How to Overcome Client Objections as a Freelancer and Win More Projects

[00:00:00] Chris: Have you heard this freelancer song on Tik TOK “it cost that much because it takes me @#$%ing hours” It's a really popular song because to be honest, dealing with client objections can be tough, but not for you, my friend, because this week we're going to talk about how to easily overcome objections as a freelancer and win more product.


Are you ready? Let's go 


What is up self maders. Welcome to another episode of the self-made web designer podcast, a listener named Josh reached out and wanted to chat. And obviously, I said, yes, Josh has been freelancing for about six months now and he's killing it. He's gotten about $2,000 worth of. Already, but he's been running into some roadblocks as he's tried to start charging higher rates. 


The clients he's been talking to have been objecting to his higher prices, how could they, so I thought, Hey, Josh, let's get on a call and record our conversation because dealing with client objections is actually something that every freelancer is going to have to deal with. And the good news is. There are some things that you can do to actually turn those objections into an opportunity to show your client just how perfect you are for them. 


But before we dive into my conversation with Josh, I got to ask, have you subscribed to the self-made? Designer podcast doing that. We'll give you weekly tips on how to level up as a freelancer, start charging higher rates, and ultimately crush it as a web designer. So do that now. Also, if you want to find the transcript for my conversation with Josh, there will be a link to do that in the episodes show notes. 


All right. Are you ready to hear my conversation with Josh talking about how to easily overcome client objections as a freelancer? Win more projects. All right, let's do it. So, so your question is, you know, you've got some clients who are, um, her coming to you, you're having consultation calls with them. 

They're kind of kicking back on your price and saying, um, you know, there are lower price options available. So how, how do I, how do I convince these folks of your value? Or how do you stand out from the folks who are kind of the lower price option? Am I hearing that right? 


[00:02:24] Josh: Yeah. That's right. That's exactly what I've been dealing with. 


[00:02:26] Chris: 
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. It's, it's a real common thing for folks who are just getting started, but a couple of things I think you're doing right already, and I just kind of want to point it out is number one, you're getting in front of folks. Right? So you're having those calls. That's something that a lot of folks who are just getting started, you've only been doing this for six months. 


And so like a lot of folks are just like, how do I get in front of people and have conversations. Um, them about, you know, selling them a website or rebuilding or whatever. So, so that, that is great. So, The other part to that is learning how to get in front of the right people. Right. So, um, rather than getting in front of folks who are looking for they're, they're this they're, what's called price-driven clients, right? 


Like, um, that is their litmus test for whether or not this is worth it. Like how cheap can I get it for? And if, if you are always getting in front of price driven clients, this will always be a conversation. That you have. Um, so, you know, the first thing would be to try to figure out how to find clients who aren't price driven as much as they're value driven. 


Right? So they're not just looking for the lowest cost alternative. They're looking for something that is really going to move the needle for their business, and they're willing to pay a little bit more for it, you know? So. Um, that that would be the first step in the strategy is where the leads coming from. 


Are you getting the right ones to come to you? Who, you know, you obviously want to scale up in your prices, so you don't want to stay at where you're at right now. So, you know, look for those folks who they're at a place in their business where they're probably not just starting out, you know, because folks are just starting out. 

They're more price-driven um, because they're just trying to get something out the door. They're trying to get it out the doors for as cheap as possible, get something running proof of concept. They don't know if they're gonna make any money from it, but folks who are kind of in the middle of their journey. 


Um, so they've made a little bit of money in it. They have a little bit of disposable income. But their website has kind of kept their growth. Um, that's where you want to focus your attention on getting in front of those folks. Um, so looking for the folks who maybe have been around for two, three years, um, they've, it, it could be a side hustle. 

It could be something they're doing part-time, but because as a side hustle, they've got a little bit more funds to kind of throw at marketing or throw at their website. That would be the first step. Um, the, the second step, when somebody asks you to justify your prices, um, you want to be as data-driven as possible, right? 


