As a freelance writer you are running a business. Your primary responsibility is to write compelling content, but this is not the only thing you should be worried about.
Are you sure that each and every one of your clients is satisfied with the work you are completing for them? If not, you need to check in with them to see where you stand.
It may sound bold, but there is nothing wrong with asking clients how they feel about your relationship with them. This will quickly give you a better idea of whether or not they are satisfied.
Is there a problem? Or is your client 100 percent satisfied? No matter the answer, you can always do better. Ask if there is anything, big or small, that you can do to strengthen the relationship. You may find that there are minor things you can do here and there to ensure an even higher level of satisfaction.
Finally, if you say you are going to do something make sure you follow through. There is no point in asking clients if they are satisfied if you don’t have any intention on working towards a solution.
It is easy to assume that every one of your clients is satisfied with your work and overall approach. But do you really know for sure?
There is no better time than now to ask clients how they feel about you. Hopefully you will hear that you are doing a great job.
As a freelance writer, you must know exactly how much you charge for specific jobs. On top of this, it is every bit as important to stick to your guns. There is nothing wrong with negotiating, but “going too low†is a mistake that you will only make once.
Last week, I was knocked off my chair after reading a message from a potential “client.†Without copying the email word for word, here were some highlights:
·Articles should be at least 500 words long.
·Must write at least five articles per day.
·Payment of $1 per 500 words.
Do any of these points stick out in your mind? While the first two are reasonable enough in most cases, the third detail is a bit perplexing.
As you can imagine, I never responded to the email and simply moved on. There is nothing wrong with doing whatever you can to make money as a freelance writer, but taking on this type of project is not going to get you anywhere.
You need to know your “minimum wage†and stick to it, no matter how much it hurts at times. If you don’t, you could find yourself writing for hours on end just to earn a couple of dollars.
Almost every freelance writing project comes with a deadline. No matter if you get one day to complete the job or longer than a month, you must keep your deadline in mind and do whatever it takes to submit the final piece on time.
But what if I miss my deadline? This is a common fear among freelance writers. Regardless of how organized you are, there will probably come a time when you get behind and miss a deadline. In some cases, you may not even know what happened until the deadline has come and gone.
Here is the best thing you can do: contact your client as soon as possible to apologize. Don’t make excuses. Instead, tell them that you got caught up with other work and you are going to be a bit late with delivery.
Of course, the next step is simple: finish the job as soon as possible. Yes, this means putting all other projects on the backburner for the time being.
If you play your cards right, a missed deadline may not be the end of your relationship with the client. Although I make it a point to never miss a deadline, this has happened to me a few times in the past. With each instance, I was open and honest with the client about what happened. From there, I sent the completed project as soon as possible. Fortunately, these clients were understanding and did not hold my “screw up†against me.
If you miss a freelance writing deadline it is essential that you apologize to the client and then do whatever it takes to get up to speed as soon as possible.
