How to Break in a New Client
I always find it easy to work with clients who have been around for many months. In fact, I have some clients who have been sending work my way for several years. We have a good relationship, and it is always easy to ask questions, make suggestions, etc. But of course, breaking in new clients is part of the freelance writing business. If you want to expand your career you must be willing to work with new clients on a regular basis. Remember, every long term client started out at the same place.
The most important aspect of breaking in a new client is to get off on the right foot. In other words, you don’t want to start your relationship with a misunderstanding or a missed deadline. It is very important that you value every client relationship. If you forget to do this it is safe to say that many of your new clients will not be around for the long haul.
When breaking in a client it is essential to: 1. Show them how you work 2. Learn as much as you can about them. Remember that your client is going to be attempting to break you in as their writer. For this reason it is important to show the client how you work from day one. This includes everything from communication to progress updates and much more. Secondly, you want to learn as much as you can about your new clients. Where are they located? Who is your primary contact? What industry are they in? The more you know the better off you will be.
The way you break in one client may not be the same as the next. I have had some who want to get acquainted through a conference call, and others that send a quick email and tell me to get started. As a freelance writer you should be excited anytime you have the chance to work with a new client. This means you are expanding your client base and in turn earning more money. Does it get any better than that?Â
