Forum Moderators: phranque
I am 22 years old, graduated from college with a Digital Media degree, and now I am ready to work on the web. It sounds good, the reality is that I have no sales experience and would like to work as a freelance web designer in a market I have just moved to and don't know many people.
I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to who to talk to to get the ball rolling (within a company) as well as how to work the first issues of the client relationship.
I need to start but have no idea who to talk to or how to talk to them since I do not have any sales experience or formal education.
Thank you in advance,
Scott
When I was working freelance, at least half of all my jobs were referred from agencies who had their own staff, but who were lacking in some way (staff, resources, specialized skills).
Personal references are invaluable. Someone always knows someone else whose brother owns a retail store who needs a website. Social networking is important, and make sure everyone who knows you also knows that you are looking for clients. Referrals often come from unusual directions. I once got a choice job - redesigning the characters in a Flash game - through the husband of a woman whose belly dancing instructor is a friend of my wife.
Personally, I hate sales. I am good at selling myself to an interested client, but I am really bad at finding those leads. The last time I was a freelancer (read: unemployed aka "between jobs") I did my sales by cold-calling random businesses out of the phone book. My afternoons were often spent visiting companies who showed an interest or who asked for a quote.
There are some online referral services on the www where you can bid on jobs that people post... like web geek tendering systems. I've never had ANY success with those.
I sincerely wish you good luck. The industry is pretty healthy right now for employment, but being a freelancer is as challenging as ever.
