SECTION TWENTY THREE of the ULTIMATE SEO FREELANCER GUIDE - THE REALITY!
Happy SEO clients are your very best unpaid sales team
You simply have no better sales person than a happy client. I am a big believer that everyone knows someone, and this is very true in business. Each one of your own clients also have their own clients and their clients have their own clients and so on… well, that is if you work with B2B clients.
By over-delivering on goals, targets, and expectations along with constant and truthful communication, you will build happy clients.
Every client wants to feel as though they are the only client you have. Make them feel special and you are on to a winner.
Giving incentives to clients for referrals
There are a lot of freelance SEOs as well as agency owners that really do not agree with me on this one. Giving clients an incentive to refer you to others is just not right, they tell me. A client should refer you to others because they want to and are happy to.
I however have a different mindset.
Would you ever recommend a company to a friend if you had received a bad service?
Even if there is a financial incentive, you are just not going to refer your SEO person to others if you are not totally happy with them, the work they are doing and the impact they are generating for your business.
The way I explain it to happy clients is…
I am providing them a way to receive the same level of service at a reduced price. I used to run a referral scheme where each client received 10% residual income for each referral who confirmed a contract. It did get to a stage where some clients were receiving their own SEO service at zero cost, as they had referred new business to me at ten times the value of their own contract.
If you do decide to introduce a similar referral scheme within your own agency, it is important that you only introduce this to your client when you are providing a great return. You must prove yourself before clients are happy to refer you.
Think about it this way…
‘It is better to give away 10% of something you wouldn’t have in the first place.’
Besides that, the time you will save on lead generation alone means you can dedicate that time in time you can sell which in most cases is far greater than the 10% residual you are giving away.
Hungry for more?
Re-visit a previous section:
Section 1: SEO freelancing stories
Section 2: Before you jump ship into the world of SEO freelancing
Section 3: Being a full-time SEO freelancer is a business, not a hobby
Section 4: Be realistic about your own SEO skillset
Section 5: Understanding who your clients are
Section 6: Test the water before fully jumping into the full-time SEO freelancing life
Section 7: Be very mindful of – The promise trap
Section 8: Skills an SEO freelancer must have beyond just SEO
Section 9: The SEO freelancer payment terms
Section 10: Creating the perfect work / life balance
Section 11: Build a freelance support network around you
Section 12: What and how should an SEO freelancer charge?
Section 13: The isolation of being an SEO freelancer
Section 14: Get yourself a mentor or coach
Section 15: What does your personal brand say about YOU as a freelance SEO?
Section 16: Be targeted and productive with the right sales process
Section 17: The perfect lead for an SEO freelancer
Section 18: LinkedIn is your freelancing goldmine just waiting to be tapped in to
Section 19: Get a budget up-front
Section 20: How to create that proposal which wins you the new business
Section 21: Let’s get down to selling – The process
Section 22: Yipee… The prospect said YES. I have a new client. What about contracts?