In the first of this two-part series, Workana shares with you five ways to improve communication with your clients, particularly if you are a remote worker.
According to Workana’s Remote Work and Employment 2019 Report, 46.8% of clients say finding a freelancer whose profile matches exactly what they are looking for is a challenge.
Some 24.8% say open and consistent communication with the freelancer is problematic, and 13.8% have difficulty coordinating remote work.
In other words, communication is one of the most important soft skills to master. It gives freelancers a huge competitive advantage.
Someone may be good at what they do but if they don’t know how to communicate properly, they risk losing great job opportunities.
Communication, among other things, is an indispensable skill for the following reasons:
- Opens doors and makes for great first (and lasting) impressions.
- Helps to avoid and reduce conflict.
- Creates solutions to problems and communicates complex ideas.
- Establishes trust and long-term professional relationships.
For an idea of how relevant this subject is, here is an example. At Workana, when choosing a freelancer, a creative, original and clear proposal is valued higher than a mile-long CV.
Here are five Freelancer’s Client Communication Commandments for good client communication.
1. Learn to listen and analyse
Before sending a proposal, take a moment to read the project description and analyse how best to serve the client. This will allow clear communication on both sides and save time. Develop active listening by keeping this checklist in mind.
Then analyse the information and identify what one is working with and how much it will cost – money, deadlines, flexibility with changes and so on:
- How much it costs.
- What the project entails (deliverables).
- Examples of similar projects.
- Benefits to what the freelancer will deliver – the “why”, for example, persuasive copy to close the deal, posting a promotional video on social media.
- The deadline.
- The change policy.
- What is needed to start working.
Communicating through Workana guarantees that both sides fulfil their end of the bargain in case of miscommunication, so it is important to discuss the points above via chat so everything is documented and both sides can work efficiently and with trust.
2. Show interest and empathy
Always show a genuine interest in the project and prioritise the client’s interests.
Personalise the proposal as much as possible and, if appropriate, recommend improvements from the start. Put in the extra effort to stand out. Clients are looking for partners who take their work as seriously as they do.
Oftentimes, clients might not know what they are looking for right away. Avoid taking on projects that are not well planned or structured and avoid delivering the bare minimum, even if you know that’s not what the client really needs. Go the extra mile.
3. Ask questions (but only what’s necessary)
Learning to ask the right questions is essential to facilitate the hiring process, avoid misunderstandings and make a great impression. Every project has a purpose and particular attributes and circumstances.
Here are a few questions that can help give a better context:
- What is the purpose of this project?
- What problem or specific necessity needs to be solved?
- What is the budget range?
- Does the client have experience with similar projects?
- Are there success stories that the client wants to emulate?
- What is the project’s biggest challenge?
- What type of communication and feedback is the client expecting?
- What role will the direct client play in their company?
Finally, if possible, get a head start by researching the company or project.
4. Pay attention to writing
In written communication, composition is the equivalent of body language, and everyone knows how essential body language is for generating trust and confidence.
If spelling and grammar are not a strong suit, get a good auto-correct device and, more importantly, invest some time learning basic editing rules.
This may not seem relevant to, say, a web designer but it is surprising how many great proposals are automatically discarded because of spelling errors.
5. Speak with expert-level confidence
It is important for a freelancer to convey their expertise to the client. The freelancer must express themselves with the confidence they know what they are talking about.
And if one does not really know what one is talking about, try to learn before submitting a proposal.
Speaking with the confidence of an expert also means emphasising the value of one’s work instead of the cost. Knowing when to say no and never undervaluing one’s abilities are essential.
Never accepting an underpaying project and not working with clients with a bad work ethic – for example, clients who want to contact outside the platform – shows professionalism, avoids future problems, and sorts out some of the competitiveness that comes with the territory of freelancing.
Click here to find out more about Workana to start hiring or enlisting as a freelancer.
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