20 Simple ways to get more work from old customers

In a business the major aim is to get more and more customers as they are the one who converts back to as revenue or profit in the business. Similarly, freelancers’ main aim is gaining more clients and thus more work. Unlike office staff their work will not be offered in the table but they need to search for it and get it. Freelancers are those who work from their own space without coming into any longer bond with a client or company. And thus getting more work is even more important for freelancers. Getting clients is a huge task and it is always better to regain or keep the existing clients. Existing clients already know you and your work and therefore will trust you more easily than new clients. Searching for new clients require more time involvement and pitching for the job than approaching an existing client. Thus, it is beneficial to get more work from your existing clients or old customers. This also helps building a bond of trust and responsibility between client and freelancer and thus there is more possibility of producing a good work. This article is based on ways that will help you get more work from old customers. Here are 20 simple ways to get more work from old customers.

1. Stay in contact: It is very important to stay in contact with past or old customers. You should not allow a gap appears between you and your old client as this might hamper your future prospects of work. Busy schedule might bring a gap of months within contact and soon the months will turn to year and then it will be too awkward to approach for work. Therefore, always maintain contact with your past and existing clients both so that any new work arise you can approach them for the work and also they might do the vice versa by giving you new work.

2. Deadline conscious: Make a habit of being deadline conscious. Schedule your time of freelancing work at the time when you start it so that you avoid last moment hurry which will definitely affect the quality. You should be aware of the time line and make sure that you are ready with the completed work before the deadline and can check through the work and send it before the deadline to clients. This also shows your professionalism and responsible nature towards the work and your client. Knowing this nature of you, your past clients will definitely approach you for more work as they know you will submit it within the time line and trust you in this.

3. Quality production: Quality production is not just the base of a successful business but also is a best way to keep your past clients with you and get more work from them. If you always offer them quality work every new project or work will demand them of your quality. After your client builds a trust on you, they stop monitoring the work deeply but that doesn’t give you the license of compromising with work quality. Bad quality will always hamper your client – employer relation. Therefore, offer quality production, satisfy them and thus gain future projects from them.

4. Communicate well: It is very important that you communicate well with your clients. Speak up clearly and frankly with them regarding work, time and money so that they do not feel any hesitation while approaching you for future projects.

5. Research on long term employers of your client: Make a research on the long term employers of your client and try to analyze what are the ways you can improve your skills and get more work from your old customers.

6. Expand your skills: To get more work from old clients, try to expand your skills. Suppose you are a designer and work for designing graphics for your client, try to expand your skills by designing logos, cards and so on also. This is because your client will not be in need of same work always therefore, try to expand your skills and offer your client with one whenever they need.

6. Announce your knowledge: Always make your clients aware of your fields of knowledge so that whenever they have a new work that suits your profile they can approach you. Therefore, always keep them informed about your new skills and specialties.

8. High availability: Make sure that you are highly available for customers whenever they need and never make them feel left out. High availability include responding to mails and calls instantly and always informing earlier when going to be unavailable for some time. Maintaining this is important because, sometimes your old client might approach you for new work but due to your lack of availability they might fail to contact you and give it to someone else. Therefore, try being highly available for clients.

9. Keep emailing: Stay active with your old customers through email and keep sending emails often speaking about your new products, package or discounts and so on while also making sure that you are not creating a disturbance for him through your emails. Thus, maintain healthy email etiquette with your old clients.

10. Social and professional networking sites: Keep them within your social and professional networking sites like www.linkdin.com, www.twitter.com and so on. As you will be very often using these sites you can maintain your contact with your old clients much easily. Keep sharing your ideas and commenting on theirs whenever discussion arises. And ask them about new projects and works and convince them that you can complete the work.

11. Attend forums: Make sure that you attend all forums and discussions that your past and present clients are more likely to visit. In such events be upfront and talk with them. Be confident while sharing your ideas along with maintaining all basic communication etiquettes. Learn to be a good listener and also ask them about your new projects and tell them how you can help them.

12. Special treatment to old customers: Old customers can turn as long term customers for you and therefore always treat them specially. Keep offers and discounts for old customers or give away unannounced gifts and make them feel special and thus keen to order more work from you.

13. Give a call on important days: It is always good to be in a friendly relationship with your client. Mark the important days such as birthdays, anniversary and other important dates and give a call to them on those days. Wish through phones or send a card or a bouquet, you can express your wishes either way and make your client happy and a happy client will always come to you with new work.

14. Volume discounts: Give away volume discounts, coupons and free gifts to make your old customers more inclined to you to place a new order for you. Thus, announce such client beneficial elements from time to time.

15. Understand the requirement: Try to make a research on your old clients and understand their requirements. If you are able to do it approach them for it and if you are not try to gain knowledge about it so that you can help them with their new project.

16. Share ideas: Be in discussions with your old clients and try to give ideas for more value added services and ideas which will be profitable for their firm and so on. When ideas come from you, there are maximum chances of offering you the work.

17. Create client focused campaigns: Try to find out the common factors about you and your clients and try to create campaigns based on it and thus make your clients realize about your existence and efficiency of work. Thus, such campaign might earn you more work from your old customers.

18. Start a newsletter: Newsletters are good way of being in touch with old clients. Start a newsletter with valuable information and send to your old customers so that they can remember you and approach you with their future projects.

19. Offer a seminar: You can offer a seminar and invite your old clients to come in contact with them again and also speaking about your skills and specializations. Seminar is the best way where you can showcase your ideas and views and thus is a good platform to impress your clients and regain their trust on you.

20. Never hesitate: Always be upfront in communicating with your clients. Never hesitate to ask for a work. It might sound awkward but direct approach is always the best way to get more works. Ask your old clients about any requirement for new work and make them know about your skills and talents. Thus, direct approach for work might earn you new projects as well.

These are 20 simple ways to get more work from customers. Following these ways will help you be in touch with your old clients, make them aware of your skills and talents, make them realize about your efficiency and acknowledge rewarding factors. Thus, all these will bring you more work from your old clients.