FreelanceFolder » Managing Clients

Is the Title “Freelancer” a Turn-Off?

Brian McDaniel — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:30:08 +0000

I have read a number of articles, blog posts and even comments here at Freelance Folder that suggest anyone who works under the title “freelancer” may be short-changing themselves. The idea is that the title has negative or substandard connotations that go along with it, and opponents recommend using some other type of terminology to define oneself in an effort to avoid any negative stereotypes that might be associated with the moniker. In this post I will offer an alternative point of view that may encourage you to not only claim the title of freelancer, but to wear it with pride.

What IS a Freelancer?

Let’s start off with the definitions. Merriam Webster defines a freelancer as “a person who acts independently without being affiliated with or authorized by an organization” and “a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer.” Wikipedia’s definition reads, “A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term.”

In my opinion, none of these explanations of the term denote anything negative or subpar. In fact, they point out the reasons many professionals choose to go the way of starting a freelance business. Working for yourself is the ultimate dream for many, and the freedom that can come with it is incomparable. Still, many fail to make the leap from being employed to self-employment due to the countless risks and uncertainty involved. For others, the thrill of this adventure is enough to push us over the edge into taking the chance and metaphorically draping a sign around our necks that reads “Freelance or Bust!”

What’s in a Name?

The argument against defining oneself as a “freelancer” usually includes recounting the experience that many, including myself, have had in which a potential client assumes a self-employed person has less overhead than his corporate competitors and therefore must charge significantly less for the same quality service. While there is a grain of truth to this reasoning, it usually gets distorted in the client’s mind and they will try to lowball the freelancer, expecting ridiculous rates that no self-respecting worker would charge or be able to survive on. Is this enough reason to avoid the term and form a LLC or something of that nature instead?

In my experience, I have come to learn some basic truths. One of these is that a title is really only defined by the actions and beliefs of the one who wears it. In other words, if you define your freelancing business as ridiculously cheap rates for high quality work that is produced at all hours of the day, without boundaries, contracts or any of the other necessities of a successful business, your clients will define it the same way and bring those expectations into every project. Very few freelancing businesses, if any, will survive this way.

On the other hand, if you define your freelancing business as a fairly priced, highly skilled and experienced alternative to the competition, with all the benefits that an individual can give and a corporation cannot, your clients will come to you with the confidence and trust that you deserve.

Don’t get me wrong. You will still run into those who will claim their own definition and try to force you and your business to fit into their mold. I believe that if you hold firm to your understanding of your own definition then you will know how to identify these abusers of the title and brush them aside to make room for those who see you as you really are.

A title is quite simply just a word. Words have power, but they are powerless without our uttering them and defining their usage with our understanding, actions and beliefs. If you think your freelance business will earn more respect if it is called by another name, then it most likely will. By the same token, if you believe the title has little effect on the quality of work you do or the rates you will get paid, then it most likely will.

I am not trying to convince you of the power of positive thinking or anything like that. I am simply saying your business will be as successful as you make it, regardless of what you decide to call it.

In the past, I have toyed with the idea of beginning to present my business as a “one-man web and graphic design studio” instead of calling myself a “freelance designer.” In the end, I decided it really didn’t matter what I called myself. If a potential client is shallow enough to overlook my business due to its title, I most likely am better off not dealing with them in the end anyway. I can’t definitively tell you that my approach has helped or hindered my freelance business, but I am working enough to support my family, which is what I define as success.

A Final Thought

For me personally, there is something liberating about the term “freelancer.” The word includes one of the most important nouns I know: “free.” I am free to decide when I work, where I work, who I work for and how I do business. I celebrate this freedom every time I call myself a freelancer. Freedom is a beautiful and priceless thing that I have learned to not take lightly. Why not enjoy it with a constant reminder in the title that I choose to assume for my business? More than anything, the title is for me, and what others choose to believe about it is their choice, which I cannot be responsible for.

Share Your Thoughts

What do you think? What are your experiences in this area? Please share your thoughts and input in the comments below.

The Worst Freelance Project Ever

Amber Weinberg — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:30:30 +0000

A lot of us complain about our clients. They’re too demanding, too nitpicky, late with materials or late with payments. Thankfully, the majority of our clients and projects tend to go pretty smoothly, otherwise none of us would want to be in business anymore!

