If you aren’t familiar with David Ogilvy, you’re definitely familiar with his work. He’s often called the “Father of Advertising” thanks to his revolutionary ad campaigns.
He’s worked with all of the top brands: Rolls-Royce, Mercedes Benz, Shell, American Express, and even Dove. His advice transcends the advertising market and can be applied by creatives in all fields looking for better freelance clients.
As one of the leading players from the golden era of advertising, he has plenty of advice, all of it worth its weight in gold.
I’ve always admired his client rolodex, so I’ve crafted a list of some of his strategies for landing dream clients!
There’s a time to be eager with freelance clients.
When starting out your freelance career, it can be hard to get good freelance clients without much experience to show.
Try to impress your potential client by presenting a proposal or some fleshed out ideas for their business.
While crafting well thought-out proposals isn’t always worth the time and effort, it can have a huge pay off when chasing“bigfish clients.”
Clients will find it hard to say no when they hear your innovative and personalized ideas for their brand!
…and there’s a time to trust in your ability.
As your skills and experience develop, you won’t need to work for free to get the client every time.
If a client has freelancers falling over themselves for a job, don’t play the same game. You want to choose your freelance clients and not have them solely choose you.
Try standing out with confidence and show that your work is so good, it can’t be free.
You know what you have to get the job done well. You can show off your capabilities in a professional manner rather than doing free work as an example.
The client will remember your confidence as well as noting that your work is worth too much to be done for free. To do this you have to understand the value that your give to your freelance clients.
If you are struggling with understanding your value, check out our free webinar where we go over understanding and communicating your value as a freelancer.
Chase your dream freelance clients.
As a newcomer, David Ogilvy wrote a fantasy list of his dream clients…and later landed them all. He did so simply by going after them!
Reach out to your dream clients. Create personalized emails stating who you are and what you’d like to contribute, specifically, to their business.
Remember to explain WHY you want to work for them as well, as it helps the client see a connection.
You will face some rejection but it’s important to persevere: there will come a project that needs a freelancer and you’ll be fresh in their minds.
*Tip: Non-proposal related emails are also a nice touch. Flattery WILL get you everywhere and new projects and company developments are great talking points.
Are there any other Ogilvy fans in here? What are some of his strategies that have inspired you?
