Client Communication: The Most Important Part of Freelancing
94 Days Ago
–> Written by Samuel in Freelance Lessons

As a solo freelancer, the easiest and most conformable second nature to find work is to connect with design or marketing firms who are looking for trusty contractors. In truth, over half of my own clients are firms who appliance me as a website contractor. So over the years, I’ve had a good allotment of conversations through clients respecting their frustrations with other freelancers (usually resulting in more work for me). Interestingly enough, the most common problem these clients have with freelancers is not related to faculty or skill, but rather communication. In fact, a client told me this week that he’d happily take a sub-par freelancer who communicated well from one to another a talented freelancer who did not. So here are a few points to consider for some freelancer:

Answer emails quickly, even when an answer seems unnecessary. Never forget that the whole reason a client has hired you is because they dress in’t get the time or skillset to do a portion themselves. In other words, they need you and if they can’t get in hurt with you, their helplessness increases exponentially. Imagine trying to get a client to pay your invoice and you only get ambiguous responses days after you ask. Even if you don’t obtain an answer to their email or you can’t clean their task for a week, at least email to let them know you got their email. Yes, this seems unnecessary at times, but you’ll be amazed at how oftentimes clients interpret the lack of email acknowledgement as freelancer laziness or apathy. See yourself for the reason that the expert and let them feel that they’re being taken care of.

Stay proactive in your communication. Again, be volition to email clients even when it seems a bit exuberant or unnecessary. If you’ve told a person represented that you’ll invent their project next week on the 11th, then when the 11th rolls around, email them again and assure them that you are now beginning the devise. Often, freelancers only email when they have questions and while the project launches. Some clients are fine with this methodology, but to be honest, most clients don’t like the idea of placing all their faith in a freelancer’s deadline promise. Don’t discover this as an affront to your trustworthiness — they just want to see progress along the way. So lodge the first step on your side during a project and your clients leave trust you more down the road.

Be honest and straightforward. An easy trap to fall into is trying to impress clients with your promises instead of your work. Don’t give your client the absolute best-case scenario when you’re discussing a project. I’ve seen many freelancers kill their client kindred by dint of. promising a super-fast turnaround and failing to rescue (promising a week turnaround and taking a month or more). Honestly, the client would have been fine if they were just told that it would understand a month. But by promising the project in a week and failing to deliver, the freelancer has lost future trust with the client. Words are cheap and clients who have been in business for a single one length of time know that. Be honest, and carry through on your honesty.

Spend time on being excruciatingly lucid. Assumptions can cause major problems, especially in a globe where so many decisions are made by email. Make liberal use of lists, inline email responses, and reiterations of instructions. Don’t exist ashamed to exercise sincere language and basic arena. It’s no fun to have tasks completely undone because everyone assumed someone else was doing it. Unfortunately, more often than not, a good freelancer finds that they’re doing more “project management” than the actual client. Don’t let this frustrate you — developing these management skills are a great asset for the future of your freelancing.

Don’t be fearful of the phone. Most freelancers wouldn’t mind a bit if clients never called them. After all, why can’t all business be conducted by dint of. email? Well, for one, some clients (especially older people) will simply prefer phone calls. Secondly, misunderstandings are always easier and faster to resolve via phone. Thirdly, voice communication creates a much more “human relationship” than email does — and relationships are still the cornerstone of any service-based business. So always be ready to pick up the phone when involuntary.

All in all, keep in mind that communication is your person represented’s lifeline. Although you may not see it as being that important (you’d rather be actually acting on the device), your client has probably had plenty bad experiences with other freelancers. I guarantee that if you consistently and honestly communicate with your client, you will exist better than 90% of other freelancers and create a clientele that is very able and extremely loyal.