With some projects it is easier to hand the reigns over to your client. Relinquishing power may not be something that you are comfortable with, but in the long run you will realize that this is the right thing to do. Let me explain.
There are clients that will expect you to guide the ship and call all the shots. But at the same time, there are those that want to be in control of every facet of a project. Although you may like being in charge, you have to do what is best for the client. After all, they are paying you. If you think that letting your client guide the ship is a bad thing you are wrong. Sure, this brings an entirely different set of dynamics to the forefront but in the long run it is not something that you should run from.
If you are good at taking direction there is no reason why you should be worried about letting your client take over. In fact, I believe that this is the best way of doing things in many cases. There is nothing wrong with having a client tell you what to do every step of the way. This can often times mean more edits, but in the long run the end result is the same: a completed project that the client is happy with.
Believe it or not, there are times when I ask clients for more help. Instead of acting like I know everything and that I have no questions, asking for assistance makes the process easier on both parties. A client that is willing to show you the way, no matter what type of help you need, is one that you definitely want to work with.
Just because a particular client likes to be in charge and hold all the power does not mean that you are going to be seen as less of an authority. As a freelance writer you need to be ready to deal with every type of client. Trust me; there are many of them out there that will want to guide each and every project from start to finish.
At least once or twice per week I receive an email with the subject: Help – I can’t find any real freelance writing clients. As you can imagine, the body of all these messages is pretty much the same. An aspiring freelance writer needs help breaking through to the “next level†of the industry.
When somebody asks me to help them find real clients it always puts me in a difficult spot. First off, what does the word “real†mean? To some, a real client is anybody that is not associated with a content mill. To others, a real client is somebody who pays a particular amount of money (set in their mind) for each project.
When answering this question, time after time, I always start with the same information. What are you doing to market your services? If you want to find the right freelance writing clients you have to market, market, market. Believe it or not, most people end up writing back and saying, “I don’t do much to market my services, but how can I get started.â€
As you can see, those who are not finding the right clients only have themselves to blame. Believe me, there are many webmasters/companies that are willing to pay a lot of money for the services of a professional freelance writer. Just remember that finding these clients takes time and effort. If you are not willing to market your services you will more than likely find yourself wondering why none of the “real†clients want to work with you.Â
One of the main drawbacks of being a freelance writer is that you are the sole person in charge of your business. This means that if you don’t do the work it doesn’t get done. For this reason, there are sure to be times when you have to work additional hours. Even though you may do your best to set your schedule and only take on the work you can complete, things do not always work out as planned.
You never know when a client will want a project completed on short notice, or you land a couple new gigs when you weren’t expecting to do so. When this happens to me, I almost always end up working additional hours in the evening. In some cases, although extreme, I even find myself at the computer on weekends. Again, you want to do your best to avoid this but in some situations it is simply not possible.
Do you turn down projects so you don’t have to work additional hours? While I know freelance writers who do this, it is not a practice that I believe in. If a client I have worked with in the past has a rush job, I do my best to accommodate all their needs – no matter what they may be. Of course, I do so within reason. There is only so much you can do for your clients, but remember one thing: customer service is a big deal. If you help somebody out of a bind you can be rest assured that they will remember this for a long time.
When you decide to become a freelance writer you are taking on a lot of responsibility. You are the only person in charge of making your business a success. In some cases this means working additional hours. Does this bother you? Or are you the type of person who will put in extra time for extra money?
