Words on the Page

If Freelancers Worked Like This….

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: Gilian the Dreamer by Neil MunroWhat’s probably on the iPod: Mary’s Boy Child by Harry Bellafonte By the time you read this, my daughter will be a day-old college graduate. 🙂 I’m driving back home with her today, so I’m not around to comment until possibly tomorrow. I hope you’re enjoying a…

Procrastination and the Freelancer

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m still reading: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (almost finished)What’s on the iPod: Winter Winds by Mumford & Sons I have a post up over at About Freelance Writing. If you get a chance, give Anne some traffic and leave some comment love. I’m about to admit something I can hardly…

Bread Crumbs

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Sea of No Cares by Great Big Sea Super day yesterday. I accomplished much more than I thought I would, and I still had time left over at the end of the day to relax. That’s almost unheard of – time to relax in December. I had my shopping done five…

Happy Resolution Day

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: So Long, Sweet Misery by Brett Dennen If you heard rejoicing yesterday, that would be me. Yesterday was an AMEN day. As I sat trying to get the meat of an article and two small projects completed, a favorite client came knocking with not one, but two projects due by the…

Freebies, Systems, and Busy Work

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: In Between by The Clarks Yesterday was fun. I managed one project before life interrupted. Because I work from home, I get tagged to let the work people in for appointments I knew little, if anything, about. This one was the annual termite inspection. It usually takes about ten minutes, but…

Surviving Weekends

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Wishing Well by The Airborne Toxic Event It was one of those weekends where I’m glad to be sitting here working today. Mind you, it was full of fun, but it was full. We met friends for dinner Friday night. Then we went out Saturday to the annual Firebird Festival to…

Top Five Writing Roadblocks

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Where the Streets Have No Name by U2 Still on temporary work sabbatical (meaning I’m not in the office) as I try to get projects completed before the holiday. Add to that my daughter’s college graduation next weekend(I’m so proud!), a holiday, and more marketing, and you can just take the…

Finding Inspiration

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: You’re No Good by Linda Ronstadt If you’ve not signed up for my semi-regular e-newsletter yet, go to the left of this post and register. I don’t use your info for anything beyond the newsletter, so your info is safe with me. You’d not know it by the posts, but I’ve…

The Domino’s Guide to a Tasty Career

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Ten Thousand Things by The Avett Brothers Busy day yesterday. Interviews in the morning and book work in the afternoon. I put up the “Away” message on my email and avoided. I have projects due and I needed the uninterrupted time. I was busy two nights ago putting together a last-minute…

Seven Things You Should Never Say to Your Client

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: Gilian the Dreamer by Neil MunroWhat’s on the iPod: Hicktown by Jason Aldean For some reason I was thinking about George Carlin over the weekend. I was remembering some of his earlier stuff, which at the time we thought was drop-dead hilarious. I listened to a little of it again. It still…

Cathy

Hmmm…is this what we should not say or what we wish we COULD say? 🙂

How about Let me drop everything I'm doing and get right on that.

P.S. I never say anything inappropriate-Lori, stop laughing, I can't hear myself think.

Paula

I've only had a couple difficult clients and managed to hold my tongue – except when that one jerk of an editor called me whining about "I thought we were a team" despite stonewalling me every time I asked when I would finally be paid for an article written nearly a year earlier.

More recently, I realized one client that normally pays by the 20th of the month hasn't yet paid. Having had previous issues with mis-deliveries (sub letter carriers plus lots of vacant properties on my block – not a good combination), I decided to check with my editor. He said the publisher told him there would be a slight delay with checks, but everyone would receive a small "bonus" for the inconvenience.

Of course, most companies want to clear their books by the end of the year to get every tax write off and deduction possible. So sometimes it's easier to recover late payments in December.

Jake P

I'm with Cathy — this is actually a list of thought balloons that appear over every writer's head at some point or another!

I heavily implied #6 one time and really raised the client's ire, in the "I'm-offended-how-dare-you-say-I'm-a-slow-payer" kind of way. (The truth hurts, eh?) To me it was funny, because I was really looking for a way out of the gig anyway.

Devon Ellington

I have said something inappropriate when I was ready to burn a bridge, when a client said I wasn't a "team player" for agreeing to give her for free what we'd contracted for a fee. My response was, "I choose my charity work, and you are not on that list."

It was at the end of a long and tumultuous assignment where she was trying to cover her own incompetent ass and I was not about to be hung out to dry at any price, and then she wanted the work for free.

No.

Wendy

I would have to add one thing, but I'm not sure if it fits your list. I would never tell a client that I have children or anything that doesn't pertain to my business or future business.

