Comments on: Your Freelance Client Magnet

By: Lori

Lori — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 20:40:14 +0000

In reply to Paula Hendrickson. Oh Paula, I have run into those, too! One guy in particular stands out -- 22 years later! Egad, he was difficult.

By: Lori

Lori — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 20:39:24 +0000

In reply to Jake Poinier.

Do people do handwritten anything anymore, Jake? Great way to stand out indeed!

You’re right, of course. Being easy to work with makes it easier for them to hand you more work. You get it done.

Same here. I would work regularly with the freelancers who delivered, even if there was extra editing. The ones who were stellar at the writing but missed deadlines? They got fewer assignments from me (and I shortened their deadlines without them know it).

By: Paula Hendrickson

Paula Hendrickson — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 20:07:17 +0000

In reply to Jake Poinier. Or even worse: a C-level talent who thinks they're A+ talent and are also a pain in the tail.

By: Jake Poinier

Jake Poinier — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 18:20:08 +0000

Great stuff, Lori, as always. Thankfulness is a big one for me; dropping an occasional handwritten note in the mail will make you stand out in a day when no one else does that anymore.

If I had to distill everything into one concept, it’s… Be easy to work with. Back in my magazine staff days, I had to hire countless freelancers. I’d rather work with someone who has B+ talent and makes my life easier than someone who’s an A+ talent and a pain in the tail.

By: Paula Hendrickson

Paula Hendrickson — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 17:41:09 +0000

I’m constantly amazed when a new-to-me editor tells me they’re “impressed” by my work. Yes, it’s well-researched. Yes, it’s clean copy. And yes, I try to match their voice. But the reason they’re impressed is because so many other writers fail to do those basic things.

Delivering value doesn’t take much more these days than meeting a deadline. It’s kind of sad when clients view anything beyond that as impressive.

I’d be ashamed to submit anything less than clean, well-researched copy. Sometimes I struggle to get a new client’s voice, but I try. And it gets easier with each new project.

As for voice, I know one client likes puns and humor, another prefers straight-forward facts, and another caters to a non-professional audience that needs some fairly basic things spelled out a little more.

I try to keep in mind that each client follows its one style guide. Some are fussier than others. But I ALWAYS use the Oxford comma to prevent any possible confusion because clarity is important to me. Anti-Oxford clients can delete what they feel are extraneous commas.

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 12:02:43 +0000

In reply to Devon Ellington.

Totally agree, Devon. Great advice. I think a lot of freelancers look at the job as an assignment and not a shared goal. Your work improves — and the results improve — when you consider that client a partner.

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 10:41:00 +0000

All of those are excellent points. What works best for me is treating it as a partnership with a shared goal. It’s easieer in my new location, where the work is respected. In my previous location, the rule of thumb by local clients was that it was a master-servant relationship similar to the owner of a restaurat and an easily replacable waitstaff — “anyone” could do the work, and anyone hired should be “grateful” that the client was willing to pay anything. That was one reason I started taking on more remote clients out of the area. When I moved there, I wanted to be part of the “buy local” movement, but my work wasn’t considered “real” work (and trust me, it was needed, because most companies communicate poorly there). The viewpoint was that companies didn’t want to pay for any sort of communication work, and that, if they were forced to, the contractor should be “grateful” to be “chosen” at any low price. Which is simply not sustainable for anyone.

I find it best when there’s a shared vision for the goal, and client and contractor work as partners to achieve it.