Comments on: Define Your Role As A Freelancer

By: Joel Chess

Joel Chess — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:41:22 +0000

I absolutely agree that you must be oganized like a pro, because you are a pro! You cannot let the tail wag the dog–be in charge and all the work you do for the client will go very smoothly.

By: Grace Smith

Grace Smith — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:47:22 +0000

Thanks Anthony, it was a matter of keeping a note of the type of info i had to ask for on a constant basis and finding a way to simplify it and work it into sections, its definitely a time saver!

Its also great to refer back to when your actually working on the project.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:44:12 +0000

Grace,
I took a look at your Client Worksheet, and let me say, it’s put together very well. I’ve been working on putting together something similar. I currently have several client questions that give me direction, but I need to get more detailed like your Worksheet is……very nicely done!

By: Grace Smith

Grace Smith — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:20:15 +0000

Excellent article Anthony! You cannot underestimate how important setting the tone is, it defines the rest of your working relationship. Being confident in your abilities and honest with the timeframe go along way!

If a client finds me through my website and contacts me i ask them to fill out a Client Worksheet which gets all the necessary details i need for the project without asking endless questions. I find it to be extremely productive and that it often defines areas the clients had not necessarily thought of.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:07:43 +0000

I also think that the ability to put the client back on track, to say no, and to know where to draw the line is vital to keeping your sanity.

James,
Exactly. If you don’t stand your ground and stick to the plan, you can easily end up doing way more than you originally agreed on. Keeping the project on track isn’t always easy, but necessary.

By: James Chartrand - Men with Pens

James Chartrand - Men with Pens — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:58:19 +0000

Yep, I’ve had this happen a few times. The clients that tend to end up taking over my job and telling me what to do are usually the ones in corporate positions or in high-paying jobs. They’re so used to telling others what to do or leading the troops or having a finger in the pot to control the situation that they just can’t cut the cord and let the writer do his job.

These are usually the people who also often say, “This is just my opinion. I’ll let you decide. You’re the expert, after all!…”

Oh. Thank you for noticing.

I think clear communication is vital to handle these types of clients. I also think that the ability to put the client back on track, to say no, and to know where to draw the line is vital to keeping your sanity.