It's one thing to tell them you like to cook. (I don't, but I think Paula does) It's another thing to tell them that you have to take little Johnny to the doctor, because a mysterious rash has shown up. To me, that's too personal and it crosses the professional line.

Also, there's nothing wrong with pitching possibilities for more projects with a client, because you need more work. Just don't sound desperate about it. "Please, I need more work, I'll write anything, just please let me have more work."

It's a guaranteed way to sound more pathetic, than professional. You might as well just stand in the middle of the road and see who runs you over first.

hugh.c.mcbride

"You can be firm and assertive, not angry and attacking."

Add a dash of "professionalism" to the sentence above, & I think you've nailed the essence of effective client communication here!

This post reminds me of my days as a high school English teacher. Regardless how "challenging" a student could be, my mantra was always as follows: Even if I "win" an argument w/ a student in front of the class, I lose by nature of being in an argument w/ a student in front of the class.

Though this isn't a clear parallel w/ client relations, the underlying principle is, I believe, the same — the necessity of retaining one's professional bearing & resisting the urge to veer into the personal/emotional.

Besides, when we need to vent, we can always head over to the comments section of Words on the Page, right? 🙂

Cathy

Devon-LOL!! I may have to steal that comment. 🙂

Lori

Bingo, Cathy. I won't say that, either. 🙂

Paula, refer to #3. And #4. And even #6. Some will use all the tricks in the book to avoid the real issue, which is that unpaid invoice. Funny how these all seem to relate in some way!

Jake, I've had to face the righteous indignation of the client who hasn't paid. It's funny to hear them getting all defensive or layering on the guilt. The fact remains – you owe, therefore, pay up.

You were well rid of her, Devon. She was making your life miserable anyway. Isn't it odd how they bring up charity AFTER they've agreed to the price? What is that? Do they do that with their doctors?

Wendy, absolutely. It would be like telling a client "I can't talk to you today at 2 because that's when I'm getting a boil removed." Not that children are boils, but mention them and watch your credibility disintegrate. It's tought to say it, but clients equate the word "mom" with "too busy to do this job right."

That's right, Hugh. You can come here and unload. 🙂 Great point, too. I remember one encounter where the client was questioning why I wasn't available 24/7. Instead of defending, I said, "Is there something pressing I can help with right now?" They don't own us. Defending that challenge would have lowered me to his level and worse, it would have dragged me into an argument not worth fighting.

Andrew

I've bumped into this issue most often when hiring subcontractors to help provide specific skills needed by clients. One particular subcontractor spent much of his time on the client site complaining about the low skills of the client resources, who created the problems he was being paid to address. He was also incredibly demanding about what they should do to make his job easier.

My simple guideline is never criticize the client. They may sometimes be wrong, but I still fill my sentences with "we" instead of "you."

Great topic!

And thanks for dropping by my site to offer comments regarding the sneak peek of my new novel!

Paula

My favorite long-time editor just broke the news that their 2011 budget is still in flux – some big contract has to be formalized before the budget can be allotted, I guess. I've worked with her for 14 years, and she's used to how I always try to find an upside in bad news – finding out you won't be getting any assignments for the next issue is rough. Especially around the holidays.

She started out by saying she hated to be a Scrooge. My reply began with "The good news is I'll have more time for holiday merriment. The bad news is…." I had to give a bad news, too (basically, the timing of it), since I didn't want to look like some perky Pollyanna who lets bad news roll off her shoulders.

That news, coupled with the fact that I have three outstanding invoices (two stemming from September), I decided to be a tad bit snarky in my LinkedIn status update. It felt good, but I'll probably change it by tomorrow.

Georganna Hancock M.S.

Have you been skulking about in my mind? I think I'm going to fail Handholding 101. And some jerk in a Twitter chat accused me of being "an industry insider." Heh! Thanks for your comments at my place, too.

Lori

You're an industry insider, Georganna? Inside what? 🙂

The jerk, if he were really talking to an industry insider, should be kissing your arse, not insulting and nasty.

Sorry to hear that, Paula. Sucks when they have to break the news. You're a good sport.

Surprising how often that happens, Andrew. We are there to unravel, not bitch because the road wasn't paved before us.

Taqiyyah Shakirah Dawud

Yep, thought balloons. I've had all of them at least once, except for the… nope, nevermind. All of them. Thanks for saying it out loud, Lori. Feeling validated here.

Lori

LOL! Thanks for commenting, Taqiyyah. I'm glad we could validate the feelings. 🙂