3 Simple Ways to Attract Higher-Quality Clients

by Freelance, Graphic Design, Web Design

Lower-quality clients suck. All they focus on is how little they can pay. They make unreasonable demands for the amount of work they want you to do and how fast they want it done. And they’ll inevitably ask you for designs that you don’t really enjoy creating.

Does this sound familiar? Then chances are you have suffered from working for clients like these. We all have at some point, especially when starting out.

So how do you avoid working for lower-quality clients? You attract higher-quality ones. How? Well, you’re in luck: there are 3 simple ways to attract higher-quality clients.

There aren’t any tricks involved. It’s simply adjusting your attitude and approach towards clients. You stand your ground and don’t compromise on what you’re worth and who you’re willing to work with. By doing so, you’ll be well on your way to attracting higher-quality clients that you actually want to work with.

Without further ado, here are 3 simple ways to attract higher-quality clients:

1. Don’t Be Desperate – Make Them Need You

The number one way to get lower-quality clients is to appear desperate. As a freelancer or business, when you scrape for the bottom of the barrel, that’s what you’ll get. You’re desperate, so you’ll take the first client you can get. Chances are, they’ll be low-quality:

  • • Focused on low price
  • • Unreasonably demanding the quantity of work and time to deliver it
  • • Wanting designs that you don’t really like to create

Avoid desperation towards clients at all costs. Don’t be desperate – instead, make the clients need you.

When you turn the tables, you get to be selective. And when you’re picky with who you work for, you end up working with higher-quality clients who:

  • • Pay you what you’re actually worth
  • • Agree to the quantity of work and time it’ll take to deliver it
  • • Desire the type of designs you actually want to create

I personally talked to a few designers who went from low to high-quality clients, and they all said the same thing: that not needing clients was the single biggest factor to attracting higher-quality clients.

Once they stopped being desperate for clients, they stopped taking on clients they didn’t want. And during email and phone conversations with clients, they would give off the impression that they didn’t need the client. Key phrases like “if this isn’t what you’re looking for, then I’m probably not the right fit for you” or “you’re better off looking elsewhere” or “lower-cost designers would be better suited for you” were used. The clients were impressed and realized they were talking to a legit designer, not some rent-a-designer, and that made the client desire them more.

Don’t be desperate. Make the client need you. Don’t listen to the “what if I can’t get any clients” voice in your head, stand your ground, and don’t settle. Sooner than later you’ll start getting the clients that want you for you.

2. Don’t Reduce Rates – But Do Offer a Lower-Cost Trial

Similar to #1, don’t cave in to reducing rates. When you stand your ground price-wise, the client will realize that you must be worth it – lesser designers would’ve been more desperate and worked for whatever price they could get.

When pitching to clients, don’t tell them that you can reduce rates. Say what rate you work for and leave it at that. Let the client decide if they can afford that or not – otherwise, you’ll get the lower-quality clients that chase the lowest price and nothing else.

When talking to clients, if they say that the price is too high, use wording like “I’m probably too expensive for you, so you’re better off looking for cheaper designers elsewhere”. Not only will you not settle for lesser pay, but you might actually provoke the client in a friendly way into paying you. They’ll think, hey, I’m good enough of a client, what does this designer mean I can’t afford it? And they just might end up paying you.

That’s good and all, but very few clients will pay full price for unproven talent. So if needed, you should offer a lower-cost trial. If the client is unsure, tell them that you’re wiling to do the first task or project or whatever at a lower rate. Then if the client is happy with the work, they agree to pay full price for subsequent work. This way, you reduce the risk for the client while still standing your ground price-wise and attracting higher-quality clients.

It’s similar to products and services that offer a trial. You never tried the product or service before, so unless you got a personal recommendation, it’s unlikely you’ll pay full price to try it. But a risk-free, lower-cost or no-cost trial you will try. Then, assuming you love it, you’ll gladly continue using it at full price. The company can sell higher-cost premium products and services this way without compromising on cost and thus quality.

