Grow your contracting career with high-value clients

30th May, 2018
Grow your contracting career with high-value clients

As a contractor you sell your skills to clients like any other business sells its services. It’s understandable that most contractors want to therefore sell their services to high-value clients. Working with high-value clients can be a strategic move to progress your contracting career, grow your business and increase your income.

But how can you spot a high-value client? A high-value client can make a real difference to your contracting career. They will often offer longer-term contracts, and of course value your services and pay more.

If you want to win work with high-value clients, follow our essential tips below on landing an all-important high-value contract.

 

Establish Quality

First things first, make sure you establish quality and credibility when it comes to your work. High-value clients look for contractors who can demonstrate that they deliver quality and have the skills needed to carry out the contract to an excellent standard. At the end of the day, high-value clients pay more, so expect a certain level of quality in return.

When going after contracts with high-value clients, make sure you have a killer CV prepared that highlights your track record of delivering top-quality work. If you can get a reference from a credible previous client, this will have a lot of sway with future clients. You can display references and recommendations either on your LinkedIn profile or on your website.

 

Create the Perfect Pitch

Find out exactly what the client is looking for, and build the perfect pitch based on this. Start by doing your research, researching both the client and the project. This may seem obvious, but it is an important step to take before you can create a pitch that is on point. The more information you have, the stronger your communication with the client will be, and the more professional and knowledgeable you will come across.

Finally, make sure you understand the pitch points. Don’t go off-topic. Stick to the point to prove why you’re the best contractor for the role. If you can deliver a clear, strong pitch, you significantly improve your chances of winning a contract with a high-value client. For more tips on marketing yourself and creating the perfect pitch, read our article on how to market yourself as a contractor.

 

Build Rapport

Building rapport with a high-value client is a great way to win yourself a high-value contract. If you can show that there is an understanding between yourself and the client from the get-go you will leave a lasting impression.

Building a good rapport can be as simple as showing that you have something in common with the client – this could be your industry expertise, knowledge, perhaps previous projects that resonate with the client, or even shared views on GDPR or other topical industry events.

If you’ve got plenty to talk about, this will not only break the ice but will also show that you’re a real expert in your field who keeps abreast of what’s happening in the industry. Showing you’re an open and friendly person and having exceptional communication skills will take you a long way. Good communication is the foundation of any relationship, and showing you are a strong and confident communicator will resonate with the client.

 

Focus on Results

High-value clients want results. It’s therefore important that you show the client that you are results driven. Prove to the client how you’ve achieved results in the past. You could make this your unique selling point – something that makes you stand out from the competition.

High-value clients will award high-value contracts to those that they can trust to get results, so it’s important that you emphasise how you can deliver results for the client.

 

Provide Value

As high-value clients often pay more, you need to show that you are worth it. Demonstrating that you deliver quality and provide value is a winning formula. What is valuable to your client for this specific project? Do they value someone creative and original, or someone who is reliable and is available at short notice? Understanding what is important to your client is the first step to start delivering value.

If you can show that you have a proven track record of over-delivering, providing quality, and getting results, you demonstrate that you provide value – something every client is looking for.

 

Next Steps

If you want to make the most out of your contracting career and increase the value of your work, then we can help. At Contracting Wise, we offer assistance with every aspect of contracting – to speak to a member of our team, call 0203 642 8679

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