How to get clients?

CADesigner99 · Sep 30, 2018

Hi,

I have been freelancing for a few months now but wanted some advice on the best way to get more clients. I do CAD work and have been for a few years. I don't want to use any websites like Freelancer.com, Upwork.com etc since I have tried these and have spent hours on them with no result. How do you recommend to get consistent clients? I am happy to pay somebody a commission to get me clients if that is an option as well. What do you suggest? Alternatively, if anybody needs any CAD work done then please don’t hesitate to contact me.

zachbuckler · Sep 30, 2018

Hi, @CADesigner99! We are so happy you joined! If you have some time, I always recommend creating a free, personalized thread in the Freelance Services Showcase area, here: https://www.lancebase.com/forums/freelance-services-showcase/. Please let me know if I can be of further help.

CADesigner99 · Oct 2, 2018

I have just done that now. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Julia_K · Dec 5, 2018

Networking. Recommendations work the best!
You can visit meetups and conferences where you can find your target audience.

KeanuWriter · Jan 6, 2019

I know I'm a little bit late to the party here, but I have found the best way is like what @Julia_K said. Get out there and spread your name and then get some orders, do good work and get recommended to their friends, etc... This can depend greatly on what area of freelancing you do, but I tend to find this has worked well and I am a writer.

In terms of consistent clients, that's all down to providing good work for anyone you find. Most of my revenue comes from repeat customers, they get comfortable with my services and order from me time and time again. Newer customers are harder to convince as there's so much selection for them and they'll not fully know what USPs they're after, etc...

Hope this helps!

jakobpersson · Apr 11, 2019

I did some research a while ago and looked at surveys. The most common ways freelancers find work are:

Friends and family, and friends of them. It's always easier when you come recommended or have something in common.
Check with former employers. They know you can give you strong references.
Check with former colleagues.
Use social media to build relationships that lead to work. This is a long-term game and requires extreme dedication to pay off. It's not everyone's cup of tea either.
Package your services and sell them on classifieds sites like eBay.
Use online job boards to find consulting project work.
There's always Fiverr and Upwork... with all their problems.
Don't dismiss classic printed media. Local newspapers can be sources of work or a way to find local businesses you can pitch your services to.
Find other freelancers who need a helping hand or need to delegate. This forum is a great place to find people to collaborate with.
Staffing agencies can be a source of freelance work.

This is a summary of a blog post I wrote. The post has more details and links.

Good luck!

Tahta_Kafa · Apr 23, 2019

I can be considered as a new freelancer too. But as the title of this thread states, finding clients is not an easy task. When you register to freelance platforms such as Fiverr or Freelancer, you realize that getting orders is not as easy as you think it would be. Because they are kind of dominated by the already top listed sellers. It makes you think, "why would they pick me instead of them?". So, in my short freelance 'adventure', I could not find any clients so far. But I am not thinking of giving up yet. Because once you start getting regular orders, it will also cause you to motivate yourself to improve, learn and do more.

jakobpersson · Apr 24, 2019

Don't give up. Work your own personal network and don't underestimate reaching out to business owners where you live. Consider each job a valuable experience and ensure you can use it to build a portfolio and get testimonials and references.

Fiverr and similar are for those who fear marketing and sales, and are willing to hand over a lot of control and money to avoid it. There have been freelancers for far longer than these websites have been around.