3. Focus Your Message on Benefits Clients Really Want

If you don’t make it clear how you can help, then you won’t be able to attract higher-quality clients who are specifically looking for that solution. So you need to crystal-clearly focus your message on the benefits that clients really want.

For example:

  • • When you simply say that you design websites, you’ll attract amateur clients who are looking for someone to design their website.
  • • But when you say that you’ll impress the client’s customers that are in this key demographic (and the client has had trouble reaching) and make them more likely to convert by buying/joining or whatnot, you’ll attract the high-quality clients specifically looking for that.

See the difference?

Focus your message on the benefits the higher-quality clients would want:

  1. • Decide who your ideal clients are
  2. • Find out what problems they have that really need solving
  3. • Clearly say that you can help with that in your emails, website, conversations, and any other messages

By focusing your message on the benefits, you’ll increase the chances of those higher-quality clients paying you to do work for them.

Attract Higher-Quality Clients

When you stand your ground in not needing clients and not reducing rates, and when your message focuses on the benefits clients really want, you’ll be well on your way to attracting higher-quality clients. When you do, you’ll be able to work with clients you actually like, and you’ll get to create designs you actually enjoy making. It’s benefits for you all around: you’re happier, you make more, and your life is easier.

To recap, here are 3 simple ways to attract higher-quality clients:

  1. • Don’t be desperate – make them need you
  2. • Don’t reduce rates – but do offer a lower-cost trial
  3. • Focus your message on benefits clients really want

How else have you been able to attract higher-quality clients?

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  • http://www.flintstudio.com Wiehan Britz

    Nice tight article and some good points covered.

    How would you compete in the digital world when you offer the same products as many of the others? Standing out aint that easy at all.

  • http://theWebalyst.com theWebalyst

    Oleg,

    I have found this in more than business – as a counsellor for example – as well as in my web marketing and related services.

    I particularly like the last point: focus your message on what the kind of clients you want will want/look for/appreciate.

    Its so obvious, but so easy to lose sight of when so many clients will be less sophisticated and clamouring for the lowest common denominator – such as cost – its our job to educate them and understand their needs better than they do after all!

    Thanks for the reminder. I’ll retweet this.

    Mark
    twitter.com/webalyst
    twitter.com/londoncounselor

  • http://www.bigdotmedia.co.uk Steve McGrath

    This is so true, when reached a point where we had enough work to keep us going, that was when we noticed better work coming in.

    Now I am in the process of (nicely!) trying to lose the poor clients we have had from the start and concetrate our efforts on the good ones. Paretos law always works – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle

  • http://www.goldenboymedia.co.uk Daniel Pereira

    Invaluable advice!

  • http://techhelp4.me Beau Justin

    This goes hand in hand with an article written on Smashing Magazine late last year about doing less work and making more money, by raising your prices.

    The idea is if you’re working too much, still having trouble making ends meet, and aren’t doing the type of jobs you’d like to do, raise your prices.

    I’ll tell you straight up, that I was working for $25/hr. My clients were fussy with the bills anytime they got around 10-20 hours, and I felt obligated to keep costs low to “help their businesses”.

    After reading that article, I took a leap and first raised my prices a little to $35. Then I doubled it to $50, and eventually all the way up to $75 hourly.

    I let people know up front that I don’t work cheaply or quickly. I explain why if needs be, and don’t back down.

    I eventually attracted a different brand of clients – ones who value me – and it makes all the difference in the world for both myself, and the clients

    The content of this article will change your business if you let it. It’s time we let people know, in as friendly a tone as possible, that what we do can’t be achieved by using a free Godaddy build-a-site template package.

    Blessings on ya!

    • http://www.lettr7.com letter7

      Thanks for your thoughts beau Justin, if you don’t mind me asking what other methods were critical in helping make your transition? Did you have a different online prescence, how were you marketing yourself? Writing a blog, joining linkedin groups, or taking advantage of an already established network? I would love some advice from some one who has already made this transition successfully.

      Great article, but I think readers are left wondering “ok so ive discouraged low paying jobs from coming in, what else can i do to let other higher quality clients know I’m available”.
      Thanks!