Every once in awhile we come across one of those nightmare clients you read about online and wonder if someone could really be like that. The sad, sad answer is yes–there are plenty of crazies in the world. And they like hiring freelancers for some reason.

I had my first (and only I hope) nightmare project with an even worse client several months ago. While he and his company will remain nameless, I think we can all learn from my experience–and my mistakes.

In The Beginning

This client approached me with a seemingly simple project. Basically, it was just a simple one-page site with a form that users would need to fill out, submit and see the results below. He explained that his budget was pretty low (red flag #1!) but that he thought the project was really easy (red flag #2). In hindsight, I don’t know why I accepted the project. The two red flags already meant going against many of the principles I talk about on here. I think I was pretty slammed with work during that time and not monitoring my clients well enough.

Anyway, I sent the project to the designer. The designer sent something back to me and without looking at it; I sent it to the client. The client had a few changes and went back and forth a couple of times. Then hell started.

Red, Red Everywhere!

The third red flag came at the end of the design process when the client asked for custom illustrations of a city in a foreign country. Mind you, he was only paying $400 for the design. After explaining to him that he couldn’t get custom illustrations for the price we quoted him, he complained that he was disappointed, but approved the design anyway.

The fourth red flag was when he sent the programming spec. It was nowhere near what we had talked about. All of a sudden, he required that the user be able to upload images, choose from several different options and dropdowns. I told him this wasn’t possible with the original quote and he said OK.

My Biggest Mistake

My biggest mistake in the middle of all of this was that I was slammed with my own projects and I stink at project management. I was so slammed, that I was forwarding emails left and right and not paying attention to what was in them. Little did I know he had asked the designer to place a ton of stuff in the design that would have to be programmed and wasn’t in the spec! He assumed because I didn’t say anything that it was OK.

An Angry Client

After explaining to the client that basically everything he asked for wasn’t what was in the quote, he was furious. He demanded that we do all of it and he wouldn’t pay a penny more. He refused to acknowledge that we told him earlier it couldn’t be done. Normally, I would tell a client to walk, but this was the first project where I was handling two other freelancers, and both of them had done more work than what they were paid for and all three of us deserved to be paid.

After several back and forth emails, we finally did most of what was out of spec for free and sent him a preview of the final project. Expecting to be thanked, I found this email in my inbox instead:

There are a lot of issues. Please send the illustrator/photoshop design mock-up quoted for $400 and consider the project closed.

Of course, there was nothing wrong with the project. I even politely tried to ask the client what the “issues” were and he refused to explain it to me. He demanded the “files he paid for,” but wouldn’t pay the final invoice. I finally had to (for the first time ever) threaten him with the contract he agreed to. He finally paid the final invoice and disappeared.

What Did I Learn?

While this was certainly an outragous client, I did manage to learn several things from the project:

I stink at project management, so future projects will be broken up and other freelancers will deal with the client separately, with separate contracts.
I should really stop writing vague programming specs. It’s the programming that always trips me up.
Don’t take on a client with so many red flags
Never, never, never take on a client who asks for a discount.
Properly read your emails!
If you don’t catch the out of spec work early on, it’s almost on you to provide the work for free, since you let it go.

Since then, I’ve gotten better at managing clients and spending the time to make sure I read each of the client’s emails thoroughly. I also try to examine all PSDs and put everything in the contract, so if need be, I can go back later and say, “this isn’t in there.” While I still mess up the programmer’s specs, both of us have gotten a lot better at figuring out how to manage the client’s expectations. Neither of us want to do free work ever again!

Nightmare Projects

What was your worst project? How did you handle it?

Image by ark

How to Handle the Telephone Problem

Laura Spencer — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:30:44 +0000

Did you ever wish that you could leave your phone off the hook to minimize the interruptions?

Sometimes I wish that I could. Eventually, most freelancers will face the question of what to do about business phone calls.

Personally, I’ve found business calls to be a mixed bag. While some calls may bring new clients and new business, many are just time-consuming interruptions to my already busy day.

