You may have heard of the age-old saying that if you don’t ask, you don’t get, and, while being presumptuous or bold might not be the most appropriate behavior in all situations, when it comes to your business, there are some things you should be upfront about and ask for if you want to be a successful freelancer.
Here are 5 of them:
1. Ask for payment
Slow payers can act like a wrecking ball to your cash flow. When you notice a payment is overdue or suspect you are dealing with a slow payer, chase it immediately. Remember, you can always remind clients before the invoice is due, too.
It’s not unusual for freelancers to ask for full or partial payment upfront, either. This is especially true with new clients you haven’t worked with before.
With Invoice Ninja, a free leading invoicing software, you can set up partial payments/deposits with unique due dates. After your client pays the partial payment, the invoice will automatically update itself with the balance due and set the new final invoice due date.
With the Invoice Ninja Pro Plan, you can create custom email reminders and define date parameters to remind your clients before or after invoices are due to ensure timely payment. You can set ‘First, Second, Third’ or ‘Endless’ reminders to ensure invoices are not overlooked.
You don’t need expensive invoicing software to help you get paid on time. Invoice Ninja was specifically designed to help freelancers and small businesses like yours. Don’t overpay just to get paid. Try Invoice Ninja for free here.
2. Ask for client referrals and testimonials
Don’t be backward in coming forward when it comes to asking for testimonials and/or client referrals. A client testimonial that is specific and shows the results you got for your client will attract more of the same. It’s the proof you need to attract more clients.
You can also ask for a client referral, i.e., ask your client if they’d recommend you or if they know others in their network who could benefit from your services or products. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool that can save you hours on expensive, time-consuming client acquisition activities.
Likewise, a good case study can act as great marketing for both parties involved. Find out more about case studies here.
3. Ask for likes and shares
In today’s social media marketing landscape, visibility is everything. You could share a great post on social media, but if nobody sees it, it’s going to be superfluous to your marketing strategy.
Therefore, always have a Call To Action (CTA) at the end of your media posts. It could be asking people to like or share your post or to get in contact if they are interested in your services via your preferred communication channel.
Likewise, in your blog posts, ask readers to share them on social media, pass them along to someone who would benefit, or simply include a CTA to try your product for free.
Remember, if you don’t ask, you don’t get!
4. Ask for feedback
They say that feedback is the breakfast of champions, and while not all the feedback you receive might be to your liking (see our post here on this topic), when used in the right way, feedback can be your guiding star and fuel your growth.
Client feedback can also give you insight into how your products or services are perceived and what you can do to improve them or tailor them to specific client needs.
So always ask for feedback where you can, and use it as a growth tool and a barometer for your success.
(Extra Tip: Remember, you can ask for feedback from everyone you deal with, not just clients!)
5. Ask for help
Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of a growth mindset. It’s admitting that you recognize you need help and are not afraid to ask for it or learn from others.
Help can come in many forms. It may be that you need to delegate or outsource some tasks. If you share your needs with other freelancers, it could even lead to a profitable collaboration. You’ll be surprised at how willing people are to help and how much they actually like being asked. It could be that you need help and guidance from a coach or a mentor.
Whatever it is you need, recognizing you need help and taking action will put you ahead of a lot of businesses that are stuck in a rut because they don’t know how to ask for help or don’t recognize they need it.
So never be afraid to ask for help; embrace it, and discover new learning opportunities and growth paths.
