Let’s get real: life is full of ups and downs. We win some, we lose some. There are people who are great to work with…and, you get the idea.

 

We can’t always control our own environment – and we certainly can’t control someone else’s. As a graphic designer, you are a creative at heart, even if you sometimes struggle with how to get graphic design clients.

 

If you’re a brand designer or have another area of specialization, you spend your days creating presentation elements that help a business beautify its soul.

 

(You don’t!? Maybe give it a try…lofty and ambitious thoughts can help as we squiggle through life’s ups and downs, paying the bills, and considering what’s really important to us.)

 

Before we start thinking too much about the negative experiences of our freelancing, let’s ponder the opposite of rejection — acceptance.

 

What if we viewed every person we met as a potential ally? What if we went into every prospective client interaction understanding that the client thinks differently than we do…and that’s ok!

 

 

What if we were mentally strong, seeing as we are the expert a potential client has contacted for excellent advice due to our training, experience, and talent?

 

And, what if we also recognized our first job is to understand where our client is coming from, then communicating our understanding back to them to show that our perceptivity and expertise can bridge the service gap they have.

 

Yep, that’s right — in freelancing, it’s all about the client. The customer isn’t always right…but they pay the bills!

 

The global graphic design industry this year is expected to exceed $45 billion. You read that right. Billion. And it’s growing! What portion is going to be yours?

 

Today, let’s look at how you will differentiate your clients from the rest of the $45bn in revenue potential out there…and, in doing so, we’ll pick up some tricks on how to win a ‘yes’ while avoiding a lot of unnecessary rejection.

How to Adopt a Winning Freelancer Mindset

Mindset is about how you think about your environment and yourself. It’s an essential building block for life…and for a successful business.

 

You will have days that don’t feel good. We can all agree that running a freelance business is not going to be a daily walk in the rose garden, especially as you learn how to get freelance clients!

 

But can we also agree that there are habits and success tricks you can incorporate to minimize the effects of negative circumstances?

 

If you answered Well, yes, I guess so…. that’s enough to start. (And, if you want some great hints on how to develop a positive mindset in your freelance career, check out our blog How to Stand Out as a Freelance Graphic Designer.)

 

Mindset is all about attracting success to you, converting negativity to positivity, and building a view of yourself that doesn’t dwell endlessly on the losses, regrets, and failures that we all experience.

Mindset is what gives us the resilient ability to choose to get stronger, particularly if we’re presented with a storm to endure!

 

If we’re going to talk about facing rejection, we need to think about mindset. It’s the strength of our boat, as we endure the waves. We need it to be strong, to get through!

 

Let’s reframe rejection away from hearing “we don’t like your work enough to hire you” and accept that there could be thousands of little reasons (and a few hundred big ones, too) that add up to today not being the right time for a particular client interaction.

 

Let’s also recognize that $45bn is a lot of business opportunity and a lot of potential clients. For every “no,” there is a “yes” around the corner!

 

Can we agree that’s true?! Great…your mindset is already ready to go!

What Does Rejection Look Like?

Now, let’s spend some time categorizing rejection. In fact, let’s create ten scenarios and think about some of the possible causes for what’s occurring between a freelancer and their potential client.

 

• Straight out “no” (rejection without reason)
• They reached out, you responded, then nothing (rejection by ghosting)
• Someone refers you, but you hear nothing (rejection by the torture of waiting)
• Decision on your proposal is deferred, indefinitely (rejection by passive-aggressiveness)
• You reached out & the quick reply is they’re too busy right now (rejection by generalities)
• Your proposal is lost in spending approval processes (rejection by passing the buck)
• They think you’re too expensive (rejection by disrespect)
• They were shopping around for the cheapest option (rejection from time wasters)
• They insist on unlimited revisions in the contract terms (rejection of your expertise)
• The phone doesn’t ring (rejection from the effects of inertia)

 

Let’s agree that some of these scenarios will happen to you (they’ve happened to us!). And let’s say that some can’t be avoided (the rain falls on the just and the unjust, after all). But they can be successfully minimized by using the following Ten Tips for Handling Rejection.

 

 

#1. Be proactive about how you’re going to handle rejection. Figure out what “staying in the game” means to you and plan for it. (What’s your “pick me up” when things are feeling bleak? Know it and have it ready for the next bleak day.)

 

#2. Determine to test every criticism and mysterious non-response — is there anything for you to learn from it? If not, forget about it quickly and move on.

 

#3. Have a tangible goal for closing sales. Get so good at pitching your presentations that you can close more than 90% (a high bar, for sure….but we know it is possible, because our client-contact professionals achieve it!)

