21 Ways To Find Clients
If you are a freelance fashion and surface pattern designer and you want to future proof your freelance life and spend more time with those you love, you need to attract great clients on a regular basis. Here are 21 ways for freelance designers to find clients.
01 | In Person Event
Put on a speaking event or trend workshop. This is one of the best ways to find clients because you are perceived as a giver and an expert. Whilst you might think this is unrealistic in the fashion and surface pattern industry, companies such as Hallmark hold regular learning days arranged by the HR dept and invite external companies in to support this learning for designers, buyers and key decision makers.
02 | Show Your Expertise
Start helping people now for free using your expertise in your specific niche. Challenge yourself to have 30 complimentary conversations. Then offer to continue working with them paid and ask if there is anyone they know who could benefit from your services. This is especially relevant for companies without a big design team. If you can show you are valuable, they will find the money to continue working with you. An example of this could be offering trend services or shop reports to buyers who also cover product development too; they are super busy.
03 | Ask for Testimonials
Ask new, current, and past clients for testimonials. As the saying goes “if you don’t ask, you don’t get”. Make it easy for them and have a set of questions that will showcase the ‘before’, ‘during’ and ‘results’ phases of working with you. One question to include is asking for their permission to use their words publicly. Use the testimonial as content for LinkedIn or other socials where your ideal client hangs out.
04 | Be Kind & Generous
Find people who serve your same target niche in different ways. Lead with generosity and kindness; send them referrals and tell them how you help people so they can do the same for you. Take an afternoon to read “The Go Giver” by Bob Burg and see exactly how this classic way of doing business works.
05 | Reach Out Directly
Reach out to someone directly who you’d love to work with. Invite them to a free conversation. Be sure to frame it in a way that clearly illustrates the value they will get out of spending time with you. If you’re not sure of the value you offer, aka how you help them make more money, save money or time this isn’t the first place to begin. It’s a hard and often scary way yet it can create results for you if you are clear on your value.
06 | Reach Out To Your Network
Reach out to a connector. Someone you know who has a great network and loves linking people together. Tell them about the specific type of person you're looking for and the specific problem you solve and ask if they know anyone.
07 | Follow Up Conversations
Send a follow-up email to people you've talked to in the past. Say “Are you still looking to ____ (insert the biggest result you provide for clients)” and have them reply. See how you can help them.
08 | Create Conversations
Go to a conference or event where your ideal clients are. Ideally a paid one. Be warm and curious. Invite them to a conversation right there or follow up after the event is over. This can be draining so take regular breaks through the day for self care eg. mindfulness, water, fresh air.
09 | Reflect On Success
Make a spreadsheet of where your last 5 clients came from. Now focus on those activities. Try to find the 20% of things you do that yield 80% of your clients and only do those things.
10 | Online Networking
Connect with your ideal client directly on LinkedIn. This site is the largest professional network in the world so it’s like a 24/7 networking event that you can walk into at any time and only engage with people you know are your potential clients.
11 | Share High Value
Write a blog or newsletter and invite your ideal clients (not your fellow freelance peers) to sign up to it. Be absolutely clear what it offers eg. “A monthly shop report for the latest unisex baby print techniques”. Create absolute value in a niche that nobody else covers. Create a link on your email signature so that everyone you are in contact with can sign up.
12 | Share Your Wisdom
Write a weekly article on LinkedIn. 250 words is fine, don’t overthink it. Brainstorm a list of topics in advance and set aside a set time in your calendar to create this. Be super specific to your niche eg “How to successfully brief a designer so that you get the best _____ (insert your niche) print.”
13 | Take Advantage of Social Media
Use the mechanics of social media to your advantage. Curate your social media connections so that the algorithm shows you more of the people you want to work with, not your freelance peers. To optimise your chances of your ideal client seeing your posts reduce the amount of peers in your network and instead build a network of your ideal client (see number 10)
14 | They Ask, You Answer
Keep an ongoing list of questions you get asked in discovery calls, direct messages and in client meetings. Use each of these questions as a starting point for a LinkedIn post. If you are interested in the huge success of this method read “You Ask, They Answer” by Marcus Sheridan.
15 | Spread The Word
Tell more people about your business. Describe what you do and talk about the problems you solve and the results you get for clients. Put a link to your website in your email signature. Re-use editions of your trend report (see number 11) as examples to show prospective clients.
16 | Create a Support Network
Buddy up with other freelancers and give them referrals in order to ask for referrals. Organise a regular coffee date or agree on a way to stay connected to others in your industry. Don’t be shy, be very clear from the outset “How can we help one another get clients?”
17 | Create Relevant Video Content
Get video savvy! Stop making dreamy tik tok reels (nobody cares about your morning routine) and get proactive and direct. Make sure your freelance family are up to speed with what you do right here right now. Send a little video message to old colleagues, fellow freelancers and past clients asking them how they are, and tell them what you are up to. Create a call to action at the end of the video “I’m quiet right now, I’d love to know about any projects that might be my thing - what do you think?”
18 | Follow Up Projects
Strike up conversations with your existing client base. Follow up on the projects and products you have designed and how they are doing. Be a little cheeky and ask “I’m wondering, when are we working together again?”
19 | Get Really Creative
Do something radical for a dream client. Everyone is online because it’s quick and effective, but how about old snail mail? Create the most beautiful introductory creation you can imagine, have it delivered in a huge oversized box so it can’t get missed and make sure you include a very clear call to action. eg. “Like this? Contact me on ____(insert your details) to find out how I can ____” (insert your biggest result you have achieved for your past clients).
20 | Create A Video Report
Create a video shop report in your specific niche. Post it on LinkedIn. The key to this is creating a report that is super specific to your chosen niche. It has to be a trend subject nobody else has. What questions come up time and time again with your clients? Do a report answering that question (see number 14).
21 | Stay Calm
Last but not least, stay calm. Increase your self care but not to the point that you don’t do any client generating actions. The sun may be out now and everything feels wonderful, yet in order to make money from your creativity you have to learn how to create regular actions that bring clients to you. You want to exude an energy of high intention but low attachment.
Mindset
You are insanely skilled at what you do, you offer a great service and your clients are looking for you! If you don’t show yourself and what you do, how will they ever find you? It’s just like dating, you win some, or you learn a lot! Remember, making money is the highest form of self care.
