The freedom gained by working as a freelancer means that one is free from representing an employer’s brand identity. This also means that the work a freelancer does has to gain an extra level of trust through its own merit, as there is no reputation of a large brand or company supporting the validity or quality of the services offered by a freelancer. As with any decision to buy a product or engage with a service—whether it’s a skincare product, a vacation rental, or choosing a doctor—the marketplace depends on reputations to drive more business to a particular service or product. For example, when viewing products and services on Google or Amazon, there is always a set of reviews and a rating that helps newcomers find the options recommended by previous customers.
As a freelancer, it is essential that one establish a reliable reputation. Gaining this element of ‘social proof’ of one’s quality of work and skillset will allow new clients and new customers to purchase services with confidence and enthusiasm. Working independently, how does one start off gaining social proof?
After completing work for friends and family while building a portfolio, ask them to write honest reviews of the work that feature details about the service, what they thought you did well, and why they would choose to work with you again. Whether these reviews are written, or short video testimonial clips, having a portfolio of feedback that can be shown to prospective clients as proof of the value of one’s services is essential.
When working with clients, ask each client to submit a review at the end of the project. Explain to clients the value of their feedback as a tool for building the business and allow them to submit their testimonial in writing, as a short video clip, or using an automated Google form in order to keep these organized and in connection with each completed project.
Each time a seller completes a gig on one of these platforms, it will prompt the customer to provide a rating, all of which get featured on the seller’s profile. Hold on to these testimonials, keep screenshots and records of each review that is left. One’s ratings and feedback not only generate future business on the site, but also can be used to feature one’s skills on social media and to other future buyers.
Pool all the testimonials and feature a handful of the best ones on a personal website. Ask clients for permission to share their testimonials publicly. Moving forward, when pitching to new clients and growing the freelance business, newcomers will see this feedback from previous customers and be more inclined to trust you with their business.
