1 00:00:01,140 --> 00:00:06,300 This lesson is called scaling to multiple clients, and then we'll show you how to grow your client 2 00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:10,080 base so you can scale your business and scale your profits. 3 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:12,660 In this lesson, we will be covering. 4 00:00:13,870 --> 00:00:16,900 How you can keep your pipeline full at all times. 5 00:00:17,970 --> 00:00:24,390 How you can go about getting referrals so you can scale to those multiple clients and why you should 6 00:00:24,390 --> 00:00:28,410 continue building your portfolio throughout your entire freelance journey. 7 00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:38,560 The reason this lesson is important is because having multiple streams of monthly recurring revenue 8 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,670 is the formula for building a profitable freelance business. 9 00:00:44,050 --> 00:00:48,340 In order to do that, you need to keep your pipeline full at all times. 10 00:00:48,850 --> 00:00:55,210 So the first part of this lesson is all about keeping your pipeline full and your pipeline is the backbone 11 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:56,230 of your business. 12 00:00:56,530 --> 00:01:00,970 It will be the reason you either succeed or fail as a freelancer. 13 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:03,850 So to continue keeping your pipeline full. 14 00:01:04,390 --> 00:01:07,990 You need to first never stop prospecting. 15 00:01:08,380 --> 00:01:11,440 So you always want to keep the proposal process going. 16 00:01:11,890 --> 00:01:16,690 Keep prospecting and bring in new opportunities using the winning proposal formula. 17 00:01:17,170 --> 00:01:22,510 One of the biggest mistakes I see freelancers make is that once they get a few clients, they start 18 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:23,290 prospecting. 19 00:01:23,650 --> 00:01:29,260 They've closed a few deals and then they stop going out there and trying to get more clients throughout 20 00:01:29,260 --> 00:01:29,950 your process. 21 00:01:30,220 --> 00:01:34,000 You cannot expect to keep every client you have forever. 22 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:40,120 So now that you know that you need to make sure that you're filling your future pipeline with other 23 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:46,600 potential clients, so you can definitely expect some people to turn you down and some clients to leave 24 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:48,550 you throughout your freelance career. 25 00:01:48,970 --> 00:01:50,080 That is the real world. 26 00:01:50,230 --> 00:01:55,510 So you do need to expect that and always be prospecting so you can overcome that. 27 00:01:55,690 --> 00:01:57,790 And so you can continue to prosper. 28 00:01:58,270 --> 00:02:01,090 What you need to do is commit to daily prospecting. 29 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:06,310 The only way this will help you is if you commit yourself to do it every single day. 30 00:02:06,550 --> 00:02:12,610 You need to make a big commitment and dedication to yourself that you are going to keep your pipeline 31 00:02:12,610 --> 00:02:14,260 full at all times. 32 00:02:14,830 --> 00:02:20,470 And to do that, you need to take all the actions necessary to get the deal closed. 33 00:02:21,100 --> 00:02:26,350 Then follow up with all of those people and continue doing that process over and over. 34 00:02:27,190 --> 00:02:32,050 So even those things you don't feel like doing, like putting all the time in to create that winning 35 00:02:32,050 --> 00:02:37,120 proposal and to continue following up in creative ways, even if the client doesn't get back to you 36 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:38,620 at the end of the day. 37 00:02:38,860 --> 00:02:45,100 Keep that in mind that that is well worth it because you need to keep prospecting to secure your future 38 00:02:45,100 --> 00:02:49,710 as a profitable freelancer next to keep your pipeline full. 39 00:02:49,750 --> 00:02:51,760 You can expand to additional channels. 40 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:59,110 So remember, keep your circle of focus very, very tight and only expand to another platform once you 41 00:02:59,110 --> 00:03:00,520 have that first one mastered. 42 00:03:00,790 --> 00:03:06,520 I don't suggest going off of Upwork until you have made a good amount of money on there, and now you're 43 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,150 ready to spread your wings and to expand to other channels. 44 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:15,820 When you're first starting out, you need to do everything you can and focus all of your attention on 45 00:03:15,820 --> 00:03:17,570 that single network in this case. 46 00:03:17,590 --> 00:03:18,100 Upwork. 47 00:03:18,430 --> 00:03:23,500 So you can build that profitable profile that will secure you clients down the line. 48 00:03:23,980 --> 00:03:30,820 Only then can you move on to that next channel or that next website or platform to land some more freelance 49 00:03:30,820 --> 00:03:31,240 deals. 50 00:03:32,170 --> 00:03:35,770 Next, you must pay attention and get people in your pipeline. 51 00:03:36,190 --> 00:03:38,710 It won't matter how good you are at your service. 52 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:45,190 If you don't have any clients to serve and it takes a massive level of continued action to keep that 53 00:03:45,190 --> 00:03:49,480 sales funnel for no matter what day it is or how the economy is doing. 