Have you ever met one of those people who says that they get all of their business by word-of-mouth?

They have no need to advertise. No need to roust themselves out of bed for those early-morning networking meetings. No need to pick up the phone to make a cold call. None of that. They can just focus on doing their work.

One of my relatives fits this description perfectly. He’s been running his remodeling business on word-of-mouth for many years. Some of his clients like and trust him so much that they’ve given him keys to their houses.

However, such admiration and trust did not prevent him from enduring two months without work back in January and February. Good thing that his wife and son both have steady, year ’round jobs, or that family would have been hurting. Continue Reading

Credit: Yuri Arcurs on Photodune

Any experienced business person can tell you that the best way to generate better leads and make more sales is to get more referrals.

Referral leads are more likely to be interested in your services. They are more likely to believe in what you are selling. And they are more likely to stick with you — even if you botch the sales pitch. In short, referral leads are ready to buy.

Oh, and one more thing — referral business is often free. And that’s a big deal for freelancers like yourself (I’m guessing you don’t have a marketing budget like Apple).

So if referral business is the Holy Grail for freelancers, why do so few freelancer know how to get more referrals? How do you ask for referrals? When do you ask for them? Are there actions you can take to make it easier to get them?

I’ve searched the Internet high and low and discovered 12 brilliant articles that answer those questions and much more. Browse the selection below and start learning how to get more referrals.

Continue Reading

Credit: Roger Byrne on Photodune

For many freelancers I know, social media is all-encompassing. We love to tweet about everything from our latest blog post to our favorite brand of coffee. Then there is the other group that never miss an industry workshop and seem to spend more of their time traveling than at home. There are many different types of freelancers and businesses—which type is yours?

In his latest book, The Referral Engine, author John Jantsch has a very interesting section where he talks about what he deems are two different approaches: There’s the business that relies on social marketing, email newsletters, blogs, and online communities—the techies; the other is built around face-to-face networking, print collateral, workshops, and seminars.

Continue Reading

You’ve probably met those people who say that they get all of their business through referrals and word of mouth. And, admit it, when you encounter someone from this nirvana, don’t you feel a bit jealous? Not to mention annoyed? Continue Reading

There’s much to be said about building your business through referrals. For one thing, it’s a lot cheaper than advertising and less time-consuming than cold calling. And there’s nothing like having clients who think enough of your services that they’re willing to recommend you to others.

If you’re thinking about starting a referral fee program, this article is for you. Let’s look at the pros and cons. Continue Reading

Sometimes freelancers don’t use career tools because they think that these resources are only geared for job-hunters and corporate ladder-climbers. But some career tools are just too good to pass up, and I think LinkedIn Recommendations is one of them.

LinkedIn lets colleagues leave a positive review about you, and vice versa, which looks wonderful on your profile—but the benefits go beyond that. In the freelance business, testimonials are gold because it shows the depth of your capabilities and lends credibility to your name, too. If you have not done so already, it’s time to start using this powerful tool to help boost your image and even get gigs.

Continue Reading

We know all about the rewards of working as a freelancer. Flexible schedules, a variety of projects, little or even no commuting. But this lifestyle doesn’t come easy.

Finding success as a freelancer requires a steady stream of paying gigs. Obtaining new business through referrals is great, but referrals alone won’t keep your schedule packed with paying jobs, especially when you’re just starting out.

Online classifieds such as Craigslist and the FreelanceSwitch job board are great places to generate new business leads. In this economy, the competition for work is fierce. To stay ahead, you must combine two key elements in your approach:

• Quantity: The more jobs you respond to, the more potential leads you create.
• Quality: Present yourself well and stand out from the crowd.

Here are some tools and tips to help you land more freelance gigs:

Continue Reading

Photo by jurvetson.

Three years ago, I noticed my design business starting to slip. And, wouldn’t you know it, that slip soon became a slide.

So, I tried various things that I’d heard were good for businesses like mine. Here’s how they worked out:

1. Advertising. It proved to be a fabulous way to attract price-shoppers and tire-kickers. No more ads for me.
2. Direct Mail. Although I had been diligent about sending postcards to the people on my in-house list, I found that they were becoming immune to my mailings. This, despite the fact that I was doing telephone/e-mail follow-up after each one. Combine this with the fact that printing and postage costs have really gone up, and you can see the reason why I’m now just an occasional mailer.
3. Mentoring. I signed up for a local mentoring program. And got an experienced mentor. Since the business was deep into Slide Mode, I started exploring career alternatives. Well, in this particular mentoring program, exploring alternatives was bad, very bad indeed. So, I was kicked out.
4. The Networking Circuit. Oh, boy, does this one get a lot of airplay in forums like this. The idea is that if you join the business/professional groups, go to their meetings, and get involved in the running of the groups, business will come your way. Didn’t work for me.

   Continue Reading

Photo by Yves Lorson.

One of the best ways to increase your income as a freelance writer is not to market for more work (ie, new clients), but to get it from existing clients. This is an often overlooked marketing method and missing it is like throwing money out the window.

Employing the 80/20 Marketing Rule

There’s a time-honored, marketing rule of thumb that says 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your clients. Most of us spend 80% of our time chasing after new clients. Switching that algorithm, for example, spending 80% of your time massaging your existing client base, would be a much better use of time.

Following is a 3-step plan designed to get more work from your existing client base. Continue Reading

Photo by xirannisx.

As freelancers we all have the need to dedicate time towards providing the services that produce our income, whether it is writing, designing, programming, etc. Of course, we also have the need to find that work in one way or another. Freelancers can market their services in any number of different ways, but passive marketing is capable of bring in new clients without taking up a considerable amount of time to find those clients.

In addition to the services that produce income, there are so many business-related activities that can consume our time, and of course marketing and promotion can be included here. While things like bookkeeping, invoicing, marketing, networking (and many more) are all necessary to run a business, they don’t directly produce income. Obviously, marketing is necessary for most freelancers, but if we’re able to generate leads and new business with less time investment, we’ll have more time for providing the services that make money.

There are a few ways that we can passively market ourselves and our services. If these methods are able to produce all of the business that we need, marketing and promotion will require a very minimal amount of time. Continue Reading