“Direct Clients: Get close enough to touch, but don’t kiss!”
I’d like to shed some light on the mysteries of client relationships. I am talking direct clients, not agencies, as I know nothing about them or their workflows. I have been working only for direct clients from the very beginning in 2002.
Being successful at freelancing is about how a translator is perceived by their clients. We have all heard about how to make a professional appearance. The question is: what can we make of that first impression? It’s crucial what happens right after the first touch point. Because it’s easier to make contact with direct clients than it is to keep them as long-term business partners.
After making a first professional impression, any interaction between two parties is the result of action and interaction. The moment a direct client approaches us (=action), we react. And they usually approach us with a problem they have and for which they figure we have the solution to. That makes us a potential expert. And that is what they make us feel like (confidence > attitude > reputation > success), provided that we have the right mindset about it.
When you have the right mindset, it’s easy to use that positive vibe and manifest an attitude that will make your clients love you. When we accept that we are the experts, ‘marketing’ our client relationships gains us more (positive) business and becomes the only advertising we have to do. No more cold calls, no more mailings, no quoting unless asked as a direct result of a recommendation. Once this happens, you can start working with (not for!) the clients you really want to work with.
Now I know this might sound a bit incredible. But it’s not. It’s simply how my own career as a freelancer developed and what I made of it. Truth be told, I love my clients. I communicate and meet them as often as I can and make sure to really maintain our relationship. And in 95% of the time, this love is mutual.
Think of your favorite restaurant. You’ve recommended it to your friends on Facebook or told others about the fantastic meal you had the other night when meeting people in real life, right? Direct clients do this, too.
From actor to reactor
I want to share some ‘strategies’ for (direct) client relationship management. While this sounds very calculating I should mention that it’s about a mindset, not about forcing relationships by employing tactics. The audience will get some inspiration on how to build relationships that pay off and turn their direct clients into multipliers.
Questions covered in the presentation
- How to get your first direct clients.
- What to keep in mind at the start of your freelance career or when going from agencies to direct clients.
- Avoiding abuse through false relationships and how to create genuine relationships.
- How to communicate with direct clients.
- How close should we get with them on a personal level?
- Does it pay off to invest time in these relationships vs. your normal marketing and advertising?
- How can we ‘market’ client relationships other than publishing testimonials?
- Ideas to keep in touch and that will subtly create a demand for your services.
- What happens when you don’t get along with your direct clients?
Tanya Quintieri, President of the DVÜD e.V. Being a committed entrepreneur, I love to share my knowledge and experience gained in more than 12 years of successful freelancing. I have been invited to speak at conferences, fairs and universities throughout Germany and Europe. My topics are young professionals, social media marketing, corporate identity, cooperation opportunities for freelancers as well as customer acquisition and – much more important! – customer retention.