How do you usually get your Clients?

**Silence04** · 04-21-2004, 06:41 PM

its kinda slow for us right now at work, so my boss asked me if i could find some more clients.
i've never really done that before so i was wondering how you guys go about doing it?
are there any good places on the net to look for good clients, or at least someone wanting a big job done?

Thanks

Taylor

lfredericks · 04-21-2004, 07:41 PM

There are places like Guru.com or allfreelance, but I'm convinced they are all a sham :-(

I have opened up the yellow pages before and called some people, or if you want web design work, just do a search for an industry and look at crappy sites, email the people and propose something to them.

Also, if you call around to local businesses, you can usually schedule an appointment with their sales rep or whomever. It's tough to just go searching for more work, but it gets easier after a while.

What kind of jobs are you looking for??

uncle carbunkle · 04-21-2004, 08:00 PM

spent some time as 'marketing manager' for a design studio whilst finishing my degree - i hated it. saying that, i increased our active client list by just over 300% in under a year (forcing them to hire me as junior designer to pick up the slack!), so maybe it's worth the effort. i, currently, haven't had anywhere near that success rate, because i just have not got the time (or inclination) to be a full-time marketing dude again.
anyways:
1- make a list of potential clients (looking at people who need designers is always good...so check around at sites/campaigns that need updating.
2- call the company and DO NOT speak to the person you want to: just get their name and contact details.
3- send them an introductory letter, perhaps a quick sample of your work, a line or two specific to them (ie. 'congratulations on your campaign/website/new radio ad, i wish you continued success - and that's why i'm contacting you....blahblah'), invite them to call you but TELL THEM WHEN YOU WILL CALL THEM AND THEN DO IT, ('...as i am so eager to discuss blahblah with you, i will endeavor to contact you by telephone on thursday before 11am...blah').
4 - follow up with the call. if it works (ie. they are open to discussion even if they don't seem to like you/don't have time to talk in depth/don't understand why you're approaching them) schedule a face to face meeting. if that doesn't work, promise to send them more samples/call back in a month/invite them to meet with you for future reference. after that, it's all about how good your portfolio and client-schmoosing skills are.

admittedly, it's a long haul, (total man hours for one client: 2, at the max. total waiting period for results: 1 - 4 weeks), and all about researching, even briefly, the company/industry you are <STRIKE>accosting, uh...approaching.
i've found this technique to work equally well with small business people, large multinational cogs, and both charitable and government organizations.
hope that helps. let me know!

Post Edited (uncle carbunkle) : 5/17/2004 2:54:02 PM GMT

**D-Frag** · 04-21-2004, 09:04 PM

^ some damn good advice, im going to use that too, thanks alot uncle carbunkle

defjoe · 04-21-2004, 09:36 PM

i was working for an ad agency a year or so ago and we had the same request. now being an AD I had no experience as a sales paerson. but i had osme good ideas. I went to the movies one day and saw an as on the screen (you know the ones they put up now) for this school called the D.A.V.E school. which stood for the Digital, Animation, Visual Entertainment school. I thought of them and emailed the president. Gave him my pitch for the agency and he got right back to me and wanted to set up a meeting with our President. I told our president and he never called. Blew that one big time... it was all right there for him. Idiot.

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'

04-21-2004, 11:03 PM

LMAO!!! What an ass. I would have took him in, as Freelance there loss.

'Adventure, Excitement, A Jedi craves not these things.'
'Anger...fear...aggression. The dark side of the Force are they.'

Post Edited (benjo...) : 4/22/2004 12:24:31 PM GMT

uncle carbunkle · 04-22-2004, 02:20 AM

pas de problem, d-frag.
i should get off my ass and take my own advice, really....
i hate marketing - myself, especially. i'd rather just make things look cool, not tell everyone how cool i am at making things look cool. that's for other people to do! i need torecruit some marketing peeps. anyone want a job as a peep?

Post Edited (uncle carbunkle) : 5/17/2004 2:54:30 PM GMT