I’d like to call your attention to Ryan Caldwell’s post at Performancing this morning about the trustworthiness of freelancers and homeworkers. I think because we work at home and don’t have to face our employers, many of us feel we can take a few liberties. How will my employers know if I’m going out for Starbucks or watching reruns? Why can’t I take a week of sick days even if I’m not sick? And why do I have to finish a job I don’t like, it’s not like I’m on salary or anything?
While the beauty of freelancing is being able to work your own hours, it’s still a good idea to be available during the same times as your employers. And even though no one is standing over us forcing us to do our work, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make a good impression.
Here are a few tips for being a standout freelancer.
Deliver as promised. If you promise delivery on a certain date, hold up your end of the bargain. Better yet, deliver before your deadline. The last thing you want to do is keep people waiting. If it happens too often, your client will want someone more reliable.
Don’t discount the one-off clients. Just because you have a one time gig with a client you’ll probably never work with again, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t present yourself in the best light possible. Past clients can still be good references and may recommend you to people offering some really terrific gigs.
Always go the extra mile. No one will remember you if you’re underwhelming. It’s the standouts who land the high paying, regular gigs.
Don’t accept a gig if you have no intention of seeing it through. I suppose this should fall under the “deliver as promised” category. When I was an editor for a major Internet content portal, I was amazed by the amount of people who showed enthusiasm for the gig upon hiring, but after a couple of weeks they were no where to be found. Sure, the least they could have done was contact me to say they were no longer interested, but first and foremost they shouldn’t have accepted unless they were absolutely going to complete the task – even if the task wasn’t what they thought it would be.
Check in often. Some clients get a little nervous when they don’t hear from their freelancers after a few days. Even if you don’t have any questions, it’s nice to give a status report now and then. Your client will appreciate knowing where you are with the project.
I remember a year or so ago I was having trouble keeping up with FWJ and hired a fellow WAHM to troll for leads. I offered an hourly rate and she came back after two hours with about five gigs. I couldn’t prove she didn’t really do anything for those two hours, she did produce a couple of leads, right? I never used her again though and it was a long time before I was able to trust someone to handle the leads for FWJ. Even worse, she lost me as a reference. Two people contacted me asking about asking if I had any experience with her and I told them the truth. Before turning in work, it’s always a good idea to ask yourself, did I please my client? And…Did I do a good enough job so that my client will recommend me to others?
Those of us who work at home have a lot to prove. When others flake, it not only makes them look bad, but sometimes it ruins it for the rest of us. One of my former colleagues in publishing once told me she hired a staff writer to handle all the work she was sending out to freelancers because she couldn’t trust them anymore.
Freelancers don’t have to be synonymous with slackers. It’s up to you to decide what turn your reputation should take. Just remember, the people who have work every day, and make the really big bucks, didn’t do so by flaking on their clients.
What are your tips for not only keeping clients happy, but also making sure you have a good reputation?
Discuss…
November 21st, 2007 at 12:08 am
While I don’t like doing a ton of work for free, whenever I have a big project in front of me I always outline and timeline the work that has to be done before we even sign a contract. In fact, I usually write the contract to include payouts when milestones are reached. That way, they see that I am organized up front and when I deliver a few interim bits on time they relax a lot. It’s the best way I can get over the “I’ve been burned by consultants before” routine.
This may not apply for a lot of small one-off magazine articles, but anything that requires some research you can say, “I will have an update as to where I am going on XXX”. That way they know you are organized and not bug you as much out of mistrust. I think it also helps to have the planning done in advance if you’re asking for top dollar.
November 21st, 2007 at 12:09 am
AWESOME post, Deb. Just today, a happy client recommended me for another job. Now, I may not get it (publisher balked at my hourly rate), but still, it was nice to get a glowing rec. based on my past work.
I guess I would just second that you really need to act professionally throughout an entire job, even if you never plan to work with these folks again. Toward the end of one project I got feisty in some emails re: “why aren’t my proofing suggestions being made?!” and I was a bit concerned I ticked my colleagues off. But I guess it’s all good - since one was the person who recommended me for the new job. (Still, I was a little embarrassed….)
November 21st, 2007 at 12:15 am
Deb,
Great post! One thing that always works well for me, and this may be too obvious to really be a “tip”, is to reiterate the job summary before I start work for a client. I’ve found that simply saying, “So, looking at my notes, you need short, snappy blurbs and bullet points that sum up your service points. You want to empasize X…” etc. can make a big difference. If I’m wrong about something, this discussion with the client can make sure we’re both “interpreting” the assignment the same way before I send them work that isn’t quite what they wanted.
