As a freelance writer, there are a few situations you never want to face. One of them is having an angry client. But no matter how much you try to avoid this, at some point somebody is going to get angry with you.
While it is never fun to deal with an angry client, there are some things you can do to better handle this situation:
1. Determine the problem. Your job is to find out why the client is angry, assess the problem, and then find a solution. There is a good chance that you can quickly solve the problem once you know why the client is upset.
Don’t let your client berate you without giving you a reason why. Remember, you cannot fix the problem until you know what it is.
2. Don’t get angry yourself. Your natural reaction may be to scream at the client, defend yourself, and show that you are not going to take any more heat. While there is nothing wrong with defending yourself and showing your stance, you don’t want to become angry. This is going to make you look bad – two wrongs never make a right.
3. Don’t quit on the project. The last thing you want to do is tell the client you are moving on without finishing the job. In this case, you will anger them even more while making it very difficult on yourself to get paid for the work already completed. Even if the relationship is strained, see the project through to the end.
If all else fails and you are still stuck in a bad spot, you can reach out to somebody with a dispute resolution degree.
Hopefully you won’t have to deal with this situation often. If a client does get angry, follow the advice above. It can help you escape a bad position.
Like most freelance writers, you probably enjoy the writing process more than any other part of your career. Unfortunately, there are other things to consider. If you focus too much on writing and not enough on the rest of your business, you may begin to experience issues.
In this post, I want to talk about servicing clients. It is one thing to land a new gig and complete the job. It is another thing entirely to make the client feel like they are wanted. In short, you want every client to feel like they are your number one priority.
There is a fine line between giving the proper level of service and going overboard. To make this even more difficult, some clients need more attention and “hand holding†than others. This is a judgment call that you have to make as you start a project. Answer this question: how much attention do you think the client will command?
With every client, I attempt to stay in touch as often as necessary. Even if a project is not due for a couple weeks, I like to check in every few days to offer progress updates and ask if there is anything else I can do. It only takes a couple minutes to type a quick email or make a phone call.
Also, make sure you are prompt in replying to any emails or phone calls that you receive. If your client gets in touch it means that they have something to say. This could be anything from a basic checkup to asking if you can help with another project. It is essential that you make yourself available at all times.
If you spend more time servicing clients you will quickly realize that your job is less stressful, and that every project gets completed in a timely, efficient manner.
Don’t leave your clients hanging. Let them know that you are available at all times.
More so today than ever before, businesses and webmasters in need of a writer are negotiating. They don’t want to pay the writer’s “standard†rate. Instead, they want to haggle, back and forth, to get the best possible deal.
Some freelance writers are not open to negotiations. They set their rates, trust that they are on par with the industry, and stick to their guns. Others are open to negotiating.
While there is no right or wrong way of deciding if you should negotiate, if you opt for this there are a few tips that can help you land the best possible terms:
1. Do not throw out the first number. Just like buying a car, don’t get ahead of yourself and start tossing rates around. Instead, ask the potential client what they are willing to pay and go from there.
If you throw out the first number you may be leaving a lot of money on the table.
2. Be flexible and expect the same from the buyer. There is nothing wrong with being flexible as you negotiate. In fact, if you are not open to being flexible you are not cut out for negotiating. But remember, this is a two way street. Make sure you are not the only person willing to adjust.
3. Do not feel pressured to reach a deal. It would be nice to reach a deal with every person that you are in contact with. Unfortunately, this is not the reality of life as a freelance writer. Do your best to negotiate a good deal, but if things don’t work out feel free to walk away.
4. Do not burn any bridges. Time and time again I negotiate with clients and walk away without a deal. More than half of the time the client comes back a few days later to start the project. This is why you should never burn any bridges. If you anger somebody during the negotiation phase they are not likely to work with you in the future.
The next time you find yourself negotiating with a potential freelance writing client, use these tips to your advantage.
