Three easy ways to instantly look more professional as a freelancer or contractor
Want to make it easier to win more freelance or contract work? Here are three quick ways to instantly look more professional.
Freelancing and contracting are such attractive career paths for professionals. With higher take home pay, greater working flexibility and complete freedom of choice, there are so many great benefits to becoming your own boss.
But while it takes guts to step out from the security of permanent employment it seems that a lot of people have cottoned on to how lucrative it can be.
So how do you make yourself stand out to prospective clients in such a popular market? Jenny Winslow from Intouch Accountingreveals the top three ways to help you instantly look more professional, and bag yourself your next contract.
1) Make your online presence seen and heard
Having an online presence instantly defines your credibility as a serious professional. Everyone these days either has a LinkedIn profile, company website or some form of online presence, so if yours is missing – prospective clients will begin to question your integrity.
Your previous projects and accreditations from past clients should be easily accessible, and potential clients will want to see this as evidence of your caliber. You’ll be far more likely to win contracts if your past work is easily visible.
Building your online presence is easy, but can take a bit of time. Social media platforms such as LinkedIn are easy to use to showcase your professional history, examples of your work and to connect with previous and potential clients.
You can also use social media to let prospective clients know the project you’re currently working on and when you’ll next be free. Here are 10 ways you can use LinkedIn to find freelance clients.
2) Collect testimonials
Never underestimate the power of client testimonials. Clients place such an emphasis on word-of-mouth reviews from their peers, and the more you have the greater your professional credibility.
Testimonials are unbiased opinions about the quality of the services you offer. So create a section of your online profile dedicated to testimonials to showcase previous client’s thoughts and opinions.
Here’s how to use testimonials to really showcase what you do. And don’t forget to turn your best projects into case studies that give potential clients a real taste of what you can do. Here’s how to write a powerful case study.
3) Ensure you have a professional voicemail greeting
It’s rare these days to speak to potential clients over the phone, as many prefer to use email or direct messaging through social media.
While this may be the case, it’s still important to record a professional voicemail to catch those odd clients who do want to speak to you. Don’t let something as simple as a poorly recorded voicemail (or none at all) stop you from bagging your next client.
Review your online presence after every project
So there you have it, three very simple yet extremely important steps you can take to make you instantly look more professional and desirable to prospective clients.
And don’t forget to review your online presence whenever you finish a contract, and ask your client if they’d like to leave you a referral. Your current contract could open the door for future contracts, so make sure you showcase all your hard work!
Jenny Winslow works for Intouch Accounting, the expert contractor accountancy firm for Limited Company contractors.
Photo by Brooke Cagle
