Client sourcing

Behance is a free social media platform for designers, illustrators, and others who want to showcase or discover creative work. It is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite.

A cold call is when a salesperson reaches out to a person who has not previously expressed interest in a product or service. Cold calls are sometimes made via an auto-dialer

A content mill is a company that creates and sells a high volume of articles or blogs at a low price. Writers are typically paid very little at content mills, adding to their poor reputation.

A discovery call is the first phone call that a salesperson has with a prospect to collect more information about the lead’s goals, company, and challenges.

Dribbble is a popular destination for designers and creatives who want to find a job, create a digital portfolio, and/or connect with other design professionals.

Fiverr is a platform where freelancers can post “gigs” for buyers to purchase. Fiverr is best known for offering services that cost as low as $5, but also offers premium services.

In sales, a follow-up is when you reach back out to a potential customer after you’ve made your initial pitch. It can involve a series of emails, calls, and more that inspire action.

A proposal is a document that you send to a potential client, convincing him/her of your qualifications and your understanding of a project. It is similar to a sales pitch.

Freelancer.com is a platform for finding and hiring freelancers in over 1,800 categories. It is best known for fulfilling the needs of short-term, budget-friendly projects.

A letter of introduction is meant to start a conversation, either between you and a prospective employer, client, or connection—or between two people that you know.

LinkedIn is a social network built specifically for businesses and professionals to connect. It is a popular channel for recruiting, marketing, and prospecting.

A writing or design portfolio is a collection of work that gives a potential client an idea of your skills, experience, and expertise. Modern portfolios are published online.

Product-market fit refers to when a company has successfully identified their target customers, based on sales velocity, positive feedback, word-of-mouth marketing, and other indicators.

Professional contacts are people whom you’ve met and/or worked with before. They may be able to serve as referrals for a job or as role models in your field (as examples).

A query letter is a letter addressed to a literary agent, editor, or publisher to generate interest around a book or book idea. It is comparable to a cover letter on a job app.

Recruiters help to find and engage qualified job candidates for hiring companies. They may work for a staffing agency or an in-house human resources department.

A sales pitch is a short presentation or speech intended to persuade someone to purchase your product or service. The best sales pitch is concise, personalized, and well-researched.

A sales referral (aka customer referral) is a prospect who was introduced to a company through a mutual contact or an existing customer.

Toptal is a freelancing platform, where businesses can connect with talented developers, designers, finance experts, project managers, and product managers.

Twine is an online marketplace that connects buyers with freelancers in various fields, including design, film, music, engineering, marketing, and AI/ML.

Upwork is an online marketplace where freelancers and clients can easily connect. Freelancers can bid on projects posted by clients, or list their various services for clients to purchase.

We Work Remotely is a platform for finding and listing fully remote jobs. Job seekers can find opportunities in fields like programming, design, sales, and marketing.

Writing clips are copies of published work that give prospective clients an idea of your writing skills, experience, and style. They are often required of journalists or freelance writers.