How To Gain Credibility When You’re Starting Out as a Freelancer

Lead the horse to water and make him realize he’s thirsty

Starting out in any new endeavor takes balls. Nobody knows who you are or what you do so why on earth would they enlist you to do work for them? In the beginning, they probably won’t.

Nobody is coming to look for you because they may not even realize they need you. So then, exactly how are you supposed to build credibility when you’ve had no past clients?

The quick answer is to go out and do the thing on your own without being asked. Forget about your long game for a minute and work with what you have.

None of us want to nine-to-five it for free. That’s not why we call ourselves freelancers. But in the beginning, you need to be able to view your past efforts as an investment that will benefit your future.

When you’re green, it can be difficult to figure out where to start. It’s a similar concept to figuring out how to find testimonials when you haven’t done any jobs yet.

The solution is right under our noses, we just have to get creative.

Show, don’t just tell.

When I started out as a travel writer I had to figure out a way to get what I wanted without ever having done it before. At first, all I wanted was a way to ease the financial burden of travel while building my portfolio.

I could figure out my long game later. I just needed my travel life to get cheaper in the immediate.

I began by picking out the most expensive component of travel and zeroed in on that. The cost of accommodation is typically the most cumbersome on the wallet and I decided I didn’t want to pay for it any longer.

So, I wrote my own reviews of places I’d stayed in previous travels and published them on my blog. Nobody asked me to write those reviews but I did it anyway.

Doing this allowed me to build a worthy enough portfolio that I could eventually make an effective cold pitch. My reviews coupled with an impressive stats page showing the worldwide reach my blog provided became the entire pitch.

And you know what? It worked. The very first resort I approached furnished me with a complimentary all-inclusive stay in exchange for a published review.

The confidence that first YES gave me was enough fuel to keep chasing after what I wanted going forward.

Over time I rarely had to pitch hotels directly. Many of them came to me organically because I could show them what I had been doing, instead of just telling them. Talk is cheap but results are irrefutable.

That first review happened eleven years ago and since then I’ve never looked back unless it’s with fond memory about how I created my beginnings.

This “show, don’t tell” strategy can work for anyone when you execute it from the proper angle. If you create the ability to show potential clients what you’ve already done on your own it lets them know you’ve got initiative and drive.

The next step is to demonstrate that you can improve on what your prospective clients offer. Show them how your skills add value to their endeavors. Many businesses don’t even know they need you until you reach out and they can see what you offer through your lens.

Remember, businesses are often so busy with their day-to-day runnings that they aren’t even thinking of, “How can we do this better and who can do it for us?”

When I pitched my first hotel I never thought in a million years they’d need or even want a review by some random blogger. But when presented with my offer their light bulb switched on and they realized how much value a destination blogger could provide.

Think of it this way. When you’re going for a neighborhood walk in summer you aren’t thinking of a tall, cold glass of lemonade at all until you happen upon kids selling it in their front yard. The option is presented, therefore you take it because it’s being offered.

The same is true for many of your future customers. They need you as much as you need them so make sure you’re prepared.

Go out and do the thing you wish to do before you even have your first client. That may be all it takes to convert your vacant little lemonade stand into a thriving community hot spot.

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