There’s nothing more frustrating that being in the middle of a project, focused on a goal and working hard–when suddenly a ringing telephone interrupts you. After such an interruption, it’s not unusual for me to lose my train of thought completely. An interruption can sometimes mean losing as much as twenty minutes worth of work.

Developing an effective telephone policy can be a real challenge for a freelancer. It’s not as though we are corporation with a receptionist available to answer the phone each and every time it rings. In this post, we’ll discuss how you can determine your best strategy for handling phone calls during your work day.

The Temptation

As a freelancer, our income depends on our clients. This fact alone can make it very tempting to answer every single phone call as soon as the phone rings. After all, that phone call might mean new business, right? Several gurus indicate that the quicker you are able to answer a new prospect, the more likely they are to become a client.

New business means more money, so the temptation is very understandable. However, not every call will bring new business. Some calls are from sales people, or even worse, are from friends and relatives who don’t yet understand your freelance work schedule. (She’s at home, so she must be available to talk…)

Even with Caller ID turned on it can be difficult to know beforehand whether an incoming phone call is going to increase your bottom line or simply waste your time.

Developing a good telephone strategy can help.

Three Approaches to Handling Phone Calls

Basically, there are three approaches freelancers can take towards phone calls. Each approach has its pros and cons, which I’ll mention.

Here are the three approaches:

Answer all phone calls. This approach works very well for freelancers who aren’t bothered by interruptions. If you’re used to interruptions and rarely lose your train of thought, then you may want to consider this approach. If you do, be sure to include extra time for talking on the phone in your project estimates.
Ignore all phone calls. Some freelancers have a strict “no phone” policy. They refuse to take phone calls and will only deal with clients through email. While I can sympathize with this approach, a big con to it is that you will definitely lose some clients who are more comfortable talking with a live person.
Schedule phone calls. Often, it is possible to initially let your phone calls go to voice mail and then return them at a set time each day. You can also contact clients and potential clients through email to schedule a mutually convenient time to talk on the phone. This approach satisfies clients who prefer talking by phone while preserving your concentration.

There are a few other concerns that you should think about when it comes to the telephone and your business.

Other Concerns About Phone Usage

Two other questions that freelancers may have regarding phone use include:

Should I publish my phone number on my website, or not? While including a phone number on your website may be preferred by many clients, it could cause problems if you don’t have a separate line. You probably don’t want your kids accidentally taking a business phone call for you. Also, publishing your number opens you up to receiving a lot of sales calls and even prank calls.
How can I keep an accurate record of a phone conversation? One benefit of using email over phone calls to nail down business decisions is that there is a built-in record of your discussion. Of course, this problem can be solved by diligently recording a telephone conversation and emailing a summary to your client.

My Solution

While distractions may not bother some, they do bother me. My solution to minimize phone interruptions is to choose the third options–I encourage clients to schedule appointments in advance to speak with me. In the meantime, they are encouraged to leave me a message and I’ll return their call during time set aside for that purpose.

Scheduling phone time is actually a very common practice among professionals. I have noticed that when I call my attorney he is never available immediately. I nearly always have to leave a message with his receptionist. The same is true of my doctor. Her answering service has a message that states something to the effect of: go to the emergency room if this is an emergency, otherwise leave your message at the tone. I’ve noticed that her nurse always returns my calls at the close of the business day.

As freelancers, we should view ourselves as professionals and accept that we are entitled to the same professional courtesies as other professionals.

In terms of the other two phone issues, I have chosen not to publish my phone number on my website. However, the number is available upon request to paying clients after I have been selected for a project. While many clients never ask for it, I know that a few clients feel better having it.

I do take copious notes of my phone conversations with clients. If any agreements were reached, I try to summarize those agreements and send them back to the client through email.

Have these policies lost me some potential clients? I think that they have, a few times. Once I remember a prospective client being really irritated because he wanted to be able to reach me by phone at all times. Or, in his words, “I want to be able to just pick up the phone and call you whenever I need you.”

Personally, I feel like these policies help screen out some possible bad clients from the mix. After all, a client who wants me to be available at a moment’s notice is likely to be a pretty demanding client and probably not a very good fit for my business.

What’s Your Solution?

Do you have a phone policy for your freelancing business? Do you publish your phone number on your website?

Share your telephone policy (and experiences) in the comments.

