Sales is a critical aspect of your job as a freelancer. You need to constantly hustle to ensure that you have enough projects to keep you busy and keep the dollars rolling in. Read on for some sales techniques you need to adopt as a freelancer:

1) Have a positive approach:

When you are a freelancer, your approach to clients matters a lot. You will be communicating with your employer on a regular basis, and you should be easy to get along with. Having a good reputation also helps in reinforcing a positive approach. That is where asking your existing clients to give a positive testimonial makes a difference.

2) Build relationships:

Networking is a very important part of any sales. All the more so when you are a freelancer. If you have a strong relationship with a client, then you will be the first person they will think of when they need some work done by a freelancer. Strong relationships also lead to referrals which is a great way of getting projects without much effort at all!

3) Listen to potential clients:

Listening carefully to prospective clients is a great way to sell yourself. Not too many freelancers think of this as they are too engrossed in talking about themselves. Let the customer talk a bit, ask a few leading questions and you will make him feel that you are an empathetic person. After they have finished speaking, then pitch in with your inputs. Doing this is an excellent way to understand their requirements thoroughly and pitch your services in an effective manner.

4) Persuade potential clients:

While listening is an important sales skill, so is being able to speak and write in an efficient manner. During the sales process, you might have to talk (or write) in a persuasive way to highlight the value you will bring to your client’s project. Persuading a person is not the same as hard-selling yourself. You should be able to explain what makes you an awesome freelancer in a tactful manner. Consider signing up for a public speaking class if you need to hone up your confidence levels and your communication skills.

5) Retain your customers:

Most employers would like to work with a reliable freelancer. While attracting new customers is important, put some work in retaining your existing customers too. Don’t complete a project and then forget about your client. Share your contact details: phone number, email, website, social media profiles. Doing this will ensure that your customer can contact you easily in the future. It will also help him send some referrals your way. Drop an email once in a while to ask how they are. Doing so will keep your name high up in their memory. It is always easier to get repeat business from an existing customer than winning business from a new client.

Being a freelancer is an entirely different ball game from being a full-time employee. You need to develop your sales skills to ensure that you can market yourself in an effective manner. Follow our tips above to help you get started.