November 21st, 2007 at 12:25 am
Andrea - good advice. I think I’ll try that with a new client (that I got off this job board - THANKS!).
What’s great about this job is that we can take a break to go to Starbucks or take a week of sick days - as long as we still get our work to our clients on time and done to the best of our abilities.
I just took last week off to run the book fair at my kids’ school. I knew it was coming up so I scheduled all of my work around it and made sure I didn’t take on any new jobs in the week’s prior to it.
I want to know about the flakey clients. This has happened to me twice now. I get a response saying they loved me work, they want me to do the job and then boom - nothing. I never hear from them again. The first time happened over two years ago, but the second happened just this month. It was an ongoing job I was really interested in, too.
November 21st, 2007 at 12:37 am
hey robin- I also just took a couple days off to run the book fair! haha weird! But yeah, I brought my laptop and redirected my BlackBerry so that my clients can always get to me and have a quick reply.
Deb- I am a flake. I think it comes from being alone in the house for 6 hours a day everyday.
November 21st, 2007 at 12:41 am
PS, This post reminds me of this post, complete with funny cartoons:
http://freelanceswitch.com/clients/the-13-breeds-of-freelancer-and-how-to-up-your-game/
November 21st, 2007 at 12:57 am
@Erik great tip!
@ Andrea - I agree. I always go over what the customer wants with an email. This way also I have it all in writing “just in case”.
@ Robin - I’ll have to do a followup with a flakey client post.
@Allena - That’s one of my favorite posts at Freelance Switch.
November 21st, 2007 at 2:04 am
I don’t know where I read or heard this adage, but it works for me: First under-promise, then over-deliver. I agree that a good recap/summary is an essential tool. I’ve also found that non-defensiveness is really helpful in developing a professional, cooperative image.
I’m looking forward to the post on Flakey Clients.
Great post!
November 21st, 2007 at 2:04 am
This is a great post, and one of the points bears stressing:
Work-at-home moms have a lot to prove.
The perception and stereotypes involved for those that work at home are already harsh. I honestly see how hard women who work at home have to work to prove themselves to clients. Hey, I do, and I’m a Dad. Toss in gender bias and kids? No, I do not want to go there.
One thing that is important - fight the stereotype. Don’t perpetuate it. Women work at home, yes. That doesn’t mean they have to come off as frazzled fanatics covered in baby drool with kids on their knees and a household from hell. That may be the reality - your clients don’t want to know that, nor do they respect that image.
I wish the world were different. I wish people had more respect for mothers and women. The truth is, men are still treated differently.
Soemtimes the only difference between a work at home dad and a work at home mom - many times - is just what’s between our legs. I’m a work at home dad and I just don’t perpetuate the frazzled babyslobber dad image. It makes a difference in how clients treat me.
November 21st, 2007 at 3:12 am
Very interesting that you made that suggestion, Andrea. I JUST got my first teeny, ting gig (off this board) and that’s exactly what I did!
I don’t mean to denigrate this job as teeny, tiny, but it is indeed small, but about the one topic that really gets me going and fascinates me endlessly. So I’m not bothered at all!
November 21st, 2007 at 3:51 am
Andrea makes an excellent point, as does Erik.
I’ve been burned on a couple of projects due to “scope creep.” So agreed-upon project prices were far too low by the time project was done. Both were first-time efforts on my part (editing a book draft and a survey project for which no automated scoring was available). So now any time I venture into new territory, I take on clients on a trial basis and spell that out in the agreement.
Started with my largest current client that way. Though it’s a long-term client now, it was still best to start that way.
To Deb’s points, no freelancer who is making ends meet is a slacker — and anyone who thinks that doesn’t have a clue. Like most others here, I sell the projects, do the work, edit the material, handle the billing and make sure (by hiring a tech) that the equipment keeps running. What’s that, 4-5 “jobs?” Try explainig that to a union worker. An 8-hour day would be “slacking,” as would a five-day work week.
November 21st, 2007 at 6:25 am
Sure, some freelancers are flakes. But I try very hard not to be.
This is a business. It’s MY business and MY livelihood. While I may not be getting standard benefits (health, vacation, etc.) from my clients, they are still my employer for however long we work together. I value my reputation and want to be professional and reliable. In fact, I must be if I plan to keep working as a writer.
Following through as promised, doing a job even if it’s not the most fascinating, finishing on time… these are all hallmarks of a professional. The writers that think this is a “piece of cake” job and that anyone can write are usually the ones that don’t take their reputations seriously.
So the rest of us have to work harder to make up for that… at least until we build our own reputations.