54 00:03:50,170 --> 00:03:57,100 The number one reason businesses fail is because they can't get enough qualified leads to purchase their 55 00:03:57,100 --> 00:03:58,240 products or services. 56 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:04,210 So make sure you don't end up in that position and you're always planning ahead by taking those massive 57 00:04:04,210 --> 00:04:05,020 levels of action. 58 00:04:06,150 --> 00:04:11,040 And returning to your previous contacts is another powerful way you can keep your pipeline full. 59 00:04:11,490 --> 00:04:17,730 This is when you can start to begin using that network you've built over the years to find new opportunities. 60 00:04:18,090 --> 00:04:20,370 And this isn't just as a freelancer. 61 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:27,000 This is your entire work career and even all of your acquaintances and family members start to go back 62 00:04:27,210 --> 00:04:31,530 and look where there's opportunities to integrate into your pipeline. 63 00:04:33,220 --> 00:04:37,690 Which leads us right into our next section, which is getting client referrals. 64 00:04:38,740 --> 00:04:40,720 Start with your current network. 65 00:04:41,170 --> 00:04:46,480 So just like with getting that trial client, starting with your current network is the best place to 66 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,280 start when you want to land. 67 00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:55,720 Some referral clients are referral is when a client or a connection you have refers another business 68 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:57,400 owner to do business with you. 69 00:04:57,820 --> 00:05:04,750 This is one of the most powerful forms of lead generation because the word of mouth referral is one 70 00:05:04,750 --> 00:05:08,170 of the most trusted and credible sources of referral. 71 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:15,940 People trust their friends more than anyone else, and they trust people in their circle more than the 72 00:05:15,940 --> 00:05:18,670 business or freelancer that's trying to do business with them. 73 00:05:18,970 --> 00:05:24,100 So when you have a referral, take that very seriously, because that's a great way to start to grow 74 00:05:24,100 --> 00:05:27,100 your freelance business in your current network. 75 00:05:27,250 --> 00:05:32,230 You can look at friends, friends of friends and relatives. 76 00:05:32,740 --> 00:05:39,700 Start there and look at no one who's a business owner or number two, who knows a business owner or 77 00:05:39,700 --> 00:05:44,260 know someone who has a brand or a company that they could use your help with. 78 00:05:44,740 --> 00:05:47,950 It's all about using the resources and the network. 79 00:05:47,950 --> 00:05:54,370 You already have to get those referrals, then move to your professional circle. 80 00:05:54,700 --> 00:05:59,710 Once you've exhausted all of the options and your friends and families and relatives, then move on 81 00:05:59,710 --> 00:06:06,550 to people you've done business with in the past, such as your current clients or even your prior unsold 82 00:06:06,550 --> 00:06:07,030 clients. 83 00:06:07,570 --> 00:06:13,090 This might sound funny, but if you go back and even those clients that didn't do business with you, 84 00:06:13,420 --> 00:06:18,040 you might be able to get a referral from them because maybe they wanted to do business with you. 85 00:06:18,220 --> 00:06:23,050 But it just wasn't a good time or something didn't work out because you already invested time in that 86 00:06:23,050 --> 00:06:23,440 client. 87 00:06:23,710 --> 00:06:29,350 You might as well try to get a referral out of them and see if anyone else they know could use your 88 00:06:29,350 --> 00:06:29,980 services. 89 00:06:31,430 --> 00:06:37,100 The same way you go about asking for the clothes is the same way you should approach getting referrals. 90 00:06:37,310 --> 00:06:38,750 You just need to ask for it. 91 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:40,130 Don't be shy here. 92 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:46,190 Reach out to your network and ask them if they know anyone that could benefit from what you serve. 93 00:06:46,580 --> 00:06:51,740 This is a great way you can land more clients, and that's a gold mine that's already sitting there. 94 00:06:51,860 --> 00:06:54,710 It's just waiting for you to go, nurture and uncover it. 95 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:59,390 You can ask things like, Who else do you know that can benefit from the service? 96 00:06:59,870 --> 00:07:04,940 You can ask your network this either through a phone call, an email or even a text. 97 00:07:05,870 --> 00:07:08,810 You do want to make sure you ask this at the appropriate time. 98 00:07:09,110 --> 00:07:14,510 For example, after a successful month or right after you've onboarded the client, you wouldn't want 99 00:07:14,510 --> 00:07:20,120 to ask this during a rough period or when sales for the company are down that month or anything like 100 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:20,420 that. 101 00:07:20,810 --> 00:07:25,340 So use your best judgment, but make sure you do ask for it when the time is right. 102 00:07:25,550 --> 00:07:27,890 That's how you can start getting these referrals. 