I’m guessing you’re a freelancer who has just completed a few projects or maybe you’ve been working as a freelancer for a while but you’re now noticing a decline in the amount of work you get or that your previous freelance clients don’t hire you again after your first job. If that’s bothering you, then you might have been doing something wrong. Maybe your delivery has been below expectation or maybe you don’t stand out from the crowd.

Related: 5 Effective Tactics for Building Long-term Relationships with Freelance Clients

If you want to retain your favourite or ideal freelance clients then applying these 10 strategies will go a long way in helping you retain your clients and getting more jobs.

Here are 10  sure-fire strategies for retaining freelance clients.

1. Be Polite and Cheerful

Always make your freelance clients feel comfortable talking to you by being polite to them. Sometimes they might make a special request for an early delivery or some extra work and it is okay to oblige but avoid complaining about such. When show some flexibility, this shows them that you value them as a client. At the same time, make sure that they don’t get a chance to exploit you by burdening you with work. At the end of the month send them a complete list of work you have done for them, thus letting them know everything that you’ve done for them and what are the services they have received free of cost from you.

2. Give Discounts or Freebies to your Regular Freelance Clients

If a particular client gives you regular work, you should consider doing some jobs free of cost for them or offer them a discount on your some of your services. This gives them more value for their money and what’s more, they will most likely give you good feedbacks. With this finding freelance clients for new work will and retaining your current clients will be very easy.

3. Personify your Client Communications

When communicating with clients, treat them as individuals and not just as freelance clients. If you’ve known them for quite some time then it’s okay to ask them about themselves. They’re just like any other colleagues you would have at a workplace. You can be friendly but remember to stay professional. Sending special greetings on their birthday or any other festive season makes a difference too as it shows them you remember details about them and care about them as a client.

4. Celebrate your Work Milestones

Celebrating your milestones is also a good strategy for retaining freelance clients. When you  have completed work for a certain period of time or for a certain amount of money, you send your clients a message a card congratulating them or thanking them for the opportunities they’ve given to you, in  order to show them that you care. Making a list or a nice collage or a presentation with all the projects you’ve worked on for them, will show them how well you’ve worked for them on both difficult and easy freelance jobs. If you are good at what you have done, they might even offer you other creative freelance jobs.

5. Respect your Client

It is very essential that you treat your freelance client with utmost respect. When they feel respected by you, they will also give you respect in return. This helps a lot in building professional bonding between the both of you. Your freelance clients need to know that you value them as a client.

6. Keep to Deadlines and Commitments

Your clients want to know that you take their projects seriously. Whether you’re writing, designing or doing any other creative freelance jobs or freelance consultant jobs it is very important that you stick to the deadlines and deliver your work on or ahead of time. You shouldn’t make your clients ask for completed work over and over. If you have committed to do something for them, then be sure to do it on time. This will earn you more trust and of course land you more jobs!

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7. Request Feedbacks and Value such

Request for feedback from your freelance clients occasionally. With their feedbacks, you would know your clients’ expectations and this can help you improve on your work in order to keep your clients happier. Requesting their feedbacks also shows them that their opinion counts and that you are willing to learn and improve, no matter how good you already are. Once you receive their feedback make sure you work on it and deliver good results. This plays a key role in retaining freelance clients.

8. Work as a part of their Team and not as an isolated Individual

You need to see yourself as a part of your client’s team when you work. Seek to add value to their business and make sure you give your absolute best when you take up work from them. If your clients notice that you are passionate about the work you do for them it makes a huge difference.

9. Be reliable and Learn from your Mistakes

Sometimes your client may be unsatisfied with something you have done. If you haven’t followed their instructions properly, accept your mistake, apologize if necessary and take instant measures to correct it. When you are careless and make the same mistakes repeatedly, your client will get disappointed and lose trust in you. What is important here is that your clients should be able to rely on you. Do not give them any reasons not to see you as unreliable as this will block your chances of retaining your freelance clients.

10. DO NOT Compromise on Quality

What matters most to your clients is that you deliver high quality work. They deserve to receive the value for whatever they pay for. There is no point if you deliver quickly or at cheaper prices as this will not only damage your reputation, it will also reduce your chances of getting hired again.

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