Open Thread: Do You Ever Work for Free?

Laura Spencer — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:30:45 +0000

As freelancers, we need to earn a profit or we’ll go out of business.

But, if you’re like me you also get a lot of requests from people who want you to do work for them for free. Sometimes, they offer something or some service in exchange (barter), but most often they simply want us to do something for them because they can’t afford to pay for our regular services.

I can thank of a few instances when a freelancer might decide to offer work for free:

The freelancer wants to get some exposure by guest posting on a popular blog
The person making the request is a personal friend or family member
The project is for a charitable cause that the freelancer cares about deeply
The freelancer is doing something for his or her own business (such as updating their website)

Looking at yet another such request for free work today got me to wondering. How do other freelancers handle such requests?

Do you ever work for free?

Is working for free ever acceptable? If so, when? How do you respond to those who ask you for free work?

Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Why You Should Let Your Project Cool Off Before You Turn It in

Jason Gross — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:30:46 +0000

Before you really dive into this article do me a favor. Open up your freelancing weapon of choice, whether it be a writing, designing, or development program. Go ahead, get it going (if it’s not already running in the background) and open up a recent or current project. I’ll wait…

Okay, now quickly hit the save button then open up your e-mail and fire off whatever work you have completed so far to yourself. Don’t stop. Don’t check your work. Just e-mail whatever you have so far. Please enjoy this process as much as you can, because if I have anything to do with it this will be the last time you ever get a chance to… ever!

Is this process a familiar one to you? Is this how you deliver projects to a client? If it is, then quit it! Stop it right now!

Look, I understand where you are coming from. You want to get your finished comps and final products out the door and to your clients as soon as possible, right? As a freelancer, it builds up your rep to have a quick turnaround. A quick turnaround is a great thing right? You get paid faster, clients get happy faster and life gets better faster!

Well, fast turnaround may not be as great as you think it is. Moving too fast can be a detriment to your reputation and your work, but maybe not entirely in the way you might think. In this post, I’ll explain the dangers of turning your work in too quickly.

The Two-Day Rule

For all of my design work I have a set rule for a project that reaches the finish line. That rule is to stop work and do nothing for two days. You don’t have to completely stop doing everything but do not, I repeat, DO NOT send this project off, work on this project, open the folder for this project, or even think about this project. Preferably the break time is two full days, but at least stop working on it for one day if you can’t do that.

Following the two-day rule will improve the quality of your output tremendously (and you don’t even have to put much effort into it).

Why?

As a professional you should always pass all of your work by your biggest critic first, which should be yourself. Unfortunately, you won’t always have the best project perspective looking from the inside out. In case you haven’t guessed it yet the worst time to critique your own project is right after you finish it. Bringing a finished product back up after two days of not thinking about it can provide a surprisingly fresh perspective.

Now, I know how stubborn you are and how difficult it can be to take the advice of others because even though you have been told to forget about this project for a few days I know you are going to keep working over the details of it in your head. You may do this intentionally or you may think about it subconsciously because even while you sleep your brain works over these problems for you. (Thanks brain!)

After Two Days…

Okay, you’ve behaved and not touched your project for two days… now what?

It’s been a few days now. You have now pretty much completely forgotten there even was a project. (Just kidding, please don’t really forget about the project.) What’s next?

Fire that bad boy (your freelancing tool) back up and let the sparks fly!

Do you have the feeling of “Oh project, I’ve missed you so much! Our time apart has only made you more beautiful?” Or, is your feeling more like “Oh project, our time apart has only made me realize that I just can’t handle your flaws?”

Just like magic your first reaction tells you that this is a good looking project and after maybe a tweak here and there it’s ready for feedback. Or, your reaction may tell you that you have a lot of upgrades you want to try. Either way you can now have confidence that you are producing your best work.

What’s the Point?

The point is to make sure that everything you produce is always top notch and as the talent behind it you can deliver with pride. Taking the time to step back and really review your work keeps you on top of your game and will prevent you from passing on something you aren’t entirely proud of.

This practice isn’t just to boost your own self-confidence either. Your confidence will be apparent to your clients when you make a presentation knowing that you are offering the best solution possible your clients will believe you.

