Writers Worth Tip: Avoiding Empty Promises from Clients

What’s on the iPod: You’re No Good by Linda Ronstadt

Did you have a nice weekend? We were treated to a jazz concert at the Kimmel Center by my step-daughter in honor of my husband’s upcoming birthday. And what a treat it was!

We prepared for, and received, our first frost of the season — saw it coming, too. We dug up bulbs, brought in plants, and covered what we wanted to keep a little longer. With such a beautiful garden this year, neither of us were glad to see colder weather take away the plants.

Over dinner last week, I was answering a question posed by my friend: “How do you keep the work coming in?” As I was relating my process, I found myself saying something that took me quite a while to learn and put into practice:

Promises don’t make careers.

I said this because I was telling her about the last conference I’d attended, where so many would-be clients were lining up in front of me looking for a writer. Of the 13 or so who’d expressed interest, guess how many I actually worked with so far?

Zero.

She was shocked, and asked what I do in that situation. My answer:

There is no situation if I don’t put myself in a situation.

Having waited far too many times for far too many would-be clients who never return, this freelance writer learned long ago that the only promise that should be believed is the one with a signed agreement attached.

It’s so tempting to be caught up in the excitement of others, isn’t it? They call with just the right project (for you) and express great thanks that they’ve found you. Yet somewhere in the conversation, or after the conversation, the romance dies for them. They promise to get back in touch. That contract is coming!

And there you are, reliving your worst teenager nightmare — you’ve been stood up.

Beyond the obvious required contract, here are a few methods I use to avoid buying into the well-meaning hype and wasting my time:

Have a more detailed phone conversation. That would have saved me countless billable hours back in 2007 when I agreed to meet a client at their offices for what they described as a “perfect fit” project. Three hours for a car ride, round-trip train ride, and a six-block-each-way hike in heels just to meet for five minutes. Five minutes. Turns out what my company contact said was a perfect fit wasn’t what the hiring woman actually wanted. Instead, it’s better to get all the details upfront before you agree to any in-person meetings.

Don’t agree to wait for your money. In essence, you are agreeing to forgo any earnings if you block off time they’ve not contracted for. Instead, send your availability for the next few weeks. Just don’t agree to saving the entire 40-hour week for them unless they’re willing to sign an agreement immediately (with a deposit, of course).

Don’t spin your wheels chasing the excitement. She was so adorable: “I’m so glad we bumped into each other. You’re exactly what I need for my business!” Yet two unanswered emails later, I realized she was probably thinking I’d be writing about her, not for her. I was thinking press releases and website content — she was most likely thinking feature articles and subject matter expert commentary. I’ll check in once or twice a year, but only to keep the relationship warm. You never know whom she knows and what they need…

Wrap a time frame around that “soon” promise. Yes, the client promised he’d call in October, but he didn’t say which year, did he? Even the “probably will call” or “will possibly need you” qualifiers need stronger commitment. How I handled one of these promises — I sent a calendar invitation for a further conversation. He didn’t accept it, so I knew to consider that promise a pipe dream. If the client is willing to commit to a conversation within the time frame they’ve set themselves, your chances are better.

Prompt, then detach. Show of cyber hands: how many writers have had clients say “I need you for X days starting …. and I’ll be sending the project parameters and deadlines by tomorrow”? How many of those clients have actually sent anything at all let alone on time? As a related example, I’ve sat here for the last three weeks waiting for edits for two projects that, by their own timeline had to be done now (which ironically, is now in the past). I prompted once. Then I let it go. I have other paying work and deadlines that must be met. If the client comes back when I’m unable to get to their work right away, they’ll have to wait. I’ve done my part. I can’t be expected to sit by waiting, nor can you if it’s your client.

Writers, how do you avoid getting sucked into the excitement of the ever-pending project?