5 Ways to Avoid the Client Waiting Game

What’s on the iPod: Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty

It’s been an interesting week so far. Nothing heavy on the work front, so I’ve been able to edit a friend’s book. The subject is one that will sell, so it’s great to both help a lifelong pal and be involved in something that could be a best seller.

Also, I talked with a new client on a potential project. I’m hoping we can solidify something this week or early next week. This one was a direct result of marketing pre-conference and post-conference. The neat thing was my follow-up note hit his in box two days before he said he was intending to contact me.

But it doesn’t always work that way, does it? Since April’s conference, I’ve been expecting at least three new client prospects to come back with projects. Notice I didn’t say I’ve been waiting. I don’t wait for possibilities. I wait for contracted projects.

There’s the thing. You market regularly, you wait for those promised jobs to come in…and you wait. And wait. While we all know waiting for work that’s not contracted is a fast-track to empty bank accounts, there’s that little voice in your head saying “But if I take something else and that client reappears, what then?”

What then indeed.

It happens, too. You take on a project because you’ve sat for a month or better waiting for a client who hasn’t reappeared. The minute you sign the new contract, that long-lost client shows up. How do you handle it?

There are a couple of ways I handle it:

Take it as it comes. Here’s where you need to know your limits. If you know Project A is going to demand a lot of your time, you might not have time to take on Project B. It’s going to depend on a lot of things: deadlines, urgency, time needed, the level of the client’s interaction, current workload, etc. If you’re afraid of turning down work, just make sure you’re allowing yourself enough time to complete both projects without compromising quality of work.

Let the latecomer get in line. You can say, cordially, that another project came since you and the client last spoke. Offer a time in the near future to start. In most cases, project deadlines are arbitrary. Depending on how high up the food chain your contact is, there might be a way to delay things slightly.

Refer. I’ve done this when things have gotten out of hand (like when I had seven projects on the calendar at once). Start right now building your freelance network. You know writers who work in your area of expertise. Have a conversation with them about teaming up in the busy times. Right now, I know who’d I’d contact for three different subject areas. Find your support network, work out a referral arrangement (including how much you get for funneling the work their way), and relax knowing a solid freelance writer has your back.

Turn it down. Maybe the client coming to you isn’t paying much, or has been difficult to handle in the past. It’s okay to say no. It’s okay also to say not this time to a client you like. Asking does not beget your full buy-in. It has to fit with your schedule.

Stop worrying. Having done this for over 15 years, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had way too much work come in at once. If and when it does happen, you’ll be able to navigate it just fine. Maybe you’ll give up a weekend, maybe you’ll give up a project, maybe you’ll give up a client. It’s a business decision, and the facts will present themselves at the time. You’ll make the right decision for you.

Writers, how do you handle the latecomer client when you’ve just agreed to a different project?
How often has this happened to you?
What would you say to other writers who are in the same situation?