Note from Jennifer: After getting back from Content Marketing World last week, I’m off to Florida today to help my mom so today thanks to the flexibility of freelancing. So I decided to share a post from a few years ago that I think holds one of the secrets to getting new clients and earning a high income. 

It used to upset me when I would see ad for an agency that I already worked for looking for a writer the exact skill set as me. I always came to the very rational conclusion that I sucked and they hated me.

But one time, I got over myself and reached out. They put me on  the project immediately and was thrilled I reached out. When I asked why I wasn’t asked to be on the team, they admitted, they just didn’t think about me for the project, but the minute I emailed they were positive a good fit. And spoiler alert, it was.

One of the best ways to get work is through referrals from your current clients. People are more willing to hire someone who is referred by someone they trust. And you have higher odds of it being a good fit for you than a cold outreach.

I used to think that if a client wanted to refer me that they would think of the idea themselves and just do it, especially for other projects at an agency. But it just doesn’t happen that way. They are busy. And often can’t think beyond their to-do list. Not to mention they may not be aware of your other niches or experience.

This is especially true at agencies. I used to assume that if they had another project that they wanted me to work on that they would reach out. However, many agencies work in teams and sometimes they don’t talk to each other or just don’t know of needs on the other team. Other times the agencies thinks of your skills only as the project that you are currently work on and isn’t aware of other niches. But when you remind them, they are almost always happy to share your availability and niches with other editors. And sometimes they even have a project that needs help right aware.

Just last week an editor that I have worked with for years at an agency that I worked with for years emailed me to help out another editor who was on vacation. She loved my work. So I told her I had availability and asked if she had any projects. And turns out she actually has one, but hadn’t thought of me since it had been a few years since we had worked together.

So if you want referrals, you have to ask. And trust me, you want referrals. A single email asking for a referral can turn into thousands of dollars of new work. And if it’s within the company, it’s easy for them because you are already set up with a contract, accounting, and an NDA.

Two types of referrals you should ask for

Here are two of referrals and how to ask for each one.

1. Ask for work on another project

Let’s say you are working for a client and they rave about your work. The pay is great. The work is interesting. And you like working for the agency or company. One of the easiest ways to get more work is to get put on a new project with the agency or get work with another department in the company. But more often than not, you have to specifically ask for it.

This is even more important to do with agencies. All agencies have other projects, or they wouldn’t be in business for long. And they likely have a need for freelancers on those projects. Honestly, I think that I’ve probably gotten at least 100K extra in work over the past few years by taking the simple step of asking every project manager at every agency that I’ve worked with for work. This really is one of the absolutely most effective ways to get a referral.

2. Asking for referrals to outside colleagues

Two weeks ago, a client I worked for several years ago reached out to me. I had worked with her for several years at HPE. And even though she doesn’t use freelancers at her new company, I’ve kept in touch. She asked if it would be okay if she referred me to a former HPE colleague who was now at another big company. I said yes, of course. And starting next week will have about 2K more work each month.

While I didn’t ask for this referral, it was a great reminder to ask for other colleagues. Your client almost definitely knows people who work at other places: former co-workers, friends from professional societies, friends from college. And they often ask each other for referrals. But you need to ask so they know you’re interested.

How to ask for referrals

Here are three tips that I’ve learned the hard way

• Ask over email. I’ve done the in-person ask and over-the-phone ask. But it just doesn’t seem to work as well. I think it’s because if you ask via email then your client can quickly forward your email to their colleague. But if you ask at a different time, then they easily forget about the request.
• Write a separate email. A few times I have included my request for referrals in an email about the project I was working on with the client. But more often than not, I didn’t get a response. So I’ve found that I really need to send a separate email for this request.
• Ask every person you work with. And I also think it’s super-duper important to ask for referrals from each person you work with at the company or agency. Every person has different friends or people they used to work with. So you might get nothing from one manager, but a fabulous referral from another because their best friend at the agency is assembling a team of freelancers for a new project.

Sample email for asking for a referral

To give you an idea of how to ask, I’ve included a sample email that I’ve sent. That said, the email you send should be reflective of your personality and business. I tend to work with clients who are more casual and I become friends with them. So your email should look different in word choice and tone than mine, depending on your relationships.

Here is a sample email that I have sent:

Hi Rob,

I’ve really enjoyed working with you on projects at Pace. I am currently expanding my business and I wanted to check to see if any other projects at Pace have a need for a freelance writer or if you knew any colleagues at other agencies looking for writers. I promise that any new work won’t affect my availability for your projects :>).

Here is a link to my website and my LinkedIn profile. While I’ve mainly worked on B2B technology projects for you, I also have significant experience working in both finance and insurance. My clients in those areas include Fidelity, Ameriprise, Fifth Third Bank, Allstate and Nationwide.

Let me know if you want me to write out a short bio to send to other managers or need any additional information.

Thanks for everything. Looking forward to continuing to work with you.

Jennifer

Yes, it can be hard to ask for referrals. It feels awkward. But it’s a much less time-consuming way to get more work than cold marketing. And you are actually helping your client do their job better and help out their friends. You might even get your client a free lunch or drink from their colleague for referring such a fabulous writer as yourself. And odds are high that you will get new work just for taking a few minutes to send out a couple of emails.

What is your best advice for getting referrals from current clients?