So you want to say, well it's because I feel like I'm worth it. You know, like that's not, that's not really the. The strategy you want to say, well, the last person's site that I rebuilt, he went from making $10,000 a month to $20,000 a month. Right. Because, and here's what I did. I did a, B, C, D E F G. So if I can do that, he paid me $10,000. 


He's got $10,000 extra a month as a result of working with me. So he had. 10 Xed his investment in his business because of how I helped him. Right. So, um, it might be a little bit tough to do that at the very beginning. Um, but you want to make sure that as you're building sites, you're documenting all this stuff, right? 


So the sites that you have done, you ask those questions, like, what's your monthly income? What are you, what are you hoping? Or it could even be like, it doesn't have to be a monetary value. You could say, like, I'm getting. 10 times more leads than I did before I had Josh helped me with my website. Does that, does that make sense? 

Yeah, for sure. Yeah. So try to try to have some legitimate verifiable data set that you can say this isn't just about, you know, me feeling like I'm worth this. This is like an actuality I'm taking what I know I can do, and I'm putting that into a price and that's what I'm giving to you. So, um, that that's one side of it. 


The other side of. Something that it sounds like you're already doing, you know, that, um, you're telling them, you know, like low price doesn't always mean the best product, you know, so sure. It's going to be low price, but you're going to have to do way more work with them on your own than you would with me, because I'm the concierge level. 


So, um, and I always try to liken it to, you know, w am I, am I going to get a hamburger at McDonald's or am I going to go to. And get a steak, you know, like they're, they're both fine options. Both will sustain you. Um, you know, you're gonna be able to live off of them. Maybe, you know, if you eat too much red meat, you'll get diabetes, but, um, you know, but it like one is a much more enjoyable experience that you're going to walk away going. 


Wow. That was amazing. Is it going to cost you a lot more? Absolutely. But that all depends on where you're at as a company. Um, and, and what you're hoping to accomplish. So I am, I am more at not the Ruth's Chris level. I'm more at, you know, like Chili's or, or some other chain that you would go to. Going to McDonald's and pick it up from the dollar menu. 


So want to take a second and tell you a bout a free course that I have available at self-made web designer.com over 1000 people have been through this course, and I am talking about the web designer starter kit course. I'm. And for videos that you get through email, all the steps that I took to get to where I am as a web designer. 


And I went from knowing absolutely nothing. I was clueless to in two years, doubling my income with a freelance web design side hustle. I made this because I know you can be successful. Doing the same thing. And the web designer starter kit course is the first step for you on your journey to being a successful thriving, freelance web designer or having a full-time career. 


So I can't wait for you to check it out, go to self-made web designer.com and sign up today. 


[00:08:36] Josh: Some of the clients, I pitched to are like, Either they're too busy. Like they, they don't want more business, which is a little tricky. Do you tend to just kind of be like, alright, that's cool? Y'all are good where you're at or. Egged him on to me like, oh, well potentially you could have a scheduling plugin that can save you time.


[00:09:01] Chris: I think that's a great, uh, strategy. So, um, because what they're thinking is that you're going to be adding more to their plate. And, and the reality is, is that a good website that has some automation set up to where. 


They're not having to answer every single email. And they've got people who are automatically set up into a workflow system. If they get a lead, then it sets a reminder on the calendar and it assigns it to a person in their business, or they don't even have to think about it and they can do follow-up emails. 


They can have, you know, automated workflows and MailChimp to where the process is just 100% all mechanical, you know? And so, um, That is a great selling point. And at that point, you're, you're, you're much more becoming a consultant, um, where you're like, Hey, this is this, isn't a website problem. This is a business problem that your website can fix, you know? 


And so, um, at that point you kind of want to do what's called future pacing, you know, to where you say, Hey, five years from now, do you still want to be feeling like you're too. You know, like, and, and you're capped at the amount of work that you're able to do. You know, you only have a hundred something hours in a week. 


