Clients Asking for Free Work? How Freelancers Should Handle It
By

To those starting out in freelancing; you have likely experienced something like this; a client wants to see if you are as good as they say, so they ask for a free sample of your work, and once you have provided them with that, you never hear back again. As frustrating as this is to any freelancer; it can be particularly tough for a new freelancer.

Many new freelancers will waste precious time, energy, and even lose confidence by not knowing how to handle client requests for free work.

In this post; you will learn about:

1) Why clients ask for free work from freelancers

2) When is it appropriate or not for a freelancer to do free work

3) How to professionally say no to free work requests

4) Ways to protect your time while still winning clients.

Now, let’s work through this together.

What do clients generally request free work?

Understanding why clients ask for free work should help you not react and/or be emotional towards this issue.

1. Trust Level Mediocre

A new client does not have a working relationship with you and may not trust your ability, therefore may want to see proof of competency before agreeing to pay.

2. Previous Bad Experience

Often, a client has had bad experiences in the past with dishonest service providers and may therefore be overly cautious about any future decisions they make.

3. Clients Want Cheap or Free Work

Unfortunately, clients will attempt to receive work done at no cost through time spent on reviewing portfolios and/or attempting to negotiate free work.

4. Inexperienced Freelancer

If you are a new freelancer (without a portfolio or references), clients will often test you more than experienced freelancers.

Freelancers Encountering Clients’ Free Work Requests

So the issue of “free work requests from clients” is not the only issue faced by freelancers.

Here are several issues faced by freelancers;

  • You don’t know when to accept or reject an offer
  • Fear of losing the client
  • Desire to obtain your first job
  • Belief that “maybe this will create paying work”

And as a result,

  • You work for free.
  • You become frustrated and feel betrayed.
  • You have spent many hours on no results.

When Is Free Work Actually Okay?

Just to be crystal clear, not all free work is a bad thing.

In fact, free work can sometimes be strategic in nature.

The basis for accepting Free Work are to:

  • Have a very small sample size (5-10 minutes MAX)
  • Help create a portfolio
  • Work with a genuine and professional client
  • Clearly agree to what the limits will be together up front

Example:

Instead of writing a full article, you can write:

“I can write a brief paragraph example to help show you my writing style.”

This shows confidence while not providing all your effort.

When You Should Completely Say NO!

Here are some red flags  that you should never overlook:

  • Large Request for Free Work:
  • If a client says to you they want:
  • Full article
  • Full design
  • Complete project
  • This is exploitation and NOT a test.

Not Clear if They Are Going to Hire:
If a client states:
We will figure it out later
That means they will be getting free work from multiple freelancers.

No Mention of The Budget:
They are avoiding talking about ANY kind of payment, red flag.

Requests of Multiple “Samples”:
If they keep asking for other revisions or examples, meaning they could be using you!

How Do I Politely Say No to Doing Free Work Without Losing the Job?

Most people who are just starting out find this to be a difficult task because they don’t want to seem rude, but at the same time, they don’t want to provide the client with any free work. Below are several examples of polite and effective ways to respond to this situation.

Response 1: Use My Portfolio

“I would be happy to provide you with samples of my work; these will show you my level of quality. If you’d like me to send them to you, please let me know.”

Response 2: Provide a Small Sample

“I can provide you with a short (100 – 150 word) sample of my work; however, any additional work must be an actual paying job.”

Response 3: Set Clear Expectations

“I usually only do test projects if I receive payment; due to limited time, I am no longer able to offer test projects that do not pay me to complete them; however, if I do the job for you, I will do a high quality job.”

Response 4: Convert to a Paid Trial Job

An option is to create a small paid trial project and, if you are happy with my work, we can work together on a long-term basis. This is how most professional freelancers prefer to approach work with clients.

A Smart Way to Replace Working for Free by Providing Proof

There are several other alternatives than to work for free, and these include:

1. Create a Great Portfolio

You can create ten sample articles, demo designs, or case study articles on your own or create new articles or designs.

2. Use Your Own Projects as Proof

For example, you could create a blog for your personal business or create a mock advertisement and use that as proof.

Often times when clients are looking for proof, they do not need to see actual client work but rather need to see proof of your skills through assigned projects.

3. Provide Results, Not Effort

Instead of saying:

“I am able to complete this task.”

Say:

“My writing increased engagement by 40%.”

Results create trust faster than free work.

 

The Number 1 Mistake Beginners Make

The majority of beginner freelancers believe:

“The more free work I do, the more likely I am to find paying clients.”

But this is not the case.

What Do You Do When You Do Free Work?

  • You will find lousy clients.
  • They will not respect your time.
  • After you do the work, they will disappear.

Free work does not lead to paying projects if you continue to do free work.

How Experienced Freelancers Manage the Situation

Experienced freelancers hardly ever do free work.

Instead, they:

Have a solid portfolio
Offer paid trials
Set reasonable limits
Walk away from low quality clients.

Because they do these four things…

  • They earn more money.
  • They work less.
  • They attract better clients.

Long Term Fix: Develop Your Own Confidence and System

In order to remedy this situation for good, you need a system:

1. Create Your Portfolio

You should always have 3-5 good pieces of work to show potential clients.

2. Write Sample Answers

Keep the answers I provided you so you will not react if someone asks you to do free work.

3. Establish Your Own Rules

Decide on a personal limit for how much free work you will do.

4. Seek Real Clients

Look for clients who have:

  • A specific budget
  • Respect your time
  • Behave in a businesslike manner.

Bonus Tip How to Recognize Great Clients

Great clients typically:

• Explain the Project Well
• Discuss Payment Criteria Before Starting
• Respect Boundaries
• Do Not Put You Under Pressure

Bad Clients Typically:

• Do Not Discuss Payment
• Request Too Much Free Work
• Provide Vague Instructions

Final Thoughts

There is a very real problem in freelance work, particularly for new freelancers, with clients asking for free work.

Fortunately, the solution to this is easy:

• Do Not Agree To Do Work For Free Without Knowing The Conditions Upfront.
• Set Your Professional Boundaries.
• Provide Smart Alternative Solutions to the Request of Free Work.
• Create a Strong Portfolio.

Remember

You Have Value As A Freelancer; It Doesn’t Matter If You Are New.

Once You Show Value In The Work You Do, You Will Create Value To The Right Clients.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Should New Freelancers Do Free Work?

Yes, however, the free work should be limited to a small sample for your portfolio, not an entire project.

2. How Can I Say No To Clients Without Losing Them?

Provide Polite No’s And An Alternative to A Full Project (Such As Your Portfolio Or A Paid Trial).

3. Can I Get My First Client If I Need A Free Project?

Concentrate On Creating Sample Work And Use That To Find Genuinely Interested Clients, And Don’t Pursue Free Work.

4. Do Clients Respect Freelancers That Say No To Free Work?

Yes. By Setting Professional Boundaries, You Increase Your Value.

5. Will I Gain More From Doing Free Work Or Low-Paying Work?

You Will Gain More From Low-Paying Work Because Low-Paying Work Provides You With Experience And Professional Respect.