Communicating with Clients

No matter if the client has an ongoing, enormous project or if the work is sporadic, communication is vital to the success of the freelance writer. Communication means that there is a professional relationship developing that only serves to create some level of trust and respect.

One of the things to keep in mind when communicating with a client is that it needs to be kept on a professional level. Whether you work for this client for years or it's just a short and temporary relationship, you always want the client to see you as a professional. This means avoiding any personal discussion unless prompted by the client. Even then, it's best to limit what's revealed due to the fact that you don't want to accidentally say something that may put a different light on you or get confused between the work and the relationship.

If there are issues with the client, be sure to address them in a professional and straightforward manner. Unless your client has special mind reading skills, he or she has no idea when you have a problem with the work itself, the schedule or the pay.

If you've done your job, your client will likely work with you on many levels. Pay increases are not unheard of if you have given your client reason to want to keep you. On the other hand, if you have agreed to a set rate, don't complain about the pay as soon as the work starts. If the work is the issue, it's not hard to discuss any proposed changes. The worst thing that can happen is that there will be no way to make any changes.

As far as any kind of schedule goes, it's your job to be timely. When your client comes to rely on your work and trust that you can do what you say you can do, making a change in the schedule isn't all that hard.

Keep in mind that your clients each have a business to run. Your job is to provide them with the content that they request so that they can focus on other aspects of their business. There is nothing personal about it at all. Do your job and keep the lines of communication open. Word of mouth is always the best form of advertisement. If all of your clients see you as a professional writer who is easy to work with, they will inadvertently send business your way.