When it comes to client projects, what do you do when you get booked solid, but the leads keep knocking on your door? Tap reply and let me know, I’m curious what you do.
Thinking on this (and talking about it in https://freelance.camp, my micro-community for indie consultants and freelancers) three options come to mind:
One option is to turn new clients/projects away.
I’m booked solid right now. I can provide you with a few referrals to other folks who might be able to help you out.
Another option is to let folks know that you’re booking X weeks (or X months) out.
I’m booking new work for
AugustSeptember. As a next step, let’s get on a call, discuss what you need help with, and see if our timelines match up.
But! There’s a third option. What if you had intentionally set a client slot aside?
With this, you’re selling time that you’d typically use for working on your business. If a client wants to buy that time out and get ‘priority access,’ they can pay a premium and start working with you now (or, soon) instead of not working together at all or waiting X months to work together.
If you usually charge $1,500 for a project, you could sell this priority access for, say, at $2,000 or $2,500 for the client slot.
This isn’t a new idea by any means. You can look at service providers in almost any industry out there and find examples of premium pricing for priority access.
But I’m curious, what do you do when you’re booked solid, but someone wants to work with you now? Tap reply and let me know and feel free to share as much or as little as comes to mind.
Excelsior!
Kai
p.s., there’s also a fourth option of ‘start work with the new client now at your normal rate even though you’re booked solid,’ but that’s an unhealthy, stressful option that is in no way endorsed by your friend Kai or The House of Consultants.