November 21st, 2007 at 7:16 am
I can’t even imagine accepting a gig that I wouldn’t see through. As far as I’m concerned, once the work agreement is signed, the deal is sealed.
-Melissa Donovan
Writing FORWARD
November 21st, 2007 at 8:47 am
Reading this (and Ryan’s post), I couldn’t help but feel the irony. When I worked a salaried job, I found more time to slack off (on my employer’s dime) than I do now, because then I got paid the same amount regardless of my production. Now, it’s my time I’m giving up when I do choose to slack. I don’t charge an hourly rate. The quicker I do my work, the more time I have to spend earning my next check. And if I procrastinate too much, I’m the one suffering by being up till 3am working, not my client. I’ve never missed a deadline, not even a self-imposed one.
That said, I’ve had the pleasure (or not in some cases) of hiring freelancers, and yes, many of them are flakes. At first, I was shocked, because I’d never treat a client the way some people have treated me. Then I realized the difference: some people’s livelihoods don’t depend on their freelance careers, but mine does.
I’ve got nothing against people who freelance for extra pocket money, or more for fun than for profit, but those people do tend to be the flakes (in my experience). Those who earn their livings freelancing don’t want to risk losing their clients or developing a bad rep. Those who have someone else bringing in their ‘real’ income don’t need to make a real commitment.
November 21st, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Right on, neighbor Amy.
I noticed that when I was in a NW Ind. “communicators” group. For most, writing/PR was nothing more than a hobby. I’m hoping to be able to send two girls to college.
When you freelance, the good news is that you get paid for production. But if you are a slacker, the bad news is that you get paid for production.
November 21st, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Manual trackback: Monetization: Writers are the new slaves
November 21st, 2007 at 7:57 pm
I wanted to pipe in on the part-time freelancer flakiness … I find it very hard to budget my time and work toward a full-time career when I bid for jobs or send out queries or articles and never hear back from the majority of editors (AD being a notable and welcome exception). I have this (irrational, I know) fear that they will all come calling at once and I will be unable to meet the demand. So I end up with less work than I should, because I want to make sure that I can reliably produce what I have proposed. But the whole set-up makes me mad. Why should I play by the rules when others don’t? How hard is it to write the word “no” on my SASE or send me a quick E-mail? [hops off soap-box, turning red] What I am trying to say is that if I were more aggressive, I would likely come off as unreliable because I would bid for twice as many jobs to compensate for the editors that never call.
November 21st, 2007 at 8:01 pm
I know one thing that helps me keep my sanity is my cell phone. I use my cell phone as my business line. This way, if I do make that run to Starbucks, no one has to know where I am and what I am doing. Also, unless I am in with a client or working on a tight deadline, I answer the phone (in a professional way) and talk with whomever is calling. I’ve given price quotes in the checkout line and conducted interviews while walking the dog (not somthing I recommend!).
This seems to keep my customers happy. They feel they can almost always reach me and almost never go to voicemail. Tuesday I was in line at the Post Office when a new client called me looking to get information on my services. If I had let it go to voice mail because I was not at home, they would have continued calling copywriters until they got someone one the phone.
We live in a “Me” generation, where no one likes to wait. Having worked in NYC, I’m sure Deb understands how fast paced people are. People don’t like to wait, and using a cell phone keeps my business running while I sip my latte and do my Christmas shopping! It works!
Best,
Tina Marie Frawley
November 21st, 2007 at 10:14 pm
I’ve turned down any freelance job that tells me when I have to be at my desk, on my computer. If I want to be that tied down, I’d go back to an office job! But count me in as someone who uses a cell phone as a business number. It allows me the flexibility to work remotely.
Sometimes there are jobs I’ve accepted, thinking I would be able to complete them, no problem. But sometimes things come up that doesn’t allow for that: a family emergency, sources who flake out on you, and sometimes the job turns out to be more than you realized. When stuff like that happens, I get in touch with the editor immediately and we go from there. Sometimes both editor and writer have to admit it was a bad match and move on. Better to be honest and upfront and not burn bridges. Communication between editor and writer goes a long way.
November 21st, 2007 at 11:46 pm
My long term contractor expects the writers to abide by strict time lines as her clients’ needs have to be met. I always ensure work is delivered on time and most often, well before time. In return, I get consistent payment and an excellent working rapport with the company.
What if you are a freelancer who has been offered a project only to have the client dither or postpone the working arrangement? This has happened too. Where I have delivered on time, every time, only to have an uncooperative client who makes false promises not just to me but several of staff. It’s a shame, but it does happen.