 

#4. Determine that you’re only going to pursue ideal clients (and define who they are, so you’ll recognize them!)

 

#5. Have a clear sales pipeline (what you do, in what order, and triggering clear follow-up response timing)

#6. Maintain control over everything you can (particularly response follow-up actions)

 

#7. Don’t invest your creative time in a potential project until they’re a landed client with a signed contract

 

#8. Market and network with your ideal clients in mind (focus on where they hang out)

 

#9. Learn to choose potential clients (vet your prospects)

 

#10. Play it cool — know that an instant reply or conclusion isn’t always wise (it can show unhealthy desperation)

 

You have the game plan. We’re going to drill into a couple key concepts, so you can see how sticking to the plan will land clients, creating the client roster you want, and making the money you aimed to achieve when you decided to freelance.

Differentiate Yourself & Weather Freelancing Storms

If we have adopted a winning freelancer mindset by accepting that storms will blow, we can establish a rhythm and lifestyle of positivity, resilience, and habits that stack the odds in our favor. The storm will blow in…and out. It won’t unmoor us. We will have created an edge-advantage right there!

 

Now, let’s talk strategic differentiation. Do you realize that you can niche-down and find the clients you want to work with? Do you realize that, in doing so, you will eliminate many storms, many rejections, and will increase your freelance income at the same time? Yep, it’s true!

 

Let’s talk about a couple of differentiations you can adopt that will help you personally….and will help your business’s bottom-line at the same time.

Laser Focus

Our culture is hyped for distraction…it’s the new currency. As industry hawks ourselves, we’ve written about how to leverage social media and other super-connectors for your freelance business’ marketing success (more about this in our blog Should Creatives Start a Blog, Podcast, or YouTube Channel?)

 

If we’re going to avoid the pitfalls of rejection, we need to have laser-like focus. If we’re looking for affirmation and approval everywhere, we’re going to find rejection often. So, instead, set your eyes on your clear business goals and your plan for accomplishing them. And, your goals will begin with….

 

Niching Down

Your freelance business needs to know who your target customer is and what they are like. Where do they hang out online, so you can find them to connect with? What are their problems that you can solve? What’s their lifestyle paradigm (income, location, business size)?

 

Once you know who your target audience is, you can build your business around that client. Not everyone, just them.

 

And you’ll become good at avoiding rejection by honing your focus on your target clients only (mostly through practice, but also through careful planning and your winning mindset). Your goal will be to become the master of landing your ideal clients.

 

Let’s Review the Basics of Handling Rejection

Looking at the whole from a different angle, let’s go back over the 10 things you’re going to remember, even as you niche-down and focus on your ideal clients.

 

With your winning mindset forefront, you will:

• Know what you’ll do on a “down” day….make a list of what you can do to instantly turn your mindset around.
• Consider the source…if you received criticism or are ghosted, is there anything tangible you can learn or do? Determine to learn what you can & move on quickly.
• Set a sales closing goal for yourself & track it….start high….90% of proposals sent.
• Pursue only your ideal clients.
• Document your business’s sales pipeline & have the document templates ready to use.
• Keep your leverage…be the one determining follow-up dates, then meet them & control the timing as much as possible.
• Don’t start creative work before a contract is signed.
• Vet incoming inquiries…determine who fits your ideal client criteria through your sales pipeline process.
• Play it cool. Control the narrative. Don’t let your ideal clients say no. Win them with well-targeted outreach, best-in-class portfolio, pinpointed proposals, well-practiced closing & the reward will be paid invoices!

Pace Yourself to Start a Successful Freelance Business

If this seems like a lot to master at once, it is. But, with the elements we’ve outlined today in focus as your real business goal, you can then practice (and practice and practice), until you’ve mastered it.

 

This is the skill of overcoming rejection through proactive actions. Repeating these habits and business practices will create wellness and business strength. Slow and steady, after all, really does win every race. Persistence is a virtue you want to develop.

 

If you think it sounds like this was easy for us to figure out, it wasn’t! We developed our sales pipeline and our way of niching-down to our ideal client over many years of rejections and mistakes.

We aren’t any different than you…we’re all creatives, looking to succeed in the freelancing world. But we got a head start and we wrote it all down, so we could encourage you on your journey today!

 

We learned to persevere, and we noted what worked and what didn’t, as our freelance business grew.

 

Eventually, we put our experience together in our online course, and we’re proud to say it’s easy to understand, has lessons that are the ideal length, and provides clear steps to follow so you can put what you learn into practice immediately in your freelance business.

 

We cover all of the information in today’s article (plus a whole lot more!). Think about checking out our Freelance Starter Kit, where we show you how to start the profitable freelance graphic design studio you’ve dreamed of having!