Email first, but don’t forget to Call
There used to be a time when calling a client was pretty much the only option that you had. But in today’s day and age, email has pretty much taken over. With that being said, you do not want to become overly obsessed with using email as opposed to good old phone conversations.
Believe it or not, I have worked with some clients for a couple of years without ever talking to them on the phone. I initially touched base with them via email, or vice versa. From there, everything has been emails back and forth. And to tell you the truth, this seems to work out fine in most cases; especially if your client is based in another country.
I have also discovered that making a call to a client is not a bad idea; even if you have never spoken to them in the past. When you call a client you are doing two things. First off, you are giving them a voice to put with all of the emails that you send. This is a great way to personalize your email correspondence. Additionally, when you call a client it really shows them that you care. This is not to say that you need to carry on a long conversation, but calling to check in or say hello is a good idea.
As a freelance writer, my primary mode of communication is email; there is no denying this. Personally, I love communicating via email because it is quick, and sending work back and forth is a cinch. But in order to make your working relationship even more valuable, you will want to consider calling your clients sooner or later. They will definitely appreciate you taking the time to do so. And in many cases, this will help you to garner more work from the client in the long run!
