Just two months into fulltime freelancing and my friends are asking me, “How can you be so busy working from home? How do you get so many clients and projects on your own?” – They think I am playing busy so that others don’t have to worry about me, but I AM BUSY. I am a workaholic in nature, and being a fulltime freelancer turned me into an even greater workaholic because I get to work anytime I want for as long as I desire to. Then again, I can only work if there are projects to work on.

I have to admit that I haven’t been actively pursuing new client leads since I started fulltime freelancing. But I have done little things that surprises myself, because these little things brought in projects and workload beyond my imagination. And I want to share these tips with you so that you too can generate new client leads for your own freelance career.

Let the lips speak. Word of mouth is the way to go. And it’s even easier to start the news buzzing. When people ask you about your job, you have a chance to tell them what you do. And that is important. Always talk excitedly about what you do for a living because it’s contagious. I always tell people how excited I am about some of the projects I’m working on and they automatically caught the flu – People who share your enthusiasm are more likely to recommend you to their friends. The next thing I know, I’ve got client leads from their contacts and their contacts’ contacts. Potential clients are calling to say, “So-and-so recommended you, would you like to meet up to discuss about a project I have in mind?” Until today, I am surprised that some of my best clients came from my friends who believe in the things I do.

Stay connected to the world. Most freelancers have the tendency to subconsciously retreat into their own world because their lifestyle is different from those with a fulltime 9-to-5 job, so they lose touch with the community around them. Not a very wise thing to let yourself into. Always stay in touch with the world around you. You will never know the power of staying in touch until you do. I like sending out greeting cards to my friends and family during festive seasons. And I realised that every time I do, I receive at least 3 to 5 replies that generate new client leads. When you stay in touch with others, they remember you better. Thus, you are at the top of their mind if they are seeking for services that a professional like you can offer.

Sign your emails. Whether at work or play, I am sure you sign off your emails before you click send. And people actually read email signature. I like to sign off mine with ‘Freelance Graphic Designer & Writer – www.cybermate-dungeon.com’ and it has worked magic to my freelance career. I’ve got people asking me about my freelance lifestyle, logging on to my website to view my portfolio, and asking questions about design when they need opinions. It generates email conversations, which would eventually generate new client leads.

Namecards in your pocket. Make sure you have your namecards with you all the time. And I really mean all the time – when you are at the cafe having breakfast, when you walk to the post office to pay your bills, when you go to the laundry to pick up your clothes, etc. – cause you won’t know who you will meet while you are going on with your daily routine. Every time you introduce yourself to a neighbour or the janitor, they would want to know what you do for a living. Namecard is the perfect memento for you to give out in situations like this. I’ve passed out namecards even to the postman while collecting my letters and surprisingly, sometimes I get calls a few weeks later about new potential projects.

These are just little things you can do every day to generate new client leads and you won’t even feel like you are doing anything at all while you are at it. It’s that simple. Hope it helps to generate more new client leads to you. Good luck!

Originally written by Gina Yap Lai Yoong © 2010

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