Many freelancers already have one or two clients they love working with. When they join a new platform, a question pops up: can I bring those clients along, or do I have to start again with strangers? And even if it's allowed, how do you ask without making things weird? Let's talk it through, because with a little care this can be one of the easiest and most useful steps you take.
Why would I want to bring a client over at all?
It's a fair question. If the relationship already works, why change anything? A few good reasons:
- Your work gets recorded. Ongoing projects done outside any platform often leave no tidy trace. Recording them somewhere means they count towards your professional history.
- Everything lives in one place. Messages, agreed terms and milestones sit together instead of being scattered across email threads.
- Future clients can see it. A history that includes a long-standing, returning client is reassuring to someone deciding whether to hire you.
Of course, it should also be good for the client. If it adds hassle for them with no benefit, it's probably not worth pushing.
What about the work I did before joining?
This trips up a lot of people. On many platforms, especially those that focus on verified records, you can't simply type in past projects. That's deliberate: if anyone could add anything, the record wouldn't mean much.
On Workli, for example, work done before you joined can't be entered by hand. Instead, you can invite an existing client into what's called a Direct Contract. Once the client accepts from their own account, that engagement counts towards your verified history, the same as any other contract recorded there. It also doesn't change how you're paid: Workli doesn't process payments, so you and your client can keep using the payment method you already use.
Is it okay to bring clients from another marketplace?
Be careful here. Some marketplaces have rules about moving clients you met through them to another service, sometimes for a set period. Before inviting anyone, check the terms of the platform where you originally met them. If you met the client through your own network, a referral or your own website, this usually isn't an issue, but it's always worth a quick look.
When in doubt, start with clients you found independently.
How do I ask without it feeling awkward?
Keep it short, honest and pressure-free. Explain why you're asking and what it means for them. Something like:
"Hi! I've started using a platform to keep a verified record of my freelance work. If you're happy to, I'd love to record our next project there. You'd just accept an invite from your own account, and nothing changes about how we work or how you pay me. Totally fine if you'd rather not!"
A few tips that make it smoother:
- Pick a natural moment, such as the start of a new project, rather than the middle of a busy one.
- Make it clearly optional. A good client relationship is worth more than any record.
- Offer to walk them through it. A two-minute explanation removes most hesitation.
- Explain the privacy options if you know them. For instance, clients under an NDA can appear as "Private client", and freelancers can choose how earnings are displayed.
Most clients who are happy with your work will be glad to help, much like they'd happily give a reference.
What happens after they accept?
From there, you work together just as before, with the added benefit of agreed terms, milestones and messages being in one place. Delivering milestones on time builds an on-time record, and each repeat project adds to your count of returning clients.
Over months, that quiet record becomes something you can share with new clients, which is a lovely way to let the people who already trust you help you earn the trust of others.
Bringing an existing client to a new platform isn't about changing a relationship that works. It's about giving that relationship the credit it deserves. Check any rules, ask kindly, keep it optional, and let your best clients become part of your long-term story.
Comments0
It’s quiet in here. Fancy breaking the ice?