Winning new business the easy and fun way.By following 6 simple rules you can build the freelance life you always dreamed of. Lucky you! You could be getting yourself shed-loads of new business starting from today.

You may to want to earn good money, have long holidays and be your own boss….but all you have to do is win new business. That’s the bit where most freelancers get the heebie-geebies. But I promise you can do it and you’ll get good at it!

Rule 1. Motivation = Success

In order to sell yourself well, you’ll need to pick a motivation that works for you. For example, the horror of returning to your previous workplace, being able to take 3 months off a year or earn 3 times more than you used to. Find that energy, the motivation to be a success, always bear it in mind.

Rule 2. Always be closing the sale. Don’t be scared!

Follow this rule and you’ll be staggered at how successful you become. Always keep asking potential clients for the business. Careful though, don’t take on too much work as you’re the salesperson, the accounts department, the project manager and the implementer of the project!

Rule 3- Make yourself available

Have you defined your brand? Have you chosen to use your name as the brand or created a brand name that you feel really good about?

Have you got a website? It doesn’t have to be the most outstanding site in the world. Get a site that conveys your brand well. If you want a really fast website, read The fastest site in the West! in our Marketing section.

Have you made sure you are easy to contact? The worst thing you can do is not be obtainable when potential customers are trying to contact you. Don’t let anyone contact a scratchy old answering message that you don’t bother listening to regularly!

Here’s a new idea. I started Pure360.com using a great service called All Day PA and instantly it ensured our calls were answered incredibly professionally 24hrs a day.

Never a voice mail message or an engaged tone, our customers called into a professional organisation and in fact it was a few guys in a bungalow in Brighton. All Day PA is now relatively expensive, but there are other similar companies around. Have you defined your elevator pitch? The elevator pitch is a name given to your business description that could be given in a single elevator ride. It should succinctly convey your business offering and your past key experiences.

Make your elevator pitch powerful and don’t bore the pants off your customers and you’ll much more likely get the business.

Have you registered in work directories and on project boards? Only pay if the membership provides something significant. My directive is always to become a big fish in a little pond. For example, Brighton’s Wired Sussex is the local ambassador for the New Media community. It’s been fantastic for me. Get on local directories first before going nationwide. Wired Sussex have also just launched Wired Sussex Project Board. If any of you have great Project Boards in your area, please send me detail to feedback@freelanceadvisor.co.uk and I’ll collate a useful list.

Rule 4 - Tell everyone you know

Tell literally everyone, including family and friends, what you’re doing and the skill sets you’re offering. You’ll be so surprised, you’ll may be given a recommendation through someone you never would have expected. Try and keep the service offering to a maximum of 3 points.

Warning: I’d avoid going for ex-customers of your old employers unless they really want you to work for them and/or you’ve been given permission by your previous company.

Rule 5 - Network. It can be fun!

Network amongst all the people you have already spoken to and ask then if they know of anyone who might employ your services. This enables you to get ‘warm’ leads which I can promise you are so much nicer than making cold calls! If you follow these rules, the chances are you can avoid them.

Get out there and find events where you can network amongst other people, deliver your well honed elevator pitch, pass over your business card (we’ve created a guide to help you get started - ‘Get yourself useful business cards‘).

I’d recommend the Brighton based freelancer event called Brighton Farm, run by Paul Silver. It’s an informal and relaxed pub atmosphere. I popped down one Wednesday evening, learnt heaps and met some brilliant people.

If anyone has any really good freelancer or contractor networking events from around the country please do send them to feedback@freelanceradvisor.co.uk and I’ll collate a rather useful list! Listen to the ‘Marketing Secrets’ podcasts which delve into this key area in more detail.

Word of mouth is absolutely key to getting repeat business. This method of generating leads can bring some of the best pieces of work you are ever likely to get. At every single contact with anyone, be courteous, professional and drop your elevator pitch in where you can..

Rule 6 - Don’t stare gift horses in the mouth

Take almost any opportunity at the beginning, even if it doesn’t ‘float your boat.’ You can be fussy later when you’ve built up a portfolio of customers and have regular business coming in.

If you haven’t yet got a strong portfolio or a stack of case studies you may need to sell your services more cheaply. This will help you win the more price conscious customer, allow you to prove your skill set and charge the full price next time.

Always trade something for a price reduction. Ask for permission to undertake a case study with that customer and advertise it if the customer feels it has gone well. A testimonial from a customer that has loved your work is a perfect addition to your homepage when you get your website up and running!

Further reading

Back in the early days of setting up Pure (www.pure360.com), even with my background as a IT sales professional, I needed to guide myself through the basics again as I’d been involved with much bigger, more strategic sales for a large Telecoms company.

I chose a very simple, but incredibly powerful, book called ‘Selling to Win’ by Richard Denny. I can’t tell you how much that transformed my selling style and increased the possibilities of where to sell. Richard’s book can be found on Amazon: Selling to Win by Richard Denny

Here begins the road to success.

I’ll never forget when the Managing Director at Pure once said to me ‘Darren, selling is the best bit!’

Learn to love it and you’ll really start enjoying it. I promise you it will reward you handsomely.

photo credit: LENNON NARCISO