Do You Need Portfolio Samples to Find CME Clients?

In **WriteCME Pro** we recently gathered to celebrate our work and plan for the next quarter. The topic arose in discussion of whether you need a portfolio sample before you reach out to clients.

When one of our members was starting out — I’ll call her Halle — she didn’t wait until she had a portfolio or needs assessment to show prospective CME clients. Instead, she focused on demonstrating her knowledge during conversations by explaining the structure and approach she would use in her writing.

Even though she hadn’t been writing in CME for long, Halle essentially spoke confidently about her process, telling her clients “this is how I write.”

Parallel Tracks

Client acquisition takes time — there’s typically a period between initial outreach and when someone becomes an actual client. Halle used this time strategically to develop her needs assessment samples and other materials, ensuring they were ready by the time she needed to present them.

Halle’s key insight is that writers can pursue two parallel tracks simultaneously by reaching out to potential clients while developing portfolio pieces. This approach allows you to learn from both activities rather than waiting until your portfolio is “perfect” before beginning client outreach.

I think we can do both at the same time and we can learn from doing both and use that experience without stopping for one reason.

This perspective suggests that beginning client conversations can actually inform the type of portfolio pieces that are going to be most valuable for you to develop. Taking this approach creates a beneficial feedback loop rather than treating client engagement and portfolio development as sequential steps.

But here’s another perspective on portfolio samples.

Dual Purpose Portfolios

Portfolio samples aren’t merely showcases of past work — they’re essential tools that build both competence and confidence.

Portfolio development serves a dual purpose of creating tangible work examples while simultaneously developing the specialized knowledge that will help you “talk the talk” with potential clients.

Dual Purpose Portfolio Development

The most compelling reason for developing portfolio samples emerges from what clients consistently identify as their primary challenge. And that’s finding quality writers who understand CME. By creating portfolio pieces like needs assessments, patient cases, or slide decks, writers gain firsthand implementation experience that transforms theoretical knowledge into practical expertise.

This process enables us to respond confidently when prospects ask specific questions about methodology or approach. And working through the development process builds the confidence necessary for client conversations, because you deepen your understanding of not only the final product, but the entire creation journey.

If you are a new writer, portfolio samples provide an opportunity for you to reverse-engineer deliverables for prospects who are seeking experience in areas you haven’t yet worked in professionally. This practical experience will help you speak knowledgeably about CME-specific requirements, standards, and best practices. Notably, writers among us who are rarely asked to show actual samples to client, emphasize that the knowledge and skills gained from creating them prove invaluable during client conversations.

In essence, portfolio samples serve as both learning tools and credibility markers, helping us demonstrate our understanding of the specialized requirements of CME content development — the very quality that clients struggle most to find.

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