Share Your Thoughts and Ideas

Have you tried this method before? How else do you go about making sure that the work you produce is always top notch?

Image by spree2010

3+ Ways Finishing Projects Ahead of Schedule Can Hurt You

Brian McDaniel — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:30:26 +0000

As discussed in a recent post here on Freelance Folder, it is usually a best practice for freelancers to under promise and over deliver.

One way to under promise and over deliver is to pad your deadline when you agree upon a schedule for a project. Padding your deadline gives you extra time to deal with any unexpected issues and it also creates the possibility of finishing ahead of schedule.

In most cases, your clients will be overjoyed when you deliver their work sooner than expected. I encourage you to continue amazing your clients with your efficiency. This practice will usually help you to grow your business. However, there are times when working quicker than expected can actually inspire a negative response from clients.

In this post, we’ll look at some of the related misconceptions clients can have in an effort to help prevent them from happening to you in your future freelancing endeavors. I’ll also share how working too quickly impacted my own freelance business and explain what I could have done instead.

Re-examine Your Selling Points

One of the primary selling points I promote in my web design business is how quickly I can turn around a new project while still maintaining my quality standards. I have designed and built entire custom websites in a matter of days when others have told the client that it would take weeks.

Until recently, every single one of my clients has expressed their pleasure with how quickly I work and with the personal attention I give them along the way. So, it was a shock when I had a few recent experiences where the clients responded negatively to delivery of their project sooner than they expected.

The fact that all of them happened within the same week compelled me to examine the reasons for their responses and see what I could learn from them. What follows are the results of this examination and new considerations that have forever altered the way I approach new projects.

Misconception 1: Quality Takes Time

When a client wants to pay for a rush project, one of their primary expectations is that they will get the same quality result but at a faster pace than normal. In that situation, turnaround time is expected to be quick, so the client does not operate under the perception that quicker delivery lowers the quality. They have paid extra for the special treatment, so there is no surprise when they receive what they expected at an accelerated pace.

If a client does not pay for a rush delivery, but still receives their finished project unexpectedly ahead of schedule, there is a very real possibility that they will think the quality of the project has been sacrificed for the fast turnaround. Sure, there are those that will take shortcuts and a production-line approach to generate cookie-cutter results, but that doesn’t mean we ALL operate that way.

I have learned that it is important to clearly communicate not only your proposed timeline, but also the possibility of an accelerated timeline. In other words, tell your client your planned milestones and deadline, but let them know that if you have an unexpected opening in your schedule you could finish sooner, and when. This will keep them from being surprised and lessen the possibility of thoughts of lesser quality, should you happen to deliver ahead of time.

Misconception 2: Passion and Creativity Take Time

Every client wants to believe that they are your most important priority, even though common sense dictates this is not possible. Still, it is helpful to remember this fact when finishing a project early because the client might interpret your speed as an attempt to clear their project off your plate and get paid, rather than you giving it the same dedication, attention and passion that you give to every project and that your client deserves.

If you are hired to enlist your creativity, it is also possible that the client is either not a creative person themselves, or they are creative in other areas and believe, therefore, that all creativity takes time, blood, sweat and tears to produce. The reality, of course, is that different people create in different ways, processes and speeds.

Communicating your method of creative operation and your passion for the project to your client could clear this misconception out of their mind and help you avoid a negative response for delivering ahead of schedule.

Misconception 3: Clients Should Control the Throttle

Certain personalities possess a need for control, and this is no different in the context of clients. Pushing ahead at a speed that the client is uncomfortable with can generate all kinds of negative feedback, especially when that person equates their hiring of you as a purchase of your subservience to their desires and methodology. Some clients may actually want you to slow down because they believe they should be the ones who are dictating how and when things happen. Here the reality is that you should be working together to determine the pace that is mutually beneficial, and no one should dominate the decisions in this matter.

Clearly communicate your schedule. Your planned procedures and expected pace will always benefit your working experience and ease your client through what may be an unfamiliar process. It will also help them let go of the misconception that they need to be in control and place their trust in you and the reasons they hired you.

