Land bigger, better clients as a freelancer.
If you’ve been in the freelance business game a while, you know what it’s like to hit a plateau. We’ve all been there. Things are going technically well, but you want more and you don’t know how to get to the next level.
I’ve been there… I remember feeling kind of stuck, thinking: I should be grateful for what I have, but I’m also kind of a misfit in the business world right now. I know stuff, but I don’t know what I don’t know to grow from here.
Something was holding me back, but I didn’t know what. You know what I mean?
If that’s where you are, there’s good news: You don’t have to stay there. If you’re ready to break through that glass ceiling and become a high level entrepreneur, keep reading because this is for you.
The following are the exact steps that I took to grow from being stuck around $5-7k revenue months up to multiple 5-figure months.
But beyond the revenue goals… This is also about working with clients you LOVE. I’m seriously obsessed with all of ours and that’s because I have worked so hard to attract and genuinely connect with dream clients—people who align with my values and who I’m EXCITED to help.
- Look + sound like you know wtf you’re doing.
So far, my business has gone through 2 formal brand evolutions. There was the DIY-era when I was freelancing on the side. But when I finally went ALL IN with custom brand and intentional messaging, everything changed. The first time I did this was in my second year full-time in business, and that next month after the new website launched, my revenue doubled.
From there, the business grew. Eventually I realized that I was ready for a rebrand and elevated everything to further align with the authentic, true me that clients get when they work with me. Again, after the new website launch my monthly revenue nearly doubled.
You don’t have to invest thousands to look and sound legit. You can DIY these things (I teach people how to nail their brand messaging and voice here!). You DO need to be consistent and specific about who you are trying to reach, what you have to offer, and how you talk about yourself and your offers.
- Create high level packages.
The moment that I shifted my mindset from “freelancer” to “business owner” is the exact moment that everything changed in my business.
I’m not taking orders and checking off deliverables, but running a business. As the CEO of this business, I lead the team, create the strategy, oversee deliverables, manage projects start to finish, and the biggest value add for clients: I consult on their bigger picture.
Many of our clients in the done-for-you studio see me as a fractional CMO type of role. I help them decide where to focus their efforts next across the board. That additional consulting, strategy work, coaching… whatever you want to call it… Is what sets me apart from the competition. It’s not just a perceived value, but actual value. And I never would have been able to own that role without uplevelling my mindset to business owner.
I run a legit business that helps other legit businesses make more money online. I don’t just write words.
Since this shift, all packages are at least 4-figures, but many come in at 5-figures for new clients.
- Nail your client experience with streamlined processes.
It’s as simple as this: Clients aren’t going to stick around if they have a sh*tty time working with you. I’ve personally made it my mission to ensure that everything feels EASY for the client. The hardest thing they have to do is complete our (arguably, lengthy) intake homework. But even if this process is in depth, it’s all purposeful, easy to navigate, mobile friendly, on brand, and guided each step of the way.
Beyond the intake, I handle all the moving parts for done-for-you clients. Their only job really is to show up to our calls ready to collaborate, sign-off at checkpoints, and approve deliverables. If we’re focused on implementing tactics that they need to execute (ex. Maybe we’re coaching them through a new webinar promotion), all their to-dos are still clearly laid out.
From the moment clients hop on a Discovery Call with me, I want them to know that this is a low-stress zone. I literally tell them this. And we do everything we can to simplify for them.
More tactical things to consider:
- All of our projects and retainer clients have their own super organized space in our backend project management software. If you’re curious about what business tools I use, check out this page.
- All clients have a private portal that includes everything they need: Links to their deliverables, bulletins updated regularly with their to-dos and our progress, invoice records, appointment bookings, and more.
- We over-communicate every step of the way, and guide them through the entire process.
Focusing on your client experience, by default, will also help you streamline your internal process (and maybe team) to improve efficiency, so it’s a win/win.
- Back your claim.
If you want to land big ticket clients, you need to provide big ticket results. And how do you do that? Educate yourself. Produce good shit. Be a lifelong student. Keep up with what others are doing in your industry, but then put your own special twist on it. Experiment strategically. Go above and beyond. Do the thing you promise you’ll do.
Honestly, integrity is everything. It’s one of my core values that carries into my business. Don’t say you’re going to do something that you can’t do.
Personally, I’m always learning. I take courses, read books, listen to podcasts, and TRY THINGS. There’s certain offers in my business that were created first as a learning experience for me—a place to play and figure out what works so I could share those strategies and tactics with clients.
Which leads to…
Get off fiverr… PLEASE.
Part of leveling up is investing in the right things to get you where you want to go. It’s easy to say do all this, but not as easy to do if you’ve never done it before and you’re making a go of this whole entrepreneur thing solo. Instead of wasting time wondering how to make it all happen, get support and become your badass boss self.
The Inner Circle is for big dreamers ready to do the damn thing… And grow into becoming that high level copywriter. Gain the power of proximity from others who get it and know what it’s like to feel stuck in the in-between: Not quite big enough for the Big Wigs but not in the newbie crowd either. You are totally capable.
Reimagine your trajectory. Reinvent your business to fuel your dreams. Remaster your day to day so it aligns with what you really want from life. Learn more here.
