Finding new clients can be very time consuming. You might find yourself talk to countless people until you land a new gig. But there is a much easier strategy: ask your existing clients. Getting jobs from existing clients is so obvious that most freelancers don’t think of it as a valid strategy.

«I don’t want to show them that I’m looking for work. They will come to me if they need my services.»

Is this how you think right now? When we dig a little deeper, could it be that you don’t like to sell? You are not alone.

Does it feel like selling when a waitress asks you if you want coffee after a delicious meal? Restaurants make much more revenue by simply asking their customers if they’d like anything else. When done correctly, it doesn’t feel like sales. It should feel like good service.

Read the following message and tell me if it sounds like a sales email:

To: Client
Subject: Can I help?

Hi John,

I hope everything’s going great! I just wanted to remind you I’m always here to lend a hand if your company needs help. Feel free to reach out if you need anything.

Best,
Jonas

Important: Don’t ask for work and don’t request an answer.

Set up a Google Alert with the company’s name and tie your message into something interesting you read about them. You can send an email like that every 6 months.

Another great time to send an email like this is a week or two after finishing a project. Obviously, there would be no news to tie it to, but you can omit the first line from the message above and use it as a template.

Is this something you would do? Add reminders to your calendar right now so you won’t forget.