    • http://www.fortewebsolutions.co.uk/ Robert Dicks

       Glad this is working for you Beau and good luck in the future. Glad you mentioned the free templates that are out there that we see being flogged on TV commercials and radio stations on a regular basis.

      I feel many people still believe they can get something for next to nothing and such free products that people hear about only reiterates this to them.

      You may not win so many clients taking this approach but your right, the ones that you do win are more profitable and easier to work with.

  • http://cargocollective.com/ourvision bartosz

    Maybe I’m overreacting here, but don’t you think that saying “you’re better off looking elsewhere” or “lower-cost designers would be better suited for you” to your potential client is a little bit rude?
    Thank you for the article though.

    • http://www.audiomind.us AUDIOMIND

      I agree, to an extent. There is a way to be honest, firm and direct, but by not being subtle with the approach it can turn the conversation hostile in an instant. Generally, I phrase my response in a similar vein to the other example Oleg gave, “if this isn’t what you’re looking for, then I’m probably not the right fit for you”. Adapting my own variation of that ‘theme’.

  • http://sabramedia.com Jonathan Wold

    Excellent thoughts. One of the strategies that has worked for us is to begin relationships, especially on large projects, with an “Evaluation”. The client invests in our initial research and we deliver our recommendations along with an estimate for their consideration. This lets us invest the time needed to do thorough research, makes it easier to close and deliver on the project, and, in the cases where we offer an evaluation, helps us filter out the clients who aren’t a match.

    By the way, have you considered adding the “ShareThis” plugin?

  • http://www.lettr7.com letter7

    I’am one of those web designer/developers looking to transition from lower quality clients to higher paying ones. I’ve had to take on these less desireable clients so I can build my work portfolio, but its about time to change over. Your tips in this article are just what I was looking for. Thanks!

  • Emil

    well, most people think that it’s easier to compete on rate. and without realizing it, they then trapped with a pool of (using your terms) amateur clients.

    that lower-cost trial is an interesting idea, could you perhaps give an insight on how much should we charge on this trial ? in percentage to our full rate…

  • http://www.eastdevonit.co.uk Dan

    Great post, thanks

    It’s very hard to say no to business, but it may be a good idea in the long run!!

  • http://www.codemyimage.com/ Jon Huot

    This was a good read! Quality clients are the key to success in every business. For web designers interested to read more tips on how to promote online their design work to find customers, please feel free to read my recent article: http://blog.codemyimage.com/web-designers-promotion

  • http://www.webdesignerslog.com Vijendra

    Nice Post… Oleg I’m totally agreed with you … their are plenty of such clients in market these days … they want work but doesn’t want to pay for your efforts …

  • http://www.auburnrandall.com Jeremy Randall

    Great advice! I have found that when I’ve offered low rates or deals, I’ve had a difficult time satisfying the client. My reasoning is that they are not as invested in the project and are not paying as much attention to the communication of details, and wind up with something that they didn’t have in mind.

    However, when you have more realistic rates, the client seems to work more closely with you. This in turn keeps them in the project development loop and there are generally less suprises when it comes time to deliver.

  • http://www.TXDesignStudio.com Cristina

    Thank you for this article. We were right at the crux of this situation, and the debate in our minds has been the quality of our work versus the economy. I believe holding on to quality will continue to bring the high quality clients.
    Thanks!

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  • http://www.freedomstudios.co.za Graham

    Great article. It always amazes me how lower quality clients want the earth and want to pay you peanuts.

    Since we have started attracted better quality clients it doing the work has been much more of a pleasure.

  • http://www.finishercreative.com Haroon

    Really great article.

    This is something that I have been trying to focus on more his year.

    Thanks for the tips

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  • http://twitter.com/elveera_com elveera

     thank you so much for your valuable input.

  • http://WWW.AWAZDA.COM Amanda Wall

    These are some nice tips with thorough explanations.

  • Sahana

    Very Nice Article. Very Informative.

  • Javadtaghavi2009

    not bad . but some thins are very difficult to do that

    • http://www.nburmandesign.com/ Media Designer

      It is much easier to attract low quality clients. If it wasn’t hard work, everyone would be doing it. 

