Freelancefolder

How To Be The Freelancer That Everyone Wants To Work With

Posted May 21, 2009 in Business, Marketing 11 Comments »

Have you ever thought about why your clients reach out to you, or what it is they want to buy from you? Maybe an amazing design from a web designer, or an awesome article from a writer? No, that’s not the answer.

When your clients decide to hire you they aren’t really buying your services, they are buying two things that we as freelancers sometimes forget — they are buying a solution to their problems, and they are buying feelings that that make them feel good about themselves and their business.

So what does it take to be the freelancer that everyone wants to work with?

Unleash The Happiness

This is a no brainer. How do you feel when you come across a person who is always smiling or always has a happy outlook towards everything? Happiness is contagious. Whether you’re talking to your client in person, on the phone or through email, IM or any other social media platform, give them a positive vibe. People like to do business with people that seem to have a positive outlook. If they sense that you enjoy your work, chances are good that you will be their first choice.

Your client wants to buy good feelings so show them what they want. They will buy your services as a solution to their problems.

Lock Your Problems Away and Toss The Keys

I am sure you’ve all had a client where you felt comfortable enough to share your personal problems. I have had a few and I have made the mistake of going a little over the board with the client/freelancer relationship. No matter what, do not discuss your personal problems with your clients. I repeat, do not discuss your personal problems. Why? First, most of them don’t really care and second, who really wants to hear problems from a person who is trying to solve their problems? Keep your problems to yourself.

Remember, although you may be working from home in your pajamas, you need to depict a picture of a sharp person in suit at the other end. When it comes to discussing personal problems with your client, think of your personal problems as Pandora’s box, lock it and throw away the keys.

Your Reasons Are Good But Your Client’s Are Better

Feel free to disagree with me on this one. Your clients are buying for their reason not yours. Let me be blunt here, there are two reasons freelancers want clients: money and hopefully to make a name for themselves to get repeat business which again boils down to money. So our reasoning at this point is money. Not your client’s. When a client is buying services from you they are buying it for their reason. The reason might be that they think and know that you are the best out there or simply because they were referred to you by someone else. Help your client by fulfilling their reasons and they will fulfill yours.

However, as a freelancer it is your job to let your clients know what is reasonable and what is not. If their reasoning leads them to something that might not help them in the long run (say a website design that might not convert) let them know politely. I am against the saying “customer is always right,” but that doesn’t mean they are always wrong. They might not be seeing things the way you see. You are the expert, they are hiring you for that reason so let them know politely. If their reasoning isn’t good and will not help them achieve what they want from your services, it is sometimes better not to take the project at all.

Logic and Emotions Run The Freelancing Household

If you were to think of freelancing as a family then logic and emotions are the key figures that run the household. It is almost impossible to land a project or keep a project going without a happy balance between logic and emotions. I am sure you have bought a product or service at the spur of the moment only to find the next day that it just wasn’t something that you needed. It doesn’t fulfill your need or provide solution to the problem. You told the sales associate and well, all he really cared was landing his commission. You don’t want to be that kind of freelancer, do you?

Give your clients what they are looking for: good feelings, and back it up with logic as to why you are the right choice for this project.

Equip Yourself With a Solution To Every Problem

If a client isn’t happy with the way I am handling a project, I want them to express their feelings. Not personal, but related to the project itself. If your client has a problem related to the way a project is going, be a good listener and let them talk. Ask questions and once again make them feel good by talking about the solutions. Make sure the solutions are something that can be implemented and are real solutions.

Listen to your clients. If they have a problem, don’t be on the defensive end, rather help them find a solution or tie in your reasoning with theirs. Show your client that you have no limits when it comes to finding a solution. Be The Unlimited Freelancer!

Although I have been implementing these tips in my freelancing career, sometimes emotions run high and logic runs dry. However, I try to follow the above mentioned 5 tips each and every day with my clients and the only thing I can say is — they work!

What do you think?

About the author: Ritu is a freelance writer who has been involved in social media for several years. At the moment he is working on a variety of projects, but is always open to new ideas. Contact him at email(at)ritubpant(dot)com or follow @ritubpant on twitter.