103 00:07:29,030 --> 00:07:34,580 Another way that you can get a referral from a previous client is to say something like this. 104 00:07:34,850 --> 00:07:38,930 I worked with you about three months ago on that project, and I'm calling to see if you know any other 105 00:07:38,930 --> 00:07:41,570 businesses that need a similar project completed. 106 00:07:42,230 --> 00:07:47,240 This is really a win win because when you do something like this, you're getting that word of mouth 107 00:07:47,270 --> 00:07:47,810 out there. 108 00:07:48,110 --> 00:07:50,690 And like we just discussed, word of mouth is king. 109 00:07:50,990 --> 00:07:56,690 So you will get a direct word of mouth referral and in return, your client can now help out one of 110 00:07:56,690 --> 00:07:58,760 their business partners or one of their friends. 111 00:07:59,300 --> 00:08:04,940 So I wish I had placed more of an emphasis on getting referrals in the beginning of my freelance career 112 00:08:05,420 --> 00:08:10,520 because I didn't know how powerful that they were going to be until I started to see it happen with 113 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:17,960 my own eyes, with a handful of high Typekit clients and learning how to ask for referrals in the right 114 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:22,970 manner that could exponentially increase the revenue you're at as a freelancer. 115 00:08:24,770 --> 00:08:31,250 Lastly, in this lesson, we are going to discuss how and why you should continue building your portfolio 116 00:08:31,250 --> 00:08:32,480 out on Upwork. 117 00:08:33,140 --> 00:08:37,310 Ultimately, this is what is going to help you scale to multiple clients. 118 00:08:38,610 --> 00:08:44,640 Continue building those case studies and portfolio items, so you can use that to sell future clients 119 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:45,990 with the results you've had. 120 00:08:46,500 --> 00:08:52,440 Once you start to have some good success stories, you need to use those to get future clients. 121 00:08:52,680 --> 00:08:54,750 You need to open your proposals with those. 122 00:08:54,930 --> 00:08:57,480 Use those on your sales calls and in the sales demos. 123 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:02,070 And use the results instead of just using words or claims. 124 00:09:02,580 --> 00:09:08,160 That is how you can start to show potential clients that you are the real deal and you can back it up 125 00:09:08,310 --> 00:09:09,270 with results. 126 00:09:09,540 --> 00:09:12,630 And all of those results should be in your portfolio. 127 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:21,170 Another benefit of keeping your portfolio up to date is that it helps you get found because when you're 128 00:09:21,170 --> 00:09:27,890 updating your portfolio, Upwork knows this and they're looking to match up business owners with freelancers 129 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,440 that are the most active on the platform. 130 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:35,720 They don't want freelancers getting jobs that don't check for days and days. 131 00:09:35,930 --> 00:09:41,150 They want freelancers that are in the platform every day that are constantly updating their portfolio 132 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:42,980 and staying on top of the ball. 133 00:09:43,340 --> 00:09:48,740 That is how you can get yourself in the best position to be found by future clients. 134 00:09:51,070 --> 00:09:58,870 And lastly, building a positive online reputation is what will help you attract clients to you as you 135 00:09:58,870 --> 00:10:01,000 start your freelance journey on Upwork. 136 00:10:01,330 --> 00:10:07,690 You are going to have to go out there, build a lot of those winning proposals and do a lot of selling 137 00:10:07,690 --> 00:10:09,970 and showing how much value you can deliver. 138 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:16,060 Once you've gotten past that initial period and you already have a portfolio that's starting to come 139 00:10:16,060 --> 00:10:21,850 together and your online reputation is starting to increase, that's when you will notice clients that 140 00:10:21,850 --> 00:10:27,580 want to work with you will start to come out of the framework, and Upwork makes this very easy for 141 00:10:27,580 --> 00:10:27,790 you. 142 00:10:28,180 --> 00:10:33,250 They will send you emails when a client invites you to a project, and they will also start showing 143 00:10:33,250 --> 00:10:38,860 your profile to business owners as they search on the platform for specific freelancers. 144 00:10:39,250 --> 00:10:44,980 So, for example, if someone's looking for Google ads or YouTube ads, a lot of times I am showing 145 00:10:44,980 --> 00:10:47,650 up for that client and they're finding me that way. 146 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:51,850 Clients want to work with the most expert level freelancer they can. 147 00:10:52,210 --> 00:10:57,820 If it's a high tech, a client and when you continue to build your portfolio up, you're adding in those 148 00:10:57,820 --> 00:11:00,610 case studies and you're continuing to get those reviews. 149 00:11:01,090 --> 00:11:06,880 That is how you can put yourself in the best position to start to attract those clients to come to you. 150 00:11:08,150 --> 00:11:12,500 So now you know how you can start scaling to multiple clients. 151 00:11:12,860 --> 00:11:16,730 I hope this was helpful and I look forward to your future freelance success. 152 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:18,410 I'll see you in the next lesson.