The Power of Good Communication
Posted October 27, 2009 in Managing Clients, Writing 24 Comments »
Often times freelancers communicate primarily online, using methods such as e-mail and instant messaging. Many of us apply for and accept new work without ever speaking to a client on the phone.
The beauty of the internet is that employers are no longer limited to choosing local talent for their projects, and we freelancers can work for clients all around the world.
That same beauty and power, however, can also be a considerable disadvantage for freelancers who don’t grasp the importance of good communication. If used properly, good communication can compel a reader to action, stimulate the imagination, or even win a new client project.
In this post we’ll explain how to communicate more effectively over the internet, and how to use that improved communication to further your freelance career.
Communicating on the Internet
A face-to-face meeting with a client gives that client the opportunity observe your body language and evaluate your tone of voice. A professional and friendly demeanor on the part of a freelancer can potentially strengthen a weak verbal presentation to a client.
We webworkers, however, generally have no such face-to-face opportunity to meet with clients. Our written communications are taken very seriously because they are often all that a client has to base their decision upon.
For freelancers, learning to effectively communicate on the internet is critical.
Ten Tips for Good Communication
This section describes some characteristics of good client communication. Most of these characteristics deal with initial, or early, client contacts (such as when a potential client has contacted you with a request for a proposal). However, many of these principles are also true for all client contacts.
The right way to communicate with a client is to make sure that all of your writing to them is characterized by:
- Professionalism — An unfortunate side effect of the fast-paced and mostly online world that we live in is the tendency to be too casual too quickly. In particular, freelancers who would never dream of calling a new or potential client by their first name if they met them face-to-face or starting a business letter without a proper greeting will do both of these things when sending an e-mail or otherwise communicating with a potential client online. While some clients don’t mind an informal approach, others may be offended. (If a client has contacted you first, try to match the tone of their message.)
Example: If you’ve never met, write to “Ms. Cortez” instead of to “Isabel.” - Enthusiasm — To read the messages of some freelancers, you’d think that they weren’t interested in the work at all. That’s because their communication to the client fails to convey their enthusiasm for the project. When choosing between two otherwise equal candidates, a potential client is likely to select the freelancer who seems to really want the work rather than to the disinterested freelancer. Make sure that your client knows that you want the work.
Example: Some phrases to convey excitement include: “I’m really excited about this project,” “I look forward to working with you,” “I can’t wait to begin this project.” - Accuracy — Your communication should be as accurate as possible. If you are quoting a price or projecting a timeframe for the completion of a project, try to make your estimates as close to the actual cost and dates as possible. No client wants to be surprised in terms of cost or time for completion. Also, be sure to outline precisely what parts of the project you will handle.
Example: Say “this project will be ready for your review on November 15th” instead of “you should be able to review the project in a few weeks.” - Timeliness — While it isn’t necessary to hover over your e-mail inbox or instant messaging system so that you can respond to each client inquiry the very second that it arrives, you should respond to inquiries in a timely fashion. Remember, it’s likely that you are not the only freelancer the client contacted. If you wait too long to respond, your potential client may have already selected another freelancer for the project. Generally speaking, unless the inquiry specifies that it is an urgent request, it is usually okay to respond on the next business day.
- Responsiveness — Make sure that your response to a client actually addresses what they have asked. While you may wish to make a client or potential client aware of the full spectrum of your services, be sure that your answer also addresses their original concern.
Example: If a client would like an estimate on having a logo designed, then you shouldn’t completely ignore the request for information about logo design and only talk about designing a website for them. - Respect — Your client communications should convey a sense of respect for your client. Avoid language that belittles your client even if you think that their ideas are not valid. Instead, focus on your experience and how it benefits them. Also, stay away from angry outbursts.
Example: Instead of saying, “if you knew the least thing about web design then you wouldn’t want xyz…” instead say “my experience as a web designer shows that abc is most effective in these situations.” - Integrity — The client/freelancer relationship is based on trust. To maintain a good relationship with your clients your communication to them should be honest and reliable. The client has turned to you because of your expertise and specialized knowledge in a particular field. They should be able to count on your words as expert advice. Don’t let your client down!
- Organization — Your communication to a client should be well-organized and well thought-out. There should usually be an introduction, a few main points, and a conclusion. You should also format your writing so that a client can easily scan your message and see the main ideas. Depending on how long your response is, you may also want to summarize it for your clients.
- Consistency — Your words should be consistent within a single message as well as across multiple client messages.
Example: You shouldn’t quote one price or rate in one e-mail with your client and quote an entirely different price for the same work in another message. (If you are raising your rates, you should make that clear to your client. Typically, it’s not a good idea to raise rates in the middle of a project.) - Clarity — Don’t confuse your client. Your client should always understand exactly what you are proposing, how much it costs, and how long it will take. Answer your client’s questions directly. Whenever possible, avoid rambling and be concise.
Share Your Communication Tips
There’s no doubt that online communication is a necessity for freelancers. Good communication can make clients happy, and bring in new work — and bad communication can drive clients away.
Share your best client communication tips in the comments.
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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24 Comments
Amber Weinberg
October 27th, 2009 at 12:11 pmI’ve found the best way of communication with my clients is to smile while on the phone. Even though they can’t see you, they can always hear the smile through the phone. Your enthusiasm for their project makes them even more happy to work with you. :)
Laura Spencer
October 27th, 2009 at 12:17 pmAmber!