  • http://creativecrops.co.uk/ Kieran

    Awesome post, kicks you back up into thinking there are clients out there that are good to work with!

  • Cdgriff

    I’m sorry to everyone who is praising this article, but this is a load of crap.

    As a freelancer with two decades of experience, I can’t help but consider these negotiation strategies too simplistic for the real world of client relations.
    Especially in a fierce, competitive market and a terrible, unforgiving economy that has only gotten worse since this article was written.   There are no easy, clear cut answers to the problem of dealing with clients.

    Don’t appear desperate- 
    That could work.  If one was asking someone out on a date.  But all it’s going to leave the client with is an impression that the talent is “difficult”. If the talent approached the client in the first place, they’re already giving a sense of “desperation” whether intentional or not. And if they end up getting the gig because they played “hard to get,” does it really help their reputation? 
       And it’s not going to hurt the client if the talent rejects their assignment. Clients never learn any lessons in negotiations, because they know, for every talent that turns down their deal, there are many, many hungry, younger and – yes – desperate talent who will snap it up no matter the rates.
       Unless the project is narrowed down to such a request that only 5 people can do it, and four of them are too busy, and the deadline is looming, the client will bend over backwards to meet the talent’s demands.  However, in the real, unfair world, most freelancers (no matter the field) are considered a dime-a-dozen in the eyes of cheap and uncompromising clients.
      I know many other freelancers and their own personal strategies, and even though there are certain jobs they will not accept, in these economic hard times, their options are mighty slim.  It’s easy to appear disinterested when one can afford it.
      The adage of “Don’t appear desperate” definitely doesn’t work in a bidding war.  I’d like to see this strategy used on such online freelance job sites as Elance, Guru, Odesk, iFreelance, etc. Heck, even Monster.com.  Good luck.

    Don’t reduce rates-
    This actually has some legs.  And it has been known to work on some clients.  So, I can’t fully disagree with it.  However, I do have to apply some of the critique used from the previous advice topic; Talent gets a bad rep.  Easy to pick and choose when you’re financially secure.  Client perception of talent pool as “dime-a-dozen”.  Advice won’t work on Elance, Guru, etc.   
      Also, you better be damn good at what you do.  Because if you’re inconveniencing the client with demands, the ends better justify the means!  If a “tough love” strategy and impressively delivering the goods result in a regular clientele that pays decently, then huzzah! Good for you!  But 99% of the time, it’s a risky gamble.
      I speak from personal experience (as well as from stories of fellow freelancers) that refusing the low rates of stingy clients, or requesting a pay raise from (at first) reliable clients, results in empty email boxes and unreturned phone calls.

    Focus your message on benefits clients really want-
    Well, duh!  The only problem is, clients don’t know what they want. And not every freelancer has the selling skills of Harold Hill (Look it up).  Except, they would like to make a lot of money with the least amount of overhead and expense.  If that means dealing with a cheaper, undemanding contractor, the better. As with romantic relationships, there’s a client for every freelancer.  Unfortunately, the ratio is horribly disadvantageous to the freelancer.
    The professional field is like “playing the field.”  The job market is a very bad singles bar.  Everyone’s competing for prime picks, but the majority of us end up with the dregs. Or just nothing.

    A dark, cynical viewpoint, I know.  But every freelancer knows this to be true. If the “3 Simple Ways to Attract..yadda, yadda, yadda..” actually works for some lucky soul…  And they’re successful…  They make a comfortable living…  We envy them.  After awhile, we learn to hate them.  Hate them, loathe them and despise them for doing better in a profession that we’re struggling everyday in.  This is the reason why freelancers will never unionize.  Why clients will always find cheaper talent.  Why articles that lend out naive, wish-fulfillment advice will always be regarded with spite, bitterness, and a general frustration.  We freelancers are own worst enemy.  And this is what clients, if not the entire industry itself, loves to exploit. 

     Don’t bother with your rebuttals, I won’t be around to see them.

    –CD Griff