6 Freelancing Cheat Codes To Attract Heavenly Clients That Pay The Most
Get smarter at attracting clients — really — worth your time
Everyone hates a greedy client.
As a marketing consultant by day, and a writer by night, I’ve seen my share of clients.
I used to believe saying yes was key.
I used to believe:
“Take care of your clients and they’ll take care of you.”
But unfortunately, I landed all the wrong types of clients.
I’ve worked with the tacky ones. I’ve worked with the greedy ones. I’ve worked with the needy ones.
My voracious clients just wanted to take care of themselves.
Today I am fortunate enough to be working with heavenly clients that actually pay well.
Yes.
Heavenly clients who pay well still exist.
Maybe you’re getting clients who treat you like shit. I’ve been there. Maybe you’re getting clients who pay you like shit. I’ve been there. Perhaps you are just tired of working your ass off to make ends meet. I’ve been there. Maybe you sometimes sit at your desk and think your clients are cringe-worthy and that you deserve better. I’ve been there.
Say it with me:
Fuck shitty clients.
I’ve worked with so many shitty clients that you should probably not listen to a word I say.
But then it all changed.
I fired 17 clients that made me want to vomit and I don’t regret one second of it. Back then, I honestly didn’t know how I was going to keep my business alive. But I made a few straightforward changes in my mindset and accidentally started attracting heavenly clients who pay me what I am — really — worth.
Sometimes I wish I could jump into a time machine and save littl’ Jano from wasting his time and effort on people who didn’t deserve it and perhaps add a few psychological tricks to his toolkit.
Well.
Here’s exactly what I would tell littl’ me.
1. Re-think affordable
Stop thinking what is affordable to you is the same thing that is affordable to your clients.
I used to think that if I raised my prices clients would run away, but the opposite happened.
Heavenly clients started knocking on my door.
Before they didn’t feel confident enough that a 3-figure solution would be sufficient to solve their 6-figure problems.
By raising your prices, you automatically add confidence that you’ll be able to solve bigger problems. Because of this confidence, you are more likely to attract high-income clients.
2. Be a hyper-tailored solution
Heavenly clients don’t want a one-size-fits-all freelancer.
They don’t want the best.
They want the best — for them.
You need to be the answer to your customers’ problems. They must see you as being able to solve their issues, in a way that no one else can.
You can’t be personalized with everyone, so it’s important to identify your ideal clients and then tailor your approach to them. This will help you stand out from the crowd and create a unique point of difference that gives you the edge over your competitors.
3. Tell them your price upfront
Clients gain a lot of respect for you if you tell them your price upfront.
It takes guts.
It shows them that you’re not a time-waster.
It shows that you don’t have a fear of losing clients. It shows that you don’t have a fear of being asked to lower fees.
It shows that you’re a professional.
This isn’t just for transparency; it’s for efficiency as well. When you tell prospects your fees upfront, you save yourself time from giving estimates to unqualified clients.
4. Don’t let anyone be your client
Heavenly clients don’t just mix with anyone.
They are exclusive.
You cannot be everything to everyone.
Having criteria to qualify your clients is a must.
Don’t try to sell your product or service for all things to all people. Research your audience and focus on a niche that you can serve well.
You’ll be able to create a tailored solution and appeal more to customers who have an immediate need for your product or service.
If you’re receiving a lot of inquiries and spending too much time getting back to them with rates, then it’s time to change your approach.
Today I like to charge using the forbidden fruit strategy I snatched from Apple.
5. Find out what — really — matters to them
It is not about what matters to you.
It is about what matters to your clients.
The only way to get there is by stopping with the assumptions and asking kickass questions.
After reading the Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier, I have learned to place my questions into 4 categories:
- What? — Exploration
- How? — Action
- When? — Accountability
- Why? — Justification
To find out what really matters to the client, I do so in an exploratory manner by asking what questions.
I would stay away from why questions as they tend to make clients uncomfortable.
6. Sell the hidden emotional value of your service
Behind every problem, there is a hidden emotional value.
The real value is the emotional benefit you bring to your clients.
To get to the hidden emotional value, ask the question:
So that?
A client asks you to build a website.
So that?
So that her clients can find her easier online.
So that?
She can earn more clients.
So that?
She can increase her income.
So that?
She can sleep without stressing about her child’s pricey school fees.
And so forth.
Ask as many “so that” questions as you can and instead help the client understand that you can fill that gap.
Learn from your unhappy clients.
Earn from your happy client.
Before you go low — say no.
Stay humble.
Be kind.
Always.