There are many benefits of client retention for freelancers.
In addition to having a more predictable client income, retaining freelance clients is less expensive than acquiring new ones. Having to constantly pitch to new clients every time a project ends can eat up your valuable time and marketing budget.
What’s more, it can be demoralizing if you go through a spate of not winning your pitches and client proposals.
Plus, existing clients already know the quality of your work and what you’re like to work with, and they trust you, so it’s easier to cross-sell or upsell your services for the long term.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at some ways you can boost your freelance client retention.
1. Uncover client challenges
The service and work you perform is a solution to your ideal client’s problem; it’s something they need, which is why they will hire you. Whether this is for a ‘one and done’ project or something longer term will depend on your client’s needs and your offer(s).
To turn a one-off gig into something longer-term, your job is to discover what your clients either don’t like doing, haven’t got time to do, or don’t have the knowledge or skill set to do and offer to do it for them. This practice is known as cross-selling and upselling; you can read more about it in our blog post here.
For retention purposes, your service offer should ideally be something that lends itself to retention, i.e., a service that is ongoing or needed regularly. For example, a graphic designer could be initially hired for website work but could also offer ongoing graphics for blog posts, social media marketing, and so on.
You can also be proactive in this regard by curating in-depth knowledge of what’s happening in your client’s industry or the market in general, so you can spot potential hurdles ahead of time and offer your client a solution.
2. Create friction-free processes and customize
Friction-free processes can go a long way to keeping clients happy and winning long-term business.
Clients want a safe pair of hands, so freelancers who are reliable and easy to deal with are highly sought after.
In addition to having clear communication channels, effective workflows and friction-free processes such as client onboarding, you can customize your documentation and processes tailored to your specific clients.
For example, if you have overseas clients, wouldn’t it be great to send your invoices in their own language? Invoice Ninja is a leading free invoicing software for small business invoicing, fast online payments, tracking expenses and billable tasks. It supports dozens of languages and currencies, which means you can set different languages and currencies per client. It also offers free, professionally designed and customizable invoice templates to boost your brand, while providing a smooth, branded experience tailored to your clients.
Try Invoice Ninja for free at the link here.
3. Do good work and communicate well
It goes without saying that if you produce good work, you will likely retain clients. However, consistency is key here. Sticking to deadlines and doing what you say you are going to do are all high-trust signals that clients appreciate and will reward with their repeat business.
In addition to the work you produce, good communication skills are also important so your client is aware of the status of ongoing project work via regular meetings, check-ins or shared online project management tools. Find out how your clients best like to communicate and keep them updated. Clear communications and transparency help manage expectations on both sides, especially if there are any unexpected issues. Clear communication channels mean these can be resolved quickly.
In addition to good general communications, there are other flourishes you can add to make yourself stand out.
For example, you could send handwritten thank you notes or holiday cards from time to time, share relevant industry-related news, or celebrate their wins by sharing their posts on social media, anything to boost your freelancer-client relationship.
4. Reward client loyalty
Finally, you could consider rewarding clients for long-term business through discounts, special offers, exclusive access to your content or expertise, or some other form of loyalty program or perk.
Giving long-term clients VIP treatment and prioritizing them will strengthen your client relationship and is a great way to secure client referrals and glowing testimonials, which in turn can lead to more business – a win-win!
Building client relationships based on trust and value will ultimately determine your long-term success, so it’s worth taking the time to explore ways you can improve your service, help your clients and build client loyalty.