Other Reasons Clients May Want You to Slow Down

I was so shocked when I received these negative responses to my quick turnaround that I asked other designers and friends if this had ever happened to them, and what possible reasons they might receive a complaint for working too fast. The most popular answer was that finishing ahead of schedule meant the final payment had to be made ahead of schedule. Although I completely understand the constraints of budgets and so forth, if the client is not going to be able to pay for the completed work until a certain date it should really be something that is communicated up front.

Another issue may be the client’s own busy schedule, and their resulting inability to keep up with a quicker pace of necessary communication. For instance, in the design process there are mockups that need to be viewed and approved, revisions to be clarified, and other communications that take time between client and freelancer. An especially busy client may prefer to slow down the process in order to spread out the answering of a bunch of emails and phone calls along the way.

Most of these situations can be avoided by good communication from the outset, but I had never had any prior experiences where clients wanted me to work slower so it was impossible for me to anticipate the need for communications of this type. Now that I have experienced it, I make sure to communicate schedules, timelines and possible paces at which I will be working on the project so there are no surprises.

What About You?

Have you ever run into a client asking you to slow down? Have your clients ever reacted negatively to you finishing ahead of schedule? Have you encountered other misconceptions about the speed at which a client believes work should be done?

Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Would You Hire Yourself?

Brian McDaniel — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:30:46 +0000

In a previous life as an operations manager, I used to have the responsibility of hiring new employees. One of the first questions I would ask in the interview was “Would you hire yourself?” Of course, the quick, knee-jerk response was always yes, but it took a little while longer for replies to the following question, “Why?”

Although freelancers have the joy of claiming we are no one’s employee, we have the unenviable task of constantly being in the hiring process with every potential client. Regardless of how professional our proposals, how friendly our personality, or how excellent our portfolio, for most it would behoove us to be able to not only answer yes to the question in the title of this post, but to confidently and successfully explain why.

This post will look at some of the main reasons you may or may not be able to claim without a shadow of a doubt that you would hire yourself. In the process, we will attempt to identify ways we each can spot those things that would keep us from hiring ourselves. We’ll also discuss how to improve on any weaknesses that we discover.

Selling Points

When meeting with a potential client, most of us will undoubtedly rattle off a list of qualities that we believe are our strengths. Work ethic, competitive pricing, personal customer service, exceptional quality work, and so on. You know your own selling points.

What if you turned the table and sat yourself on the client’s side? What would be most important to you in a freelancer you were considering for hire?

Some of the key elements I would look for before hiring someone for my project would be:

Excellent communication skills
Strong focus on quality customer service
Proven track record of delivering quality work
References from previously satisfied clients

Not surprisingly, these are some of my personal selling points that I present to potential clients. I believe it is no coincidence that our strengths tend to represent the qualities that are most important to us. What about you? Are your selling points your first priority in a potential hire? If so, they likely tend to become a focus that could stand in the way of getting hired by clients who are looking for other strengths.

What’s Missing?

What about those skills and offerings that are not on your list? Because freelancers deal with clients from all walks of life, it is almost guaranteed that many potential projects possess requirements that are not at the top of our own list of selling points. It is helpful to identify the more common or expected elements in your niche so you can work toward enlarging your list of selling points and therefore broaden your possibilities of getting hired. Make some space at the top of your list for new points, and then set out to figure out what they are.

One of the best ways to identify what’s missing from your list is to look at reasons you weren’t hired in the past. This self-examination will help you to get hired more often. Make it a habit to ask those who turn down a proposal from you why they did not choose you. Ask them to give you specifics, explaining that this will help you know how to improve for the future. Keep a running list of what others have considered your weaknesses and use it as motivation for improvements.

Regular Check-Ups

As you set out to expand your business by expanding your list of selling points, remember to give yourself regular check-ups to track your progress. Look at past proposals, emails to potential clients and other communications where you have put forth your selling points. Compare them with current communications. Discover where you are, and are not, growing. Look at the language used, the points made, and the overall approach. Is it changing for the better? Is your list expanding? If so, keep up the good work! If not, try to determine why and make changes to initiate growth.

Another way to check your progress would be to interview yourself regularly. Sell yourself to yourself, talking about your strengths and why you should be hired. Keep notes on how those interviews change from one to another. Quick tip: I strongly suggest that you conduct these self-interviews behind closed doors in order to avoid strange looks from passers-by.

