Use referrals, references and recommendations to win new clients

Happy clients can become one of your strongest sources of new business. Referrals create warm introductions, references reassure potential clients during the decision-making process, and recommendations provide visible proof of your expertise and reliability.

At this workshop, you will learn how to:

• Understand the different roles of referrals, references, testimonials and LinkedIn recommendations
• Identify the best moments to ask clients for each one
• Ask in a way that feels natural, specific and easy to respond to
• Help clients describe the value and results of your work
• Turn positive feedback into credible social proof for your website, proposals and LinkedIn profile
• Make it easier for clients and contacts to recognise suitable opportunities and recommend you
• Build a simple, repeatable process for staying in touch and requesting introductions

You will leave with practical messages and a system for turning satisfied clients into trusted advocates for your business.

Freelancers in Belgium PRO – Growth Workshops

Meet online every month—and quarterly in person—for practical sales and marketing sessions designed to help you attract better clients and build a stronger, more sustainable freelance business.

The 2026–2027 programme guides you through the different stages of developing your commercial strategy, from clarifying your positioning to finding, approaching and converting potential clients.

Topics include:

• Finding the right clients for your expertise
• Creating a focused outreach strategy
• Improving your LinkedIn profile and website
• Creating content that supports your business goals
• Preparing for introductory meetings with potential clients
• Identifying and responding to market signals
• Setting and communicating your rates
• Networking more strategically
• Writing stronger proposals
• Announcing your availability effectively
• Generating more referrals and recommendations
• Selecting useful AI tools for your freelance business
• Negotiating with greater confidence

The monthly online workshops introduce practical strategies, examples and tools. During the quarterly in-person PRO Lab & Lunch sessions, you can put the theory into practice, work on your own business and receive constructive feedback from fellow freelancers.

The sessions are relevant to freelancers from all professions who want to take a more active and consistent approach to growing their business.

Host

Each session is hosted by Jenny Björklöf, founder and community leader of Freelancers in Belgium. She shares practical insights from her own freelance experience and from running a community of more than 18,000 freelancers.

Selected sessions also feature guest experts who bring additional perspectives, specialist knowledge and practical experience.