Do you want that to be the cap to your business? Well, if you don't want to, if you want, in two years, a year from now, you want to only be working 30 or 40 hours a week. Let me set you up a website and a system that works for you. Even if I don't redesign it, like hire me. A thousand bucks, I'm going to come in and set up all your automation systems to where it's just natural, where a lead comes in, you reach out to them, then they get in the funnel. 


You know, another thing I want to encourage you with. Is it, especially, it sounds like, are you, are you doing, uh, more cold leads kind of thing, or how's this working for you? How are you getting in front of?


[00:10:51] Josh: Yeah, so some of them are cold leads. Some of them like, literally I'll be driving and I see a truck. I don't see website on it for call. Um, other times I'm actually visiting their business. So two of my clients, I, I was actually customers there. And, uh, I just mentioned like, Hey, I noticed you guys don't have website or. It seems a little out now. I don't say this seems out-dated. One of the guys said it was trashed, but, but, uh, yeah, so some, I guess it's a mix of that. 


And then I've also been doing proposals on Upwork. 


[00:11:24] Chris: Got it. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So, um, that's, that's a great way to do it. Um, but that's, uh, that's pretty, those are pretty cold leads. And so with that, um, you've got to look at it as you're, you're investing now, but seven. A year from now, they're going to be the ones that are calling you back. 


Right. Um, so they say that typically you want to get in front of somebody seven times before they actually have decided yes or no. Um, well, I mean, there are three decisions. Yes, no. Or let me wait and I want to do this, but I just can't do it right now. Right. And so if, if you're in the very first few interactions with them and you're already starting to think critically and kind of help them put the pieces together, um, then you know, I think on the seventh interaction, it's going to be a lot easier. 


So w w the, the funnel or the system that you're working is actually doing exactly what you needed to, I think you just gotta be a little bit patient and, and kind of keep working with it, but where most freelancers drop off. Is that they don't follow up with people that they connected with. Right. So, um, you want to set something up with these folks that you've had interactions with, um, just to reach out to them in a, in a non-invasive non-pushy way, you know, so set a reminder on your calendar, do it a month from now, um, to where you send them a tax or you send them an email or you follow up with a phone call. 


Hey. I want to see how you guys are doing, um, you know, see if there's anything that you need help with. I mean, maybe you don't even include that, you know, and always try to bring a little bit of like insider knowledge to the conversation. Like, Hey notice you guys just did this sale. It looks like it was really successful. 


Glad to see that you guys are still running and got it. You know? Um, so, um, just try to consistently keep following up with them and that's, this is, you know, This is a, the CRM of it. All right, where you've got the marketing, uh, customer relationship management kind of stuff. So, um, where you just have something that you're just kind of constantly keeping in touch with people. 


And the good news is, is that you help these guys out. And you know, they're gonna tell their friends about you and that this is, this is how it starts. This is, this is the process. So you're doing absolutely everything. You need to do fun chatting with you. Just a quick recap. If you want to overcome client objections and win more projects as a freelancer, here are a few things that you can do. 


Number one, the best way to deal with client objections is actually finding clients who have fewer objections. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I knew that advice from my mom would someday be applicable to my own life. So don't spin your wheels, trying to get in front of clients that probably won't hire. 


No matter what you say. Instead, spend some time really dialing in which clients you'll serve best in this season of your freelancing career. And then get in front of those clients. Number two, be ready to justify what you're worth. You can do that through actual data of clients and the success that you've worked within the past. 


But you could also talk about the experience the client will have. Versus going with a cheaper option. Number three, don't just be a freelancer. Be a problem solver. When a client raises an objection, come up with a solution to help them solve the issue they're having in their business with the expertise that you have as a freelancer, and finally keep at it. 


Most of the. It's going to take more than one interaction with a client before they're ready to say yes to you. On average, it takes anywhere from six to eight times before the client is ready to hire you. So follow up and stick with it, but don't do it in a pushy way. Okay. Put the relationship before this. 


Always. All right, that's it for this episode, I hope you got a lot out of learning how to handle client objections next week. We've got another episode coming straight at you and it's going to be awesome. And I know you're going to love it until then keep pushing and growing and don't forget if you don't quit, you win.