July 13, 2022

How do you land your dream clients?

Landing a job for your dream client can seem out of reach, but with some dedication and consistency, you can get your dream client's attention and strike a job with them.

Landing a job for your dream client can seem out of reach, but with some dedication and consistency, you can get your dream client's attention and strike a job with them. First, it is essential to conduct research so you can recreate a solution. Then, share your work and refine your portfolio. Once these are done, reach out to your dream clients.

Who are your dream clients?

This is a question only you can answer. It depends on what direction you want your own business to go in and what is most important to you.

When you're thinking about the kind of client you want to work with, it might be helpful to think about which kinds of clients are most interesting to you. Do you find yourself drawn to those who are really passionate about their business? Do you enjoy working with people who have a sense of humor? Are you enthusiastic about helping people who are trying to do things for the first time? Maybe you want to work with clients who value the same things that you do, or with those who are willing to pay well for your services.

Reaching them and being able to close deals with them then becomes easier through the following ways:

1. Research

After finding who you want to reach it’s time to search for them on the web.

Conducting research on your market and industry is one of the most important steps in landing your dream clients. The first thing you should do is figure out what you want to specialize in, and make a list of the industries and companies that fit into that niche.

After checking out your favorite magazines and websites, determine what kinds of companies are winning awards for innovation, creativity, etc. Once you have an idea of who your clientele might be, it's time to conduct some research on them. If you're working at an agency or freelancing as part of a team, you can probably get your clients to tell you more about their companies. But if you're working solo, it's going to be up to you to find out as much as possible about the companies or organizations you're trying to work with.

A good way to find more people inside your ideal niche is by joining communities. It can be Facebook groups, course communities, discord channels, through events or by simply researching them on a google search. Listen to their problems and eventually, you will begin to see a pattern.

It’s also important to research current industry practices, trends, and skills usually being sought after by clients.

2. Recreate a solution.

As the saying goes: "Find a need and fill it." In doing client work, there are times when you'll have to set aside your visions for the project and get creative in order to meet their needs.

What you're doing is finding what they are missing or not getting from the current situation, and then finding ways that your services can fill that gap. If you can do that, you'll be able to position yourself as the perfect solution.

You should also make sure that you are clearly communicating how your services will help them achieve their goals. By being clear about how exactly you will help them, you can show them why they should choose you over anyone else who might be offering similar services. This will make your job much easier when it comes time to close the deal.

3. Share your work

When you're a freelancer, the hardest part of getting new clients can be simply being seen—getting your work in front of the right people so that you have the opportunity to win them over.

In order to make yourself stand out from other freelancers, you have to do something valuable and share it with the world.

If you're building a website or coding a mobile app, share screenshots or source code on social media and invite people to check it out and give feedback. You never know when someone notable in your industry might see something you share online and reach out for more—you'll be making your work readily available for them to review, which means they can contact you without having to do much searching on their end. Remember to keep trying and stay consistent even if you feel it’s not “perfect” enough.

4. Refine your portfolio.

One of the best ways to connect with potential clients is through an online portfolio—it gives you a chance to show off your best work, show what you're capable of doing, and give potential clients a reason to reach out to you.

Refining your portfolio is a never-ending process, but like anything else, the more you do it, the better you'll get at it.

One way to improve and polish your portfolio is to think about which of your style or concepts clients could be interested in and compile them. You could also find out what your dream clients already have on their websites or accounts and use them as a reference point for your future works and what to include in your portfolio.

5. Reach out

There are many ways to do this. You can use tools like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with people in the industry you're hoping to work in or even just people who would be likely to hire you. You can also reach out using emails and phone calls.

You can start by engaging with their posts, offering up valuable points, and initiating a meaningful discussion. Once an opportunity for a conversation opens up, ask questions about what they do, why they're doing it, their daily workflow, and so on. If you have a chance, follow up with an email detailing what was talked about.

Remember that everyone likes to talk about themselves and what they do – it makes them feel good! So, you can really open up a conversation by asking about their business or organization first.

These steps establish milestones in your freelancing career and how you market yourself. Once you master your unique value proposition and how to communicate them, you can then effectively land your dream clients. However, if you are still in the process of determining your dream clients, here are some questions you can ask yourself to know who they are:

  • Figure out what’s most important to you in a client. Establish your non-negotiables.
  • What is your client’s ideal investment for your services?
  • What is your ideal type of project?
  • What is your ideal location?
  • What is your ideal type of client relationship (ongoing work or short-term projects)?
  • What is the size of tasks you prefer to take on?
  • What's the scope of the kind of work you prefer doing? Will it be limited to what you offer? Or do you want to start taking on bigger projects as well where you can hire a team?