back is — sticking to deadlines. Keeping your clients informed regarding the expected delivery helps them plan higher. Missing a deadline often shows poor organization. Subsequently, try sticking to deadlines and, if needed, ask for an extension before the submission day.
Send regular updates
Regardless of the job size, keeping clients posted in your project works as a testament to your commitment to them. Being proactively involved in sending updates enables them to assign any quick tasks to you.
Whilst you master the art of being proactive, follow it up with unmatched client service that adds further value to your deliverables.
Let’s explore it more.
2. Provide excellent service
While greater firms could have more resources to dedicate to client service than you, there continues to be value in providing a kind, human touch.
Due to the one-on-one nature of your corporation, as a freelancer, you’ll be able to establish a deep understanding of a client’s individual preferences and more easily cater to their needs. What’s more, managing multiple clients demands managing conversations and income from multiple streams.
Here, you should utilize freelance management tools or customer support software that may also help streamline all client comms and enables you to manage every little thing in a centralized hub.
Consider implementing a few of these ideas when asking yourself how to keep clients coming back for more.
- Adding personal touches
- Providing a couple of complimentary designs on festivals (as a graphic designer)
- Free ad copy when the business is doing a corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity
- Doing post-project follow-up calls, etc
Ideal client care as a freelancer would come with the next:
- Timely responses: Concentrate on your client’s working hours to provide responses to messages on the communication platform.
- Prompt suggestions: Keep providing latest ideas that could be rewarding in your clients. This also shows your eagerness to deliver the most effective for his or her business, making them come for more.
- Regular follow-ups: Provide a follow-up on tasks and send status reports to keep them within the loop.
- Mix with the client’s team: Be proactive to drive interactions for collaborative work where you would like to work with the client’s team members.
- Timely turnaround: Work quickly to get things refrained from quality compromise.
- Go the additional mile: Put additional effort into guaranteeing completely satisfied clients by exceeding their expectations..
Providing exceptional client service drives loyalty. One other aspect of driving loyalty for repeat business involves consistent follow-ups.
3. Concentrate on follow-ups
Follow-ups are communication with a purpose but subtly. Client follow-ups as a freelancer don’t necessarily involve emails or phone calls after submitting the work. It may possibly also include creating a newsletter, mailing a Christmas card, wishing your reporting line with a birthday note, etc.
Also, follow up with prospective clients who’ve previously shown interest in your freelancing services but are yet to sign a deal. This helps them recall your services and might turn their interest into a pilot project.
Follow-up is more nuanced and much different than marketing oneself. Avoid promoting your services when taking on a skilled follow-up as a freelancer.
First, don’t consider your follow-up a disturbance in your client. Even when a client doesn’t have an instantaneous need in your services, they may still appreciate it when you follow up with them. Often If you end up out of sight, you’re out of mind as they may need a lot on their plate.
For this, you’ll be able to:
- Share a quick reminder on LinkedIn, and ask about your previous deliveries.
- Send a tailored follow-up email that caters to specific client needs that they discussed with you initially.
Certainly one of the tricks on how to keep clients coming back includes connecting with them by commenting on their recent events; for example, in the event that they’ve appointed a latest chief executive officer or secured more funding, express your delight on the news.
Arrange Google Alerts for the client’s business name and keep watch over the corporate’s newsroom page. Also, keep a tab on LinkedIn updates or tweets. Doing all this allows you to follow up in a timely and relevant manner, and be there as an external support partner they’ll count on.
4. Nurture existing relationships on a personal level
As a self-employed individual, the way you come across to clients holds the important thing to success. You’re not only a one-of-a-kind expert in your field. Every effort toward constructing rapport with a client can go a great distance. If possible, get on a video call during initial interactions, show up personally at their office, and reveal passion and willingness to work.
As a freelancer, groom your skilled personality by improving soft skills, holding meaningful conversations, and empathizing with businesses.
Certainly one of the keys to maintaining successful business partnerships involves showing a real interest in one another’s well-being. If someone out of your client’s team got married, congratulate them over a phone call or send an e-card. Do not forget that the opposite side sees you as greater than simply a name within the emails; they appreciate any gesture that shows you care.
Consider how barbers retain clients. They personalize communication while providing salon services that keep clients coming back to them. They get conversant in the client’s preferences and understand how to provide the most effective service.
