Recently, I received an email from a designer named Meg 👇
TL;DR: She had just been let go from her agency job and wanted to seize this opportunity to go freelance, asking if I had any advice.
While putting together some advice for Meg, I thought you might find it useful to, as there’s a common mistake I see many new freelancers make and it’s why their design businesses often struggle to take off.
It’s procrastination- but not how you think.
See, it’s not that new freelancers aren’t putting in the work; they’re just focusing on the wrong areas.
They spend time on fun, creative tasks, I call this the “comfy” work.
These include perfecting their website, creating social media posts and working on passion projects.
Now, these things are important, but they can either wait, or they should have been put together before going freelance.
This “comfy” work is only useful if you already have clients, and comfy work won’t get clients (at least not the first few, which are the hardest to secure).
Instead, they should be investing all their time into the “uncomfortable” work.
This includes tasks like client outreach and acquisition - you know, the stuff that’s scary 👻
But how do you do this?
Well, knowing what I know now, if I were trying to land my first client again, I would use cold emails. Nothing beats email if you approach it correctly- big emphasis on “correctly,” because so many people do it wrong.
Here are my best practices for reaching out via email:
Keep it short and to the point- business owners are busy.
Include a portfolio.
Clearly state what you’re offering and how you can help them.
Minimise the work the recipient needs to do to proceed to the next stage. For example, insert a “reply with yes if you’re interested” statement at the bottom of your email. This creates a low-effort buy-in.
This last step is optional because I understand that some people refuse to work for free. However, before sending an email, you could redesign something for them to showcase your services in action. Let me give you an example: To date, I have received over 200 emails from “thumbnail designers” and have only hired one. This designer took the initiative to download one of my previous thumbnails, redesign it, and present it to me while explaining the changes made and the strategic reasoning behind them. Although they created that thumbnail for free, it ultimately led to them securing 12 months’ worth of work from me.
Armed with these best practices, I would approach local businesses in your area. Location helps build familiarity and increase trust, so when starting out, it’s wise to focus on nearby businesses. But don’t expect instant success; it’s a numbers game. As the saying goes, if you knock on a door a hundred times, eventually one door will open.
And you only need ONE business to say yes, allowing you to focus all your attention and efforts on providing them with the best service possible. This can lead to a testimonial or, even better, a referral (since business owners often have connections with other business owners). This is where the gears start turning, and your business begins to grow.
The sad truth is that many designers won’t take this advice because they convince themselves that the creative, comfy work they’re doing will eventually get them clients.
But in reality, it’s just a distraction.
I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes that perfectly sums up the message I’m trying to convey in this newsletter:
"The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.”
Most shy away from the uncomfortable, uncreative tasks, but that’s exactly what will help you start landing clients and building your design business.
I hope this helps some of you reassess where you’re spending your time and realign with your goals.
Chat next week,
Abi 😊
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