From start to finish, communication plays a huge role in the success of a freelance writing project. What you say, how you say it, and when you say it all make a difference in how well a client responds. On typical freelancing platforms, the first communication you have with a prospective client is generally through your bid. Detailed bids are great, but you don’t have to put in everything at this stage. Including every single stipulation that's in your standard contract in an initial bid could make you look untrusting, demanding, or difficult to work with. Take your time and get the client on board first.

Starting the Conversation

Besides relevant samples and your sales pitch, here are the business details you should include in your bid – even if you are reiterating what the client has stated in the project description:

• The scope of the project (e.g., total number of articles and average word  count per piece, whether optimization services are included, and so on)
• Your pricing per word, per hour, per piece, or total along with any other relevant information (e.g., if the price includes a rush job surcharge or if a discount is being offered for bulk work)
• When work will begin (e.g., upon escrow funding and receipt of client’s keywords or other materials)
• The expected completion date and how work will be delivered (e.g., turned in piece by piece or in a single batch)

That’s enough information to let an average buyer know they are dealing with someone who writes for a living rather than as a hobby. When a project description contains a lot of detail covering the client’s terms and conditions, you can include more details in your bid. Otherwise, you can save these for the next phase.

Closing the Deal

When a prospective client contacts you to award a project, this is the time to go into all the details about your terms and conditions. Creating an information sheet that outlines your general expectations when dealing with a new client is a good way to start. You can see an example of mine in the “downloads” section of PFN under contracts. It covers topics like rewrites and revisions, copyright transfer, payment, and feedback. This type of document offers a non-combative way to reinforce your position as an independent contractor (not an employee).

Such an information sheet may open up further negotiations. For example, the client may want more revisions than you typically offer. That’s fine – you can increase the bid price to cover additional revisions. Clarifying this during the business terms negotiation phase is much better than trying to work things out during the actual revision phase. Once these details have been agreed upon, you can upload a project agreement or contract and get escrow funds in place.

During the Project

In the online world, clients often expect you to get back to them within a few hours of any message. If you’re not online all the time or if you want to differentiate “work time” from “personal time”, let the client know your regular business days/hours up front. Never apologize for not being available day and night unless you made an agreement with the client that you would be on call 24/7.

In fact, avoid apologizing for anything, ever (unless you miss a deadline or make an error in your work). For example, if you are not willing to perform additional work for free outside the scope of the project, starting a message with “I’m sorry” makes the client think you feel guilty for not doing what they ask. It is OK to use of the word “Regrettably”. Here’s an example: “Regrettably, the additional work you mentioned is beyond the scope of our current project agreement. Would you like me to put together a quote for this? We can add it as a milestone to the current project to make things simple.”

If you occasionally find yourself communicating with a client who seems unreasonable, resist the urge to have the last word. Silence works wonders in the online world just as it does at a meeting table. Once you have resolved any misunderstanding and made your stance clear, let the message board go quiet and direct your energy toward other projects. Often, a buyer will cool off or realize that their demands are unrealistic. Since you haven’t gone chasing after them or escalated the discussion emotionally, they can come back later and reopen the conversation without any hard feelings.

Post Script

Once you’ve received final payment and feedback, remember to send your client a thank you note and an invitation to contact you again for any future work. This is sometimes a good opportunity to plant a seed by actually suggesting the next  project phase. For example, if you have just written an ebook for a client, you might mention that you write sales pages to market ebooks as well.

What are your tips for client communication? Let PFN readers know in the comments.

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Reviewed by LucySpencer
February 16, 2011
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

This is all great info that any freelancer could use!

I would add that being polite and professional no matter how you think you are being treated can generate all kinds of good karma. You might only be in the middle of a simple misunderstanding, and flying off the handle will only make things worse. Ask clarifying questions before jumping to conclusions. And count to ten before you hit the "send" button - you don't want to type anything you'll regret later.

 

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Reviewed by PC-Limited
February 15, 2011
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

This is an excellent article Daisy! I wish I could give it 10 stars :-)

I can't disagree with a single one of your suggestions. I REALLY like your part about apologizing. My brother tends to do that with his clients and it is one of the things we often argue about.

I send out a similar sheet with my projects as yours. I don't mention the feedback part you have in there, though I think I am going to steal it!

Thanks also for posting a link to our downloads section. It should be a nice little bump for SEO ;-)