on the origin of clients

Dear Reader,

Things change! I wrote this article back in 2018. Now in 2020, that breakdown of client origin has shifted. The majority of my clients come from coworkers and other clients (both former and current). The second biggest source is my online presence (my website, Dribbble, LinkedIn etc.). The rest are slivers. Still, I’m leaving this article up because it’s good to see that even though your career will evolve, the strongest lessons will hold true.

Here is the article as it was in 2018:

Dear Reader,

I've been asked where I get clients by several friends and students. Everyone will have a different makeup of where their clients come from. For me, the breakdown is roughly this:

Here's the best advice I can give you about getting clients: Don't be a dick. Most of the work you'll get is from people you already know. If you have a reputation of being a hard worker and a good person, they'll probably trust you to do work for their friend's start up company and so on. If you have a reputation of being a dick, here's hoping the recruiters from LinkedIn can't tell from your profile. Let's break each down, quickly.

Former coworkers

Try not to be an isolationist at work. If you're a designer, be friends with producers, developers, and business developers alike. In the event they move to a new job, it's likely they'll stay in the same industry and will need a good designer they like to work with. Be someone worth working with.

former teachers

If you're a student, try this exercise: Treat your teacher like a boss. Chances are, they are a boss elsewhere anyway. Pretend each project is a job that you'll be getting paid for. Do it well and do it on time. They'll notice and maybe remember you when they're looking for someone reliable to take a job that's beneath their pay grade.

online presence

For the longest time I didn't have a website—I only had Behance. I got plenty of random people looking for things I did. Then, I scored a Dribbble invite and those random connections doubled. Make yourself a profile and be judicious about what you put up. Oftentimes people will reference a specific thing you did and want another just like it. 

friends/peers

I got lucky. My friends are smart, talented, and kind. If they can't take a freelance job, they'll send it my way. I always do my best to return the favor. My non-designer friends know the value of good design and know to call me if they ever need help.

random

Random is writing an email to a news publication that says "Hey, I just like the work you do and I'd love to be a part of it. Please check out my portfolio". And magically, they do. Random is writing your name and email on a napkin and giving it to a charity worker you just met at a bar and never hearing back. Random rarely works but the important thing is that you try. 

In summation:

1. Don't be a dick
2. Treat coworkers, teachers, and peers with respect
3. Earn the reputation of being a hard worker
4. Make yourself visible online
5. Introduce yourself to people you want to work with

RG+B