Here’s a few recommendations on how to keep your clients coming back by leveraging personal rapport:
- First-name greetings are a good start. This demonstrates respect and kindness to a client.
- Be punctual. Make realistic plans in your tasks. Or provide deadlines to drive reliability that enhances such a relationship.
- Learn to admit the errors, apologize, and show a willingness to improve on those.
- Ask clients what went fallacious when you’re unsure. Or inquire how to prevent repeating the error.
Brewing a strong bond with clients will compel them to expect more from you. Often, this takes the shape of enhanced services, quality output, and convenience. And when it comes to convenience, consider payment options as well.
5. Offer multiple payment options
Start accepting multiple payment methods to provide a higher client experience as a freelancer. It guarantees to reach a wider range of clients without making them undergo undue hassles to pay you.
If you could have a website that provides freelance services, leverage it by integrating a payment gateway on-site. This is right when you are getting work from the web site. Else, offer international payment options like Paypal, Clever, etc., to let clients select their preferred platform.
It’s also possible to introduce mobile payments for small works, which include Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.
Nonetheless, businesses sometimes have internal accounting rules that necessitate using more conventional payment methods like getting invoices and making a wire transfer.
Here, freelancers can leverage different payment methods that also feature a mechanism to generate invoices, track check payment status, and send an automatic reminder system for clients whose payments are overdue.
Typically, you should mention these payment methods and their subsequent norms within the contract. Let’s discover more about it.
6. Introduce contracts
There are two ways to approach this — either you introduce a contract straight away (at the primary job) or make them sign it after a couple of labor cycles. You possibly can have a contract with the client on a retainer basis, enabling you to generate repeat business. Ideally, contract length varies depending on project requirements, frequency of deliverables, etc.
Typically, you’d do a quarterly or a yearly contract where you’ll be able to mention:
- Payment terms: How do you want to receive a payment? Some independent contractors want to be paid in three payments, like 40/40/20 or 30/30/40. Others choose a two-part payment schedule, with 25% due up prematurely and 75% due upon project completion or the opposite way round. Explore your payment terms that may work best in your freelance business.
- Rates: You possibly can fix the retainer or keep it flexible on a per-delivery basis or the variety of hours you place in. Whether it is a turnkey project, mention the quantity you’d bill monthly.
- Billing cycles: Define when a client should make a payment to you. You possibly can have one fixed date every month in case of a retainer or relate it to the project milestones — pay as you complete.
Your freelance business can profit by implementing a contract in the next manner:
- Business surety: You might be sure of the recurring work when having a contract. Having one or two clients ready to sign a long-term contract can keep you engaged enough to pay your bills.
- Fixed amount as per contract: There are different models to adopt. You possibly can charge per hour, per deliverables, per project, etc. Whatever the pricing model, you could have the reassurance of a certain money flow that plans your funds.
- Fixed deliverables to plan other commitments: Some clients often approach you for work every now and then without a fixed timeline. This is usually the case when a client plans a project and desires your expertise, running campaigns, etc. Once you commit contracts, you’ll be able to turn down these offers or higher plan the deliverables without affecting recurring clients’ work.
Here’s what you’ll be able to include in your freelance contract:
- Mention the services you offer in a freelance contract without being too specific. Also, Discover yourself and the client by name and address.
- Include edits and changes norms within the freelancing agreement. Clearly state the variety of revisions included within the initial price and the way much you’ll charge for any modifications beyond the initial scope.
- In case your work involves creating mental property, consider proposing a work-for-hire agreement.
- When all parties have signed your freelancing contract, it becomes binding. Make sure you get the client’s digital signature as well, as they hold the identical legal weight as handwritten ones.
- Include some basic project details just like the project’s starting and end date, the timeframe for completing it, the software you’d use, the format of the finished work, etc. It’s a great idea to notify clients when approaching the tip of the contract.
Start gaining repeat clients
Now that you understand how to keep clients coming back, time to implement a few of the strategies mentioned above. Creating long-term relationships with competent, dependable freelancers makes things easier for them. Which means a long-term relationship offers a win-win for each clients and freelancers.
Following the ideas mentioned above may also help keep clients for the long haul. A successful partnership is where clients pay you the value of your work, keep you posted with recurring work, and supply timely payments. Above all, you should find a way to deliver a referral-worthy service.
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