What a creative tip! I think that you’re right – it’s hard to smile when you’re upset and even though the clients can’t see your smile, they can hear your tone of voice.
Heather Villa
October 27th, 2009 at 2:53 pmYou can’t really communicate too much, but you can do too little. It never hurts to send a short update email while working on a project, especially one that takes more than a couple of days to complete. Keeping your client in the loop will notify them of your progress and make them feel good about the work you are doing.
Laura Spencer
October 27th, 2009 at 3:12 pmThanks Heather!
I think that you are right. We freelancers tend to worry that we are bothering a client with our communication – but most of them appreciate it when we take the trouble to stay in touch.
AffirmingSpirit
October 27th, 2009 at 6:00 pmAmber, I totally agree with you. I naturally smile when I speak to clients because I enjoy the interaction so much. They can HEAR the difference when you speak to them, too!
Heather, IMHO giving client updates is a must for a successful freelancer. It sends the message: You an trust me, I’ve got it under control. You can go back to your other issues knowing this one is moving along perfectly.
Likewise, if something is awry, I see how I can creatively solve it first before involving the client. However, if it will shift the budget, I always give the client the choice of how to move forward.
Laura, I appreciate that you are showing freelancers the basics for interacting with their clients. I find that treating the client as I would wish to be treated (when I hire people to help me) is the best guide.
Many blessings,
Nancy
@AffirmingSpirit
Brandon Cox
October 27th, 2009 at 6:11 pmTen excellent points!! I’d say one tip would be measure what’s an appropriate amount of information or response in the given moment. No need to turn on the fire hydrant to answer a simple question.
Luke Jones
October 27th, 2009 at 6:17 pmAnother great article, Laura! They’re always short, sweet and informative!
Ahmed Gaber
October 27th, 2009 at 6:56 pmi like your tips, you always provide th best
Laura Spencer
October 27th, 2009 at 7:02 pmThanks to everyone who left a comment!
Don’t forget to share your communication tips.
Partha Bhattacharya
October 28th, 2009 at 4:26 amI’ve come to realize that when a client tries to lower asking price with the ‘consolation’ that he has many more works to offer, it is better to run away from him.
Anne
October 28th, 2009 at 7:27 amGreat points Laura, and I agree with Amber above about having a smile on your face when you speak with a client over the phone – everyone likes a smiling face and it can be heard in the voice too, especially if it is sincere.
Something not mentioned here is ‘listening’ to your client. You can’t be an effective communicator if you have not first learned how to be a good listener.
Laura Spencer
October 28th, 2009 at 7:42 amAnne,
You’re so right. I’m a big fan of listening and it has an important place in any post about communication.
Thanks for the reminder.
Juliet | Freelancewise
October 28th, 2009 at 8:47 amHi
This is really good. Written communication can easily be misunderstood – whether it is the details or the tone.
I find that using bullet points in my communication helps with clarity as well as really being sure that all of the details are covered and the client is aware of them.
Juliet
Melek
October 28th, 2009 at 9:01 amI like Juliet’s tip of bullet points. When I need multiple questions answered on a project, I find they all get answered if they’re in bullet point form instead of in one long paragraph.
Watch your spelling and acronyms. It’s easy to slip into “chat” mode and type ‘ppl’ for ‘people’ or ‘thru’ for ‘through’…. Unless you’re good friends with a client or on a much more relaxed basis, keep the grammar / spelling professional.
Also, keeping the client apprised is important, especially if your main form of communication is via email. For instance, I received a payment from a client today (to start his project). So I’ll email him to let him know I received it and when I’ll begin designing. Then, once I’m into designing, I’ll send him an email letting him know it will be X more days before I’ll be done. Then when I send him the design, I explain all the ins and outs of the design, and what kind of feedback I need from him, etc. Being specific and communicating regularly helps keep things on track, and eliminates a lot of the little issues that can creep in when you go too long with out communicating.
Another great article, Laura!
Laura Spencer
October 28th, 2009 at 9:39 amGreat tips!
I think bullet points are vital for longer communications. Keeping the client up to date with what is going on is also very important. (You can’t communicate if you don’t stay in touch.)
Keep the ideas flowing!
Alex Lim
October 28th, 2009 at 9:50 amI find it hard to express my enthusiasm over an email, so I usually use some emoticons. Although I have some doubts that the use of such icons could affect my client’s perception over me, I make sure that they have used it first before I do. I have this habit of reading my client’s attitude and behavior and trying to go on their level. It’s a my way of making my clients comfortable on such level.
Matt Keegan
October 28th, 2009 at 3:52 pmLove all of the tips, Laura! Especially this one: clarity.
I think that being very clear on what you’re proposing and keeping the lines of communication open and flowing is critical during all facets of the client-writer business relationship.
Charles F. Potel
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:45 pmHello Laura, congratulations on your posts, are very enriching. I am Brazilian and I have followed this site recently, not found anything so straightforward on another site, either in Portuguese or in English. hugs and sorry my English.
Mike
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:58 amTotally agree with all the ten points on communication. Its really important to keep a client relationship professional and friendly. I find that sometimes clients can be more difficult than other clients to relate to but despite this its crucial to treat each client the same and not get wound up by communication difficulties.
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