When your customers come to you, they have a problem that they need solved. Perhaps their problem is that they need a logo… and the solution is that you’re a freelance graphic designer. Perhaps their problem is that they need a website… and the solution is that you’re a freelance web designer. Perhaps their problem is that they need compelling copy… and the solution is that you’re a freelance writer.

Not matter what you offer, if you have clients it’s because they saw in you a solution to their problem.

Want more business? Want to make your freelance business even more successful? Solve more of their problems.

Now, the first thing you’ve probably thought is something along the lines of “but I’m a graphic designer, NOT freelance writer, how can I solve their content problems?” That is a good question and I’m not necessarily suggesting that you add more skills to your resume. If you can, fine, but it’s not always the most realistic choice. Here is how you can help them and grow your freelance business:

1.  Forget your services for just a moment and list out all of the problems that your target audience has. Let’s say that you serve the small business market as a web designer. You’ve typically solved their problem of having a web presence. But they have many other problems that need a solution: Perhaps they need a way to pull more customers to their site; perhaps they need to find time to do all the things they have to do in a day; perhaps they have to create seamless customer experiences; perhaps they need help with their brand.

2.  With this list in hand, figure out ways that your services can help solve their other problems.
•  In the small business example above, perhaps you can design them an intranet to manage their time and customers. Tie in their existing calendar system to an open source CRM system. Sell it to them or charge them a small monthly fee to use. Or, give it to them for free as a bonus if they hire you.
•  Or perhaps after you’ve finished creating their website, you might also want to recommend an offsite blog that they might want. Offer to set it up for them at an attractive “repeat customer” price.
•  If your web design talents extend to creating social media presences, sell your services to set up FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, and LinkedIn accounts that you can manage or that you can hand over to them.
•  Assemble a list of colleagues who offer different skills but serve the same target market. When your client comes to you for web design, they will love receiving a list of recommended service providers who can meet some related needs.
•  Invest in a custom resource for your client base that deals specifically to meet their other needs and offer it as a bonus if they hire you or spend a certain level of money. I the example above, consider hiring an ebook writer to put together an ebook on how to create seamless customer experiences. Include it as a free bonus when you sell your services (and the ebook investment will pay for itself very quickly in new business).

3.  Don’t forget the fact that clients are busy managing other things and they forget that times change. You can continue to solve the same need you once solved for them by periodically checking with them and sending them a friendly email. In the web design example above, you might consider checking in once every 6 months with something like “I noticed that your blog site hasn’t changed much in 6 months. Did you know that search engines reward fresh content? I’d be happy to make some revisions for you at the special discounted rate of $$$”.

When clients hire you, they hire you to solve a problem. Often it’s a specific problem they know they have. But you can win them over as a long term, repeat client who adores you by proactively solving other problems in a number of ways.