In order to keep anything healthy, it must have regular check-ups to look at progress and make sure everything is on track. Commit yourself to do the same with your plan for growth and you can’t go wrong.

Your Turn

What are your selling points? Do you have a plan in motion to expand your list? Have you identified your weaknesses as potential clients see them and set a course to improve upon them and turn them into strengths? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

What to Do When Constant Client Emails Keep You from Working

Amber Weinberg — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:30:10 +0000

I love my clients. They keep me in business and they allow me to have the kind of career and lifestyle I’ve always wanted. However that’s not to say they aren’t without their vices. The busier we get as freelancers, the less time we have to answer emails, yet the more emails we seem to get.

What’s worse is that we often get several clients who seemed to need babysitting on the web. While I don’t mind teaching my clients how to use their new sites, I’ve come across several clients that would literally email me at least 10-15 times a day on every subject from their website, to SEO, to using email, to turning on their computer.

The End of Productive Work…

The truth is, we don’t have the time to waste on these clients, and these clients waste a TON of time. Another problem is that these “quick” questions can really add up, and the next thing you know, you’ve spent two hours on their questions and didn’t get paid a dime for it. So how do we politely tell them to stop emailing us so much or inform them that we need to charge for these emails while still keeping them as clients?

While it’s tempting to just put up with it and hope they’ll eventually stop, the truth is, that if you keep giving them free advice, they’ll keep coming back (and not coming back in a good way).

That’s not to say however, that we should charge for every question. There’s nothing wrong with answering questions. But, what if client is still sending you several emails a day, months after the projects finished? What if you get two clients like that, or three? You can easily spend your entire day dealing with these clients and their “quick” emails.

So, How Do We Deal with Constant Client Emails?

There are several ways I’ve dealt with these clients and none of them were easy. It’s uncomfortable to approach the client on this kind of subject, but it’s something almost all of us will have to do at least once or twice in our freelance careers.

Charge them for emails–I finally got fed up with one of my favorite clients after the launch of their site. They were literally sending me several emails a day, six months after the project ended. So, I spent a good amount of time carefully drafting an email to let them know that I would love to help them, but couldn’t devote all of my time to answering their questions thoroughly, as spending so much time would be unfair to my paying clients. I would happily answer all of their questions for an hourly fee if they wished. Needless to say, they stopped asking questions.
Charge them for changes–I finally heard back from the same client several months later (I thought I had upset them with the previous email) asking me how to change X and X. I was furious. Hadn’t I just told them I could no longer accept their requests for free? But then I realized something–what if they just didn’t understand how to ask for changes the right way? So, I responded: “I would love to do X and X for you for $xxx. I can fit that in tomorrow for you if you’d like.” To my surprise, they were ecstatic and paid me right away. Clients who ask for stuff may seem like they are asking it for free, but may just not know how to ask for a quote.
Tell them to stop–Another client I had blatantly refused to pay any more money for the extra support, but would literally fly off the handle, screaming and crying in her emails (yes, I could tell she was crying from an email) if I didn’t help her right away. After refusing multiple quotes I sent her, I finally told her that we had to end our relationship. I felt like I was back in high school with her drama antics!
Ignore them–Ignoring a client is never a good thing, but sometimes it’s your last resort. A third client I had (I seem to get a lot of bad ones, but I really have tons of great clients!) came from the referral of another client. I normally don’t take on non-agency/freelancer clients, but since I had coded her site underneath one of my clients and she wanted me to take care of maintenance, I went ahead and accepted. Big mistake. She refused to pay for any maintenance on the site and wanted me to walk her through how to do it herself (for free, of course). When I did and she blew up the site, she expected me to fix it (for free, of course). If I didn’t answer her emails five minutes after she sent them, she’d have her manager send another email to me. Five minutes after that, she’d send a third. I got so tired of this, I told her I could no longer work with her due to my schedule. She continued to blow up my inbox until I finally stopped answering her emails, and finally she went somewhere else. I don’t like doing this, but sometimes it’s the only way to break up with a client!

All of these choices are difficult, but thinking about your options before you face the situation can help.

Your Thoughts

How have you dealt with these kinds of clients before? Was it easy?

