What’s on the iPod: Nessun Dorma by Luciano Pavarotti
COMING IN MAY: THE SIXTH ANNUAL WRITERS WORTH MONTH
Have an idea for a post or want to guest post? Write to me at lwbean AT gmail and let’s talk! Beginners especially welcome to submit posts dicusssing challenges they face.
This is an abbreviated week for me. My mom is arriving tomorrow, and I have an article deadline shortly after she arrives home again. Not a problem — I planned ahead and have all but a few hundred words written. I’m waiting for input from a source, but the questions I have are very specific, so I’ll be able to drop in quotes or easily amend the content to make them fit with the story. Not an ideal way to write, but sometimes a little flexibility is necessary.
Despite having a lot of work show up last week that should keep me busy through May, I’m still marketing. Summer months can be quite slow if we writers don’t plan ahead. I have a wedding to help with and a surprise for my parents, so the additional work would be terrific.
I can thank some really great clients for my ability to take time off when needed. I do my part and let them know in advance so we can coordinate projects more easily. It’s just one way I try to work well with clients — anticipating their needs and helping find work-around solutions when life gets in the way.
Sometimes the work comes during your first client meeting. Here are some ways you can create the environment that allows you to work best with your writing clients:
Listen. Don’t come to your phone calls, emails, or meetings with a set agenda. Instead, have an open mind and open ears. Listen. Ask questions that show you’re listening. Take notes. Practice active listening and then apply it to your client conversations.
Ask smart questions. As your client is interviewing you, you should be interviewing them right back. What are the goals of the project? Who is the intended audience? What has worked/not worked in the past? What can you give them that they’re not seeing now? These questions not only get you the information you need to deliver a great product, but they show your willingness to get things right.
Know your boundaries. Sometimes clients will ask you to do things that you’re just not going to want to do. Say so. For example, I remember being asked to write a love letter. The client dangled money in front of me. Even if it had been more than fifty bucks (seriously?), I would have still said no. My reasons were myriad, but the main point was love letters should come from the heart, not the ghost writer. It’s okay to turn down any request you’re uncomfortable with.
Decide if you have time. Right now, I couldn’t take on one more thing this week. I’d have no problem saying so, either. Does the intended deadline fit within your current workload? If not, can you get the client to be flexible on delivery? Get all this sorted before you start working together.
Make it binding. Once you come to an agreement with your client, get it in writing. For me, no work starts without a signed contract. Spell out all project details, including steps you’ll take and what you expect of the client, if you can. The more detail, the better.
Charge for scope creep. How many times has a client asked for A, B, and C and then decided after the fact that D, E, and F should go in there, too. You may have thought “Okay, just this once.” But here’s what happens most times. You do the additional work for the same amount of money and the client then comes back with G, H, and I for you to take on. What now? If the original scope of the work changes at all, charge for it. Otherwise, you could find yourself in that Groundhog-Day style loop of endless work for no extra money.
Writers, how do you create better working relationships with your clients?
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