Ooo, this is a good one:
Join Anne Wayman and me, along with our special guest, The Urban Muse Susan Johnston, for LinkedIn Secrets and Success, a one-hour Webinar revealing how you can capitalize on LinkedIn’s untapped potential! For information and registration, click here.
Yesterday was slightly more productive than Monday. I managed to get my article outlined, get some calls in to clients, and get more marketing done. I’m in touch with at least one client who’s mentioned projects (plural), so I’m hoping to get something solidified this week or next.
Worked with Anne on our latest Webinar, and I made a new website. Despite my tech issues getting WordPress and my host to communicate like good little techies, I’ve gotten an entirely new site ready to go. It took minutes. Because FrontPage has disappeared, I was forced to look elsewhere for a site design program. Found one that works well – KompoZer. Everything seems to work well except trying to put a navigation bar on the site. Their help guide tells me that “navigation bar” is that tool on their software, not how to put it on my site. Not too bright, but hey, it’s a freebie. And it was still tons easier than FrontPage ever was on its best day.
Had time to talk with a writer friend yesterday whose current project has him a little disenchanted with a particular client. The client was less-than-present during their interviews, so when he objected to the final product, he of course blamed the writer. This is a client of my friend’s client, so he’s at the mercy of a client who wants to please in order to keep the account. Under the bus he goes, and the client’s client gets to avoid the embarrassment caused by his own lack of cooperation.
The project isn’t dead yet, but he’s sure he’s not wanting to work with that particular person again. If he could, he’d fire him directly. But since he’s the sub-contractor, he’s left to do the job and please his client ultimately. That means taking flak from someone who said to get his quotes from their website.
It underscores a point – sometimes difficult people and situations are part of the job and we’re loathe to change it. If we work directly with the client, we can do something, like communicate better, ask for more details, reiterate everything in writing, and be frank with them on what we’re not getting that could stall their projects. You may still find yourself under the bus (you are a contractor/scapegoat, after all), but you’ll know you did your best. But if you’re working for a client’s client, what then? Try this:
Be your own liaison. If your client is okay with your working directly with the clients, ask to also work with them directly when it comes to edits and revisions. You deserve the chance to satisfy and make it right.
Work it into your contract. For those times when the client’s client is unaware of your involvement, make sure you have your client’s word on handling all revisions.
Ask for stealth editing. He complained that you misquoted him or that you missed the point entirely. Ask your client to send over specifically what he objected to in order to see if it matches with your notes and recordings. The client’s client needn’t know, but your client should respect your professionalism enough to give you a cursory look.
Call the client’s client directly. If you’re working with them already, it’s well within your right to talk directly to them in order to clean up what’s bugging them. It also helps them feel you’re hearing them, which may be all they need to get them to simmer down.
Have you had the client of a client raise a fuss? If so, how did you handle it?
My solution: don't subcontract. I deal directly with clients, not the client of a client. No middleman. Better rates, better communication, less b.s.
Gee, didn't realize you'd been looking for an html editor… I use komposer through firefox's seamonkey… not great, but it works.
I'd so much rather work directly with the client – when it gets interpreted it usually goes, if not wrong, at least not right.
Those who won't let us deal direct are afraid and I'd rather not work with them either come to think about it. I've never stolen a client and I'll bet you haven't either.
hugs
Being a third party is like trying to do surgery with mittens on. (And I say that as a quasi-healthcare professional, haha.) I won't do it for very long without weaseling my way into a direct relationship.
It's a bit of a flipside to the Freelance Follies video I promised the other day and put together yesterday–"A Second Opinion"–with a client who decided to overcomplicate the approval process by dragging a bunch of outsiders into it. Drives me nuts!
Devon, I agree with that premise entirely. But there have been times when I've been hired at my rate and there's been a third party involved. It happens. Most times it works, but there were those few times it went horribly wrong.
I'm like you, Anne. I like working directly with people. It does cut out a lot of misinterpretation and miscommunication. But there have been those times when corporates hire me to please their clients. I'm okay with that as long as my rates are met and I have access to those clients. The few times I didn't have access, it all blew up.
Jake, I have a very clear no-posse clause in my contracts. If there's a third party giving an opinion, they have to be named at the outset in the contract. Otherwise, it's a voided contract and I'm owed cash.
Currently I work with a PR person whose clients don't know I exist. She realized her skills lie in marketing and branding – not writing. I'm fine with that because she handles the clients and she and I have a great relationship. It can work. It just requires a strong relationship with the client and the understanding that misunderstandings will happen and I should be given the chance to fix it.
The no-posse clause is a good idea. Frankly, it didn't even occur to me that something like that could happen in this particular circumstance.
Basically, I was writing a Q&A for a guy to appear in a trade magazine. I recorded the whole interview, so pretty much anything I wrote was exactly as he said it–with grammar corrections as needed to smooth things out while retaining his voice.
I attribute his desire to send it around to unfamiliarity with editorial etiquette rather than malice. Anyway, it all turned out OK and he was happy with the final product…just a little more byzantine than I prefer.
I've done some sub-contract editing, with no direct access to the client. It's like having both hands tied behind your back.
When I asked my client if it was possible for me to work directly with her client, she said she'd prefer that, too, but her client was a Fortune 100 company that required all outside vendors to go through a rigorous approval process that can take several weeks, but since she was already approved she could hire me herself and still meet the deadline.
Either way, I got paid the same rate. I would have preferred direct access to the client, but it's their inefficient system, not mine.
The whole posse thing drives me nuts. If I'm spending a lot of money on something, like a used car, I would want a second opinion. But, I would bring someone knowledgeable about cars to look it over.
In a lot of these cases, the second opinion person ends up being their sister-in-law, who sends text messages to their friends, daily. Somehow that makes her the expert over me. That's when it gets on my nerves.
That IS bizarre, Jake! I wouldn't have expected it, either. Wow. Glad it worked out.
Agreed, Paula. Though I will say I've had good luck in one instance with it.
Wendy, I wish I could bottle you and sell your wisdom to those who think they need a posse. 🙂 Well said.