Share how you dealt with them in the comments.

Image by 10ch

Do Lower Rates Mean More Clients?

Laura Spencer — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:30:05 +0000

Here at Freelance Folder we publish an awful lot of posts on freelance rates. Some of our past posts on rates include:

We discuss rates often because rates are such a crucial topic to freelancers. How much you charge for your services ultimately dictates how much money you can earn as a freelancer.

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of discussion about how freelancers need to lower rates in order to get more business. Usually, the economy is cited as the reason why rates should be lowered.

You know what? I don’t buy it. I don’t think that lowering rates is a good move for a freelancer. In this post, I’ll explain why.

The Wrong Question

I open this post by asking whether lower rates mean more clients. I gave that title to this post for a reason. That’s often the phrase that I hear when people talk about lowering rates.

However, I think it’s the wrong question for a freelancer to ask. The real question should be: will lowering my rates help my freelancing business to thrive?

The answer to the first question, about whether lower rates will net you more clients might possibly be “yes.” But, it’s a flawed question because, as a freelancer, you only have a limited amount of time. Unless you are an agency with a huge team that is willing to work for peanuts (i.e., low wages), there is probably a limit to how much work you can actually accept.

One of the aspects that makes most freelancers unique is that they can spend more time and give better personal attention to projects–time and attention that a larger entity is unlikely to provide. However, they can only offer this benefit to their clients if they are charging an adequate rate for their services.

A Look at the Right Question

If you examine the question of whether lowering your rates will help your freelancing business to thrive, the answer is usually “no.”

Sure, you may be able to scrape by on lower rates for a time–but, eventually lowering rates will catch up with you. You will have no money to invest back into your business. Here are some of the ramifications of that:

If your equipment wears out or become obsolete, there are no funds to replace it
Your skills may fall behind because you have no budget to invest in training materials
You’ll work harder to earn the same money and as a result probably cut back on your marketing efforts
If a personal emergency arises you won’t have the finances to deal with it

But, Work Isn’t Coming In

A work slowdown can be really scary to a freelancer. Even a work slowdown of a few days can cause bring a little fear into the mind of an experienced freelancer. For a new freelancer a slowdown can be almost paralyzing–Unless…

Unless you planned for it. That’s right, you need to plan for work slowdowns. To plan for a slowdown, I recommend the following:

Set aside a portion of your income. When a famine period hits your business this savings fund will help to see you through.
Don’t discontinue marketing efforts. The biggest mistake a freelancer can make is to stop marketing themselves.
Have a personal project. Filling your time with a personal project during slow times can keep you from dwelling on the situation.

Remember, if your business has been successful so far your work slowdown is most likely a temporary setback.

When You May Want to Discount Your Work

While I’m generally opposed to lowering rates simply to bring in more business, I do think that there are a few legitimate instances when a freelancer might choose to offer a discount to a client:

You are offering a limited time sale
The client offers a byline (for writers)
The client has referred additional clients to you
The client provides you with a testimonial
The client is offering you a long-term contract
The client agrees to reduce the amount of work required

What About You?

Do you believe that lower rates mean more business? Why, or why not?

Have you lowered your rates due to the economy (or any other reason)? If so, what was the result?

Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Image by Brian Lane Winfield Moore

Open Thread: Do You Accept Rush Work?

Laura Spencer — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:30:08 +0000

Some freelancers dread them. Other freelancers welcome them as a way to make extra money.

I’m talking about those last-minute jobs with impossible deadlines that freelancers are sometimes asked to do–otherwise known as “rush work.”

There are several approaches that a freelancer can take towards rush work.

Some freelancers operate on a strict “first come, first serve” basis. If a potential client contacts them with a rush job that is due before work that they are currently working on, they turn the new project down.

Other freelancers welcome “rush work” as an opportunity to charge additional fees. Rush fees among freelancers vary widely from an additional nominal amount such as $50 dollars to twice or even three times their normal rate.

Finally, a few freelancers decide whether or not to take “rush work” based on their financial status. If they are short of cash or needing to earn a little extra, they will accept last minute projects. However, if they are feeling financially secure, these same freelancers will turn them down.

What is your policy?

Do you accept rush work?

Leave your answers in the comments.