How to get more clients and get repeat business from your customers
This article will continue where we left off in Where to Find Clients at the Start of your Freelance Career. While the first article deals with the start of your career, this article gives tips on how to get even more clients and maintain the relationship for the long term, so that you get repeat business.
Make sure people like working with you
If you are good, you can get the job done, and the client likes working with you, then most likely they will come back to you for more projects. Sometimes the first job they give you is a small job, but the next project might be more challenging, after they get to know you and they have confidence to give you a bigger task. They will even suggest to work with you on a long term basis, like be their personal assistant to handle all the graphics related stuff for the company.
Caring attitude
In my case, my clients like working with me because I am nice and will do small things for them with no extra cost. Also I take the initiative to recommend them things that they are not aware about, e.g. installing a spam plugin for the blog, or helping them set up their emails. Of course, they also like my designs. Its all about having a good attitude, not a ‘Tidak Apa’ or ‘I don’t care’ attitude.
Building relationships
You have to love what you do and you have to enjoy working with the client. Business is all about building relationships and your client is like a friend. Sometimes they even buy you lunch, give you free gifts and chat with you. Its like a hairdresser that chats with the customers, and that’s why the customer keeps coming back. In my case, my clients will usually ask me about where I’m travelling next or how was my trip etc. (You don’t have to talk to much, mostly just listen to them)
Of course you have to be selective and trust your instincts. When you first encounter the client you can judge whether you like the person and whether you want to work with them on a long term basis. That’s why being self employed is better than working for someone. If you don’t like your boss or don’t like the job that they give you, you still have to do the work. But as a freelancer, you can choose who you like to work with and what projects to accept (of course depends whether you have enough projects or not otherwise you should grab any opportunity).
Be Informal
So, be nice. Actually, just be yourself. No need to pretend to be some professional and be too formal. Its like TGF Friday restaurant waiters, they sit next to you to take your order, smile, recommend food etc. When you write emails, be more human, be informal with the language that you use, like you are talking with the client e.g. say Hi! Or just say a short ‘Thank you’. No need to write a long formal email.
Excellent Service
People come back because they like you and they like your service. Simple things like, answering emails promptly, and picking up the phone, even after office hours or during weekends. All these small things will make some customers so impressed. Also take the initiative to complete the project fast and give some design options for the customer to choose. Also be willing to make changes for them. Some of my clients are just so happy and thankful that they managed to find a designer like me. They give me good testimonials and work with me for years. Makes me wonder how bad are the other freelancers or web design companies?
There are thousands of freelancers and web design companies out there and one way to compete and stand out from them is to provide excellent service.
Get your client to be your business development executive
Here’s how to save money on advertising. Let your clients promote your work.
You don’t have to purposely ask your client to help you to promote your business. If you are good they will automatically recommend you to their friends or clients. In my case, one of my clients who is in the aquarium business recommended me to his supplier and his overseas partner. He is sort of like a Business Development Executive for the company, so he will be meeting a lot of people etc. So if anyone needs a website he will most likely recommend me. I just stay at home and let my clients do the networking.
So you just get a few of these types of clients who love talking and meeting people and you can some free promotion. No need to waste money hiring people.
Say Yes !
I just saw the Jim Carrey movie, ‘Yes Man’. It’s a good movie about having a more positive outlook and taking a chance. Saying yes will lead you to more great things! So, from the freelance business point of view, accepting a project will lead you to another project. For me, even though it’s a small or low budget project I might still accept the job if I think I will enjoy doing the work and if I think it will lead to more contacts in the future. E.g. One of the cake business recommend me to a woman who recommended me to do the Pinglian.com website. And the Pinglian.com website leads me to do The Art Commune website. From one client it can lead to more and more business.
On a more personal note, saying yes and going for the Pakistan trip 3 years ago was a good decision. I didn’t know anyone on the trip but from there I have made new friends and I have gone on even more and more trips with them. One thing leads to another ! Take the chance !
Brand yourself
Instead of having a corporate sounding name e.g. Freelance Website Solutions Sdn Bhd, promote yourself. I use my own name. It gives more confidence to people and slowly builds up your reputation. Its like all the fashion designers like Zang Toi and Versace using their own names on their labels and celebrities like Britney Spears and Donald Trump are marketing themselves as a brand. I think names are easier to remember and you can relate a personality to the name. For instance, I’m using my name Jamie Soon to promote myself, on my website, the domain name, the invoice … everywhere is Jamie Soon. Something that people remember and when people ask who designs your website, they will say Jamie Soon.
Trust
Be honest, be trustworthy. Don’t cheat your customers. They won’t like it if they have been cheated. Again, business is all about building relationships. So like in relationships, you have to honour your commitments. Give quality work, not just making the design look nice. The backend html coding make sure it is according to the latest web standards. Don’t want the customer to find out later that you did a lousy job or give substandard work. Strive to provide the best to your customers e.g. get a good hosting service for them.
Who are you working with
I got my assistant, Lai Meng, who as been working with me for years. Some of my clients like her a lot and say she is nice. So I think we make a great team. In a small business, you and your employees (or freelancers that you sub out the work) will be in contact with the client. So not only you have to be good, the client also has to feel comfortable with working with the other team members.
The hosting company also has to be good. Imagine if the client likes your work and you provide excellent service. But if their emails go down and website is slow, it will also affect you. Your reputation could also be destroyed because of other people’s mistakes because you should also take the responsibility. So choose carefully who you work with. E.g. for me I have been hosting with Hostpro2u for many years because Helen, one of the consultants that deals with me provides good service. I can feel that she cares and tries her best. And just recently I found a new web hosting company that also provides good service and a good price.
So in conclusion, the people around you has to be supportive and be in sync with your style of doing business. You can’t do everything on your own. Also if you have someone to back you up if you are not available, then your customers will be more confident about doing business with you on a long term basis. Not like someone who is there one day but next week goes out of business and decides to do something else.
Master the language
Being good in English helps. Or if you are good in other languages like Bahasa or Chinese you can cater to your target market. Most of my clients like to work with me because my English is good. Because you are dealing with information. The website or any brochures has text and provides information. I sometimes check for spelling and grammar mistakes for my clients or recommend some words to use for the headlines. And I can grab a paragraph from the company profile and insert the website title and description and keywords for the website. All these small things matter, because if there is a big spelling mistake and it will affect the company image. After all, you are the designer and you are dealing with the public image of the company, and if your English is good (or any other language that you are designing your website in) then you can provide an extra service to your customers, and its less burden for them, then you can do the checking, or come up with some good titles e.g. for the banner or advertisement.
What else can you do for the client ?
Think beyond what is required. Think about your clients needs in the future. What other services can you provide. After I complete a website, my clients will ask what else can I do for them, brochure design, banner designs, leaflets and more recently, video editing! The more useful you are, the more people will want to continue using your service. After all, its easier to deal with just one person, who already has all the materials and knows the corporate style. So, learn a new skill and provide other services to your clients besides web design. Propose more services to sell to your clients.
Conclusion
To get repeat business and more customers, you gotta provide excellent service, small things like answering your phone and replying emails quickly, can make a big difference in how the client decides whether to come back to you for more projects or not. Other factors include, making sure the client enjoys working with you by being yourself and not too formal, be nice, be honest, and brand yourself in a way that clients will remember. Let your customers help you to promote your work. Give the client the confidence and the joy of continuing to do business with you.