Once a customer has been won, there are always others to impress. The good news is that it gets easier to win the contracts past the first. However, a smart approach includes building your portfolio to use past success to attract future clients.
Building Your Portfolio Requires More Than Pictures
A good IT portfolio starts with some screenshots and captures. However, that should be just the beginning. Your customers desire more than just a beautiful application. They are looking for a solution to their problems. The challenge is that so many of the details of the solutions you provide are not going to be easily highlighted by a sample UI.
Every project in your portfolio should include some explanation of what you were asked to do and what was accomplished. Do not claim the whole project if you had a part in it. Instead, explain how your work contributed to the final solution. A picture is good, but a story will help sell your services and skills.
Show Your Ability to Learn and Grow
When you include problems faced and lessons learned in a project it adds value to the story. Of course, this will require more than a few lines of description for your project. Do not worry about a portfolio that takes a while to review. Good details will create a story that the customer will want to read. Ideally, you have traveled a path they plan on taking. Your value to them will become apparent as they see that you can help them avoid mistakes. Even one or two mistakes that they can avoid can make up for your fees. Remember, your goal is always to add value to a customer. Thus, missteps they can avoid will be an excellent start.
Answer Their Questions
The best portfolio will answer any questions a prospect has for you as a vendor. Highlight your professional looking results, the stability of your code, and the ease of maintenance. Customers often want to be kept up to date on your progress and see what they are paying for. Show off how you have provided status and demos in the past. Provide a story around your project and make the portfolio an answer to all of these common questions. Here are the most important points to highlight.
- The problem they struggle with (or a similar one) has been solved by you, either directly or indirectly
- You are trustworthy and professional
- You can communicate with customers and understand their requirements
- The solution you provide is useful and modern
- Your solution can be customized as needed.
These points may seem difficult to highlight in a portfolio. However, work towards providing these as you grow your portfolio. Start simple. Show your ability to communicate and provide solutions. As you grow and gain experience, provide examples that keep these points as a focus.
Take A Step
When you are starting out, it can seem like a portfolio is too much work or will be too small. Do not let that deter you. Make each project one that you can add to your collection. As time goes by, you will find that you have a deep and impressive portfolio to attract customers.
