The One Freelancing Mistake You DO NOT Want to Make
Posted May 18, 2009 in Business 31 Comments »
Sooner or later, just about every freelancer makes a mistake. We’re human, after all. I’ve made mistakes. You’ve probably made mistakes.
Most mistakes can be worked through. Your relationship with your client can usually be salvaged, and your reputation can be maintained. In the past, we’ve talked about some ways to salvage the client relationship when things go bad and we’ve also discussed some techniques to keep from making mistakes in the first place.
There are a few mistakes, however, that will usually spell the end of a client/freelancer relationship. One mistake, in particular, will not only ruin your relationship with your client but possibly even damage your reputation beyond repair.
Don’t Make This Mistake
Possibly the biggest mistake a freelancer can make, one that particularly damages the client/freelancer relationship, is that of publicly griping about a client by name. I’m not talking about exposing a bona-fide scammer, rather I’m talking about publicly insulting, deriding, or otherwise talking about a client in a negative way.
I see this mistake all the time on freelance message boards and blogs that I visit. Usually the complaints look something like this:
- “X client was just too picky for the amount that they paid”
- “The project for Y Company was way too hard”
- “Z Inc. always expects tons of revisions”
The thing is: our clients can read too. A quick web search or two will probably bring up your rant about your client. Some clients even frequent freelance message boards.
Even if you gripe about a client under a pseudonym, they can probably figure out who is doing the complaining.
Why It’s So Bad
Airing your issues about a client publicly rather than privately is bad business because it breaks the client/freelancer trust relationship that is necessary for good business.
If I were a client and read about a freelancer’s dissatisfaction about me online the first thing that I would think is: “Why didn’t he or she let me know that they were having problems? We could have worked it out.”
Not only does airing your gripes publicly destroy your trust relationship with the client that you’re griping about, it could also damage your trust relationship with future clients.
The first thing I do when a client approaches me is research them. I want to learn everything I can about that particular client, their business, and their needs.
I expect that the first thing a client does when are considering engaging the services of a freelancer is to research that freelancer. A prospective client how searches on your name and finds a bunch of gripes about your clients is likely to conclude that you will gripe about them too.
Why We Do It and How To Quit
Of course, blowing off steam when we’ve had a particularly tough time is only human. It feels good to vent after an especially challenging project. Sometimes you just want someone to acknowledge what you went through. Who better to vent to than other freelancers?
It is possible, whoever, to let out some of that pent-up project frustration and still remain professional. I always recommend that, if a freelancer feels that he or she must vent, they should do so privately. Cultivate a relationship with a few trusted peers who are willing to listen to your gripes and keep them private. Be ready to listen to their frustrations as well.
How Do You React After a Frustrating Project?
What is your technique for handling project frustrations?
What do you think is the worst freelancing mistake a freelancer can make?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Top image by kevygee
About the author: Laura Spencer is a freelance writer from North Central Texas with over 19 years of professional business writing experience. If you liked this post, then you may also enjoy Laura’s blog about her freelance writing experiences, WritingThoughts
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31 Comments
Judith
May 18th, 2009 at 11:37 amOuch… that is bad business ethics for anyone not just freelancers
@What is your technique for handling project frustrations?
…well, i look for other ways that i can deal with the project without losing my mind, or the client.
@What do you think is the worst freelancing mistake a freelancer can make?
…hmmm! have drawn a blank, but i would say doing what your post has spoken of
Great post!
Kristina Duncan
May 18th, 2009 at 12:07 pmMy great-grandmother always said two things that stuck with me: (1) Don’t air your dirty laundry and (2) what will the neighbors think? Those two phrases have kept me in check.
Great post!
Laura Spencer
May 18th, 2009 at 1:04 pmGreat feedback guys! I’m glad others agree with me on this point.
Shari Smothers
May 18th, 2009 at 2:05 pmYet another great post! The examples that you listed in the gripes are bad. However, the fact that they are aired publicly makes them infinitely worse.
I think another really bad action is to argue with a client because you want to do things your way. Professionalism demands that you give your best work and interpretation, and that you accept when your ideas are rejected.
Shari
Laura Spencer
May 18th, 2009 at 2:07 pmGreat addition to the discussion.
It’s one thing to make suggestions, but to get into an argument over those suggestions with your clients is not helpful or professional.
Samar
May 18th, 2009 at 2:33 pmI wouldn’t even advice griping about a client by name even in a private chat with another freelancer. Not because I don’t trust that freelancer, but because its unprofessional and to a certain extent unethical.
Simply stating that you have a problem with a client and would like advice on how to deal with it will get you better responses than venting off steam.
I’ve always gotten tremendous help to a simple “I’m having trouble with (explain situation). I’m unsure of how to proceed or what to do.”
Dmitry
May 18th, 2009 at 3:37 pmBad publicity for other, does not necessarily entail good publicity for you. If one were to post something bad about a potential client by name, then I think that person would do it knowingly that the client could read it. It seems this kind of bad mouthing is more intended to make a statement, rather then an attempt to assuage the situation.
Great Article!
Jessie Nunez
May 18th, 2009 at 9:09 pmAmen, say it again. The mature thing to do is iron out your differences between you and your client. Spreading scandal benefits no one.
