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You may already know this, but for those who have been too busy bidding for clients and computing for fees: a freelancer’s reputation is important. It provides a first impression to the potential employers looking for skills like yours. Like it or not, you have to keep your professional reputation untarnished.
If you need more reasons as to why your freelance reputation matters, read on. You will be surprised at how much hinges on that professional reputation of yours.
1. Employers Sieve Applicants by Reputation
When an employer posts a job and requests people to apply, you can expect a lot of people to bid on it—especially if the job comes with a good offer and requires a common skill. With so much competition for limited job opportunities, the employer will have plenty of choices. You can bet that he or she will not have the time to go through all those applications. Time is money after all.
What the employer will do is ruthlessly sieve through applications based on the reputation. Your ratings and the reviews of your work will determine whether the potential employer considers your applications further or not. If your freelancer reputation ranks lower than the frontrunners, you can forget about moving on to the next stage of the selection process.
Your reputation therefore acts as a first impression made on a potential employer. That's why you should ensure that it's positive and solid enough to help you make the first cut.
2. Referrals Happen Based on Your Reputation
When people see good things, they want to share them with others. So, how does this have any relevance on your freelance business?
Well, if you do a great job for your clients every time, your reputation will continue to grow. As long as you keep on delivering good quality work, people will be more likely to refer you to others. Think of referrals as marketing, but done by happy clients on your behalf at no charge. Before long, you will be attracting more clients, all without having to invest any extra effort.
The more referrals that you get, the more clients you will have. This also means higher revenues for your freelance business. What's not to like about that?
3. Reputation Attracts a Higher Caliber of Employers
Do you know what distinguishes freelance leaders from the rest? It's their reputation and the extra exposure that it affords them.
The more reputable you are as a freelancer, the higher the caliber of employers you would be able to attract. To make matters even better, you would not need to go searching for them. Your excellent reputation will bring the employers to you.
Being able to attract a higher caliber of employers is always a good thing. For one, you would never have to spend any money on advertising. For another, you will be able to command higher prices for your services. This, in turn, will enable you to earn more while working for a shorter time. Not only will you be able to reap bigger financial benefits, but it also gives you more time to do the things that you love. Talk about a win-win situation!
Clearly, your reputation as a freelancer matters a lot. Take the time to produce high-quality work, respond to criticism, and ask for reviews. Do everything that you can to enhance your reputation and watch as your business grows.
