My transition into freelancing was fast. I quit my job on a Friday without any real idea what I wanted to do and on Monday I decided I was going to be a freelancer. I had my first client by the end of the day, my second client by the end of the month, and by the second month of freelance I always had more than enough work each and every month for the years that followed.

My client acquisition method has been refined in the years since I started but at the very beginning I had no plan at all. Here’s what I did:

Knowing that I was “now” a freelancer, I sat down at the phone with a pen and paper. I thought of a colleague I knew at a company and I jotted down some ideas about how I could help his company. Then I picked up the phone and called.

It worked. I still have that client after all these years (in fact, he takes me out for lunch on the anniversary of my first day in business).

I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was a pretty smart thing to do. Here’s why it worked:

1. They say “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. That is completely true. I had built good relationships and it was time to ask for something. All sales are made only after the prospect has come to trust the seller and the trust was already established by the relationship I had with the people I was calling.
2. It wasn’t really selling. Selling is hard and not many people like it or are good at it. But what I was doing was not really selling. I was just a guy with an idea. I’d pick up the phone, share my idea, and voila, it resulted in a project.
3. It offered something of value. That’s the key. You can’t just call someone up and say, “hey, Bob, can I do some freelancing for you?” Instead, you have to say, “hey, Bob, I have a great idea that can benefit your company.” That’s offering value!
4. Act immediately. I was fortunate that one of my first calls resulted in a client. That was on my first day. If I did what many freelancers do and wait until the first week is over before finding a client, I might have been out of business before I was really in business!
5. Act persistently. If my first calls didn’t elicit a client, I had a long list of people to contact. I wasn’t going to stop after my second “no”. And once I got my first client, I didn’t stop there, either. I figured out what worked and what didn’t and I went after another one. It was a bigger client and took more work but those two clients together netted me my first month’s income.

Want to know what separates a freelancer from a wannabe freelancer? Clients. Plain and simple. And getting the first client can be challenging if you don’t have the experience. Use these tips to get your first client and start your business off right!