Freelance Files: Protecting Your Billable Hours

A while ago, I was working on a project with a client’s client, and it was clear there was going to be an issue.

The client was nice enough. He knew what he wanted, and I was able to interpret that into a good first draft.

But there was a massive disconnect from that point on. It was a point that nearly ruined the relationship, and one that plenty of writers have had to deal with.

I’m talking about the Talker.

This guy didn’t just talked, he TALKED. In round one of revisions for a 400-word piece, he held me hostage on the phone for nearly an hour. How much of that was work-related? About three minutes of it. The rest was his telling me All. About. Himself. Mind you, what we were working on was a profile, but even profiles have limits.

Here’s what happened when I did my best to interrupt him and get him back on track:

He increased the volume.

No, really. He kept notching it up to talk over me. Who does that? Someone who has issues I’m not qualified to fix, that’s for sure.

Fast forward a week. Imagine Lori sitting at her desk, staring at the phone with dread.

That’s right — we were about to go through our second round of revisions.

I wouldn’t say lightning struck, but staring at that phone, I did have a lightbulb moment.

I didn’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call the guy.

Here’s how it went:

Me: Hi, Howard (can’t remember his name). How are you? Just so you know, I have ten minutes before my next call, so let’s see if we can get your revisions sorted quickly.

Howard: (insert incredulous voice) That’s not going to be enough time!

Me: Then we should get right to it! If we need another call later, we’ll schedule it.

Guess how long we were on that phone? Eight minutes, start to finish. And there was no third revision because we didn’t get lost in the weeds. He was satisfied. Plus, Howard didn’t have ample time to think of twelve more things he might like to highlight on his one-page profile. He may have been dejected because I’d pulled his stage out from under him, but my job was to make him look good, not serve as his audience.

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I bring this up because KO left a comment last week about spending so much time talking with potential clients, but felt the time was lost when nothing comes to fruition.

While there’s not a ton we can do during our initial conversations with clients, I think there’s plenty we can do to guard our time and make sure we’re not being sucked into a whirlpool of conversation.

Here are some things I’ve done to guard my own time:

Say no to in-person visits.

If I have a lull in my work schedule, I will consider a visit to a current client. However, I’ve learned that in-person visits to potential clients have landed me the net sum of zero work and 100 percent agita. If I don’t know you and have no contract, I will refrain from visiting until we do. Then the visits will be when I can, not each time the client asks. Also, visits should have some definitive goals — project parameters being discussed, plans being made, etc. Visiting just to say hello when I’ve had to drive an hour and a half each way is fruitless for us both.

Shorten the commitment.

I’ve no problem talking the arm off a new client on a first call. However, I can’t repeat that time commitment endlessly. First conversations get up to an hour, if it’s clear we mesh. Second conversations are more focused — 15 to 20 minutes tops. Unless it’s someone like Howard. Then it’s 10 minutes.

Try to work it out in email first.

Bullet points are best. I’ve been known to say “Let’s hash out the details here. Maybe a call won’t be necessary” and then repeat back to them what they’ve asked for in a little more detail. In a few cases, that worked well. It won’t work for everything, like for the client you’ve never spoken with or emailed before. But it can often bring enough clarity so that a call isn’t warranted.

Get all of the stakeholders/decision-makers involved.

Nothing frustrated me more than having a ten-minute call with a client in which they gave me detailed marching orders (which I’d taped) only to have them come back after I’d handed them a draft and say “That’s not what the boss wanted.” After the third time, I made this request when they called to schedule a call: “Let’s make it so the boss can be there, too. I want to please her the first time.” Had they not agreed, my next step would have been to charge them for two projects, which I was well within my right to do.

Stop the cycle.

I know Cathy Miller can attest to The Follow-up Call To Discuss The Call To Discuss Making A Decision We Haven’t Made Yet. I spent far too much time sitting in on meetings where ideas are flying and I feel like I have enough to get started. Except …. they end the meeting with “Let’s get on another call next week to discuss this project.” Huh. Didn’t we just do that?

How I handled it the last few times it happened was to send out a bulleted note (see my third point). I then asked if they’d like to finalize in email or did I miss something that would make another call necessary? In one case, it worked. In another case, the client disappeared and the project, as far as I know, never happened with any writer. But I wasn’t stuck in The Call About The Call loop.

Writers, how often do you have troubles with getting a client off the phone?
How have you successfully navigated making them feel heard while protecting your time?