Solomon
May 18th, 2009 at 11:14 pmEach time I had a bitter experience with a client, it’s because they’re not well-informed or in the know of things how it happens. Unfortunately, it’s a situation where you can’t help yourself either: You can’t educate the client on the whole gamut of things; nor can stop working for them. Let’s make it a win-win situation by gently making him understand the things in the course of your association with the client.
I struggled to understand many people by over expectations of them. But, it’s not the case. Many are not in the know of things, ’cause of lack of understanding of the things – especially writing. Of course, designing too!
Thanks for the good post!
Sara Parr
May 19th, 2009 at 4:28 amAn informative and useful reminder. These days we blog about everything and it’s an easy trap to fall into, often with a certain amount of good intention – you want to warn your fellow freelancers what a nightmare the client is, so that they don’t get caught out…
But I agree – it is, on balance a very bad idea!
JohnONolan
May 19th, 2009 at 4:37 amGreat post – I go one step further and don’t even ever for design critiques of client projects.
Will
May 19th, 2009 at 5:31 amYeah, this is definitely a bad mistake to make!
This could be a terrible generalisation, but the places I’ve seen the above mistake happen have always been on boards where the ‘freelancers’ are of a relatively young age and freelancing is just side income for them – its not their actual business.
I think with blogging its important to step back and think whether you’d be offended if you mentioned something about a client that could be taken the wrong way.
Always get permission from a client also if you want to use something related to their project in a post!
Nikhil
May 19th, 2009 at 5:58 amI agree with this….
Nice Post
Alfred Larue
May 19th, 2009 at 9:36 amA freelancers who is a well established award winning creative artist can get away with calling out a bad client publicly.
If you’re a production grunt then it’s a different story. In that case, you must toe the line and behave.
Dave
May 19th, 2009 at 10:08 amIt wasn’t until I realize that “Everybody else wants to be God TOO.” that I was finally able to deal with these situations rationally. Once I realize(d) that the problem is me, I was able to see “bad” situations from a totally different light.
Catherine Cantieri, Sorted
May 19th, 2009 at 10:17 amVery good advice. Even if you could gripe about your clients in relative anonymity, I wouldn’t recommend it, just because that’s a habit you don’t want to get into in any case. Don’t open that door!
Steve Lawrence
May 19th, 2009 at 11:04 amAll I can say is that, Jon… you indeed practice what you preach! I’ve worked with a lot of freelancers and I’ve got to say you have been a breath of fresh air! Despite all of the change requests and “picky” items hoisted upon you, you remained cool, calm and highly professional. You have never promised something that you could not deliver. And if you couldn’t deliver it… you said so up front and offered helpful alternatives. I salute you sir, and look forward to a long working relationship.
Kudos my friend!!
Tim Smith
May 19th, 2009 at 11:23 amI can’t agree with this more! You should never bag on a client, it can come back and bite you! Great Post!
Laura Spencer
May 19th, 2009 at 11:45 amThanks for all the feedback!
I’m glad to know it isn’t Freelance Folder readers out there griping about their clients.
Thiago Cavalcanti
May 19th, 2009 at 4:16 pmWhat’s your opinion on this, Laura?
Though they didn’t name their customers, I still think it qualifies as the same mistake you warned us about here, don’t you think?
http://www.37signals.com/svn/archives2/useless_absurd_must_need_appalled_just_infuriating_essential_etc.php
Nick Smith
May 19th, 2009 at 4:33 pmI agree that griping about clients is bad form. Better to take whatever they throw at you and be grateful. Speaking of which, on craigslist there are a ton of design jobs with no renumeration. Race you to them.
Laura Spencer
May 19th, 2009 at 5:21 pmHi Thiago Cavalcanti!
Thanks for the link,
Truthfully, I’m not really familiar with the blog where this was posted or the product that they are talking about so I’d hesitate to comment on it specifically.
Hi Nick!
Good point! I think it’s important to remember that we are talking about airing your complaints publicly rather than trying to work with the client privately. As for low-paying jobs, remember we choose the projects we are willing to accept.
Vu Tran
May 19th, 2009 at 8:23 pmThanks for yet another great article.
Another note is social networking website and your own blog. Client’s might often keep up to date with you or your company by following you on social networking websites such as Twitter, or Facebook, or even subscribe to your blog feed where you post your rants and random thoughts to blow some steam out. Something like this can save them tons of time searching through message boards and search engines.
Leif Kendall
May 20th, 2009 at 7:26 amI often discuss my work with my partner. She’s very good at listening to rants!
I think it’s better to discuss these things than write them down – the words we speak leave no trace but those we commit to print have a habit of haunting us!
Ryan Nelson
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:27 amThis is an great article. My marketing company had a employee who blogged about clients… WOW! he is no longer a employee it hurt us for months.
Doug C.
November 25th, 2009 at 2:20 pmI agree with on this. However, there is one area that I would like to bring up and that is if you have had a bad experience with someone who has purposely scammed you I believe you should let others know – simply for the fact that if this person goes to someone else at least people will know what kind of person they are.
It’s like buying a bad product or having a bad experience with some company. You let other people know about it. Same thing here.
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