Being on your prospects' radar will make them want to find out more about what you do and how you do it. Once their looking your way, Fuelance has three components to help close the deal and convert them into paying customers.
Resumes are as equally valuable for freelancers as those seeking for full-time work e.g. on-site, 9-5, worker bee-ing and the polar opposite of freelancing.
If you're a seasoned freelancer, a resume can demonstrate your breadth of work experience. Or if you're just starting out, onus can be placed on your key skills and the tools you use - e.g. highlighting a programming language like Ruby if your a dev, or Adobe Illustrator if you're a graphic designer etc.
Writer, programmer, marketer, whatever - no matter what your forte is, its best that you get that portfolio up and running.
You can include concepts of what you've done for clients, or examples of what you can do, even if done in your own time.
In either case, a portfolio provides a much clearer image of your work style to the client and helps you stand out from the sea of other freelancers in your field.
Both a resume and portfolio - along with sending a proposal for a project - should lead the charge when winning new work. Freelancers, for all they're worth, will happily show evidence of previous experience that their adept at.