Do you take regular phone calls from your clients? Do you enjoy this? Do you despise it? Every so often I feel like I should touch on this topic. The reason for this is simple: I am always getting questions about how to best communicate with clients. Along with this, you may be surprised at how many freelance writers hate using the telephone.
Personally, I believe that you should be open to taking phone calls no matter what. This may be a big change for you, but in the long run it is one that will help immensely. Simply put, some clients are more interested in speaking on the phone than using email. Is there anything wrong with this? Not in my book!
So, what is the problem? To start, some freelance writers are terrified at the thought of speaking on the phone with clients. They never liked doing this in past careers, and will continue to avoid it at all costs. It is essential to realize that some clients will only want to communicate via phone. If you don’t agree to this you are going to find it very difficult to keep them onboard.
The other issue is that phone calls to take up a lot of time. I totally agree that this is something to be worried about. The last thing you want is to spend so much time on the phone that you are not getting your work done. To avoid problems in this area, you can do a couple things:
1. Set aside certain times of the day to contact clients and/or return their phone calls. This way you are working on your own schedule.
2. Let your clients know when you are best available via telephone. While this does not always work, it will help cut back on the number of calls you receive when trying to write.
To become a successful freelance writer you need to be willing to speak with clients on the phone. This may not come up very often, but when it does make sure you are ready!
As a freelance writer you are going to run into bad clients from time to time. This happens to me every so often, and you should expect the same at some point. While this is part of the freelance writing industry, it is never fun. That being said, you can learn a lot from a bad client. You might as well take something positive away from this experience.
Here are two things a bad client can teach you:
1. How not to treat people. Is your client in the habit of talking down on you? Does he call at all hours of the day with demands that you have to meet without delay? By sitting back and watching how your client acts you can get a good idea of what you should avoid when dealing with others, no matter who they may be.
2. What to look for in future clients. It goes without saying that you want to avoid bad clients at all costs. Once you work with a few of these you should be able to better avoid them in the future. Do all of your bad clients start out by making demands that are unrealistic? If so, the moment that you recognize this happening you should either put a stop to it or walk away. This way you don’t get too deep, as you did in the past, and find yourself in a worse position.
There is nothing worse than getting involved with a bad client. Unfortunately, this happens even when you are guarding against it. Do yourself a favor and learn from these experiences. This will make you a better freelance writer in the long run.
As a freelance writer you will work one day after the next. While this is just like any other job, you really need to make sure that you know what you are doing. This means planning your next day before it ever arrives. In other words, know what you need to do from the moment you sit down at your computer in the morning.
Here are three things you can do to successfully plan your next day as a freelance writer:
1. Have a to-do list. No matter what is on the agenda, I have a to-do list sitting right next to me at all times. This helps to keep me on track, and to ensure that I don’t miss anything that needs done.
2. Know your priorities. A to-do list is great, but you also need to know what is most important. Which projects needs to be completed and sent off to the client first? Which ones can wait until the end of the day?
3. Think about more than the work you have to do for clients. Do you have any of your own projects that need worked on? Is there anything you can do to market your services? While client work may be most important to you, don’t forget to leave time for other tasks.
I always plan my next day before it arrives. Sure, things can change along the way but for the most part I know what needs to get done. If you want to stay better organized and work in a more efficient manner, follow the three tips above.
