Dynamic Communication: A Few Great Ways To Communicate With Distant Clientele

June 22, 2010 in Freelance Resources - Viewed 160 times.

As the saying goes… “Communication is key to success”. We all know it’s true, but when offering freelance work to clients thousands of miles away, it can be a bit difficult. Through my experience, I’ve come across a few nice tools that have helped me communicate effectively with my clients.

Screencasts

Screencasts are a great way to deliver product updates, walkthroughs, explanations, and more. They aren’t too difficult to make, and they provide your client a new level of comfort – hearing your voice and knowing that you truly are human. In addition, screencasts are becoming more and more popular throughout the web, and are a great way to show your client that you’re “with it”. I’ve scanned through the various product/software offerings out there, and so far my favorites are Jing and Camtasia. If you’re looking for something more cost effective – go with Jing.

Mind Mapping

For larger projects, we all know how annoying and tedious it can be to map out a project or data model (and keep it pretty). There are a few great products out there for project planning/mind mapping that offer a nice user experience as well as a swift workflow. Recently, I came across one for mac users, called MindNode. There’s also a nice tool for Windows users called Carya.

BaseCamp

I’ve mentioned BaseCamp a few times in other blog posts, and I’ll continue to support my claim that it is one of the best project management tools a freelancer can have. BaseCamp offers a forum-style messaging board that also delivers updates and messages via email. Using BaseCamp, you can consolidate your dialog and post screenshots, screencasts, messages, files, and more. It also comes with milestone tracking, todo lists, writeboards, chatroom, and time tracking.

Skype

If you’re like me, and it seems like you have clients everywhere EXCEPT where you live, I suggest using Skype. Because of its VOIP calling capabilities, Skype serves as a great way to have a true conversation with clients in other parts of the world (without costing you an arm and a leg). In addition, you can arrange and conduct video conferences with your clients. Skype has also released an updated iPhone App which allows you to make Skype calls using your iPhone (currently for no additional fee). Use it while you can!