Play It Safe: How To Cover Your Bases When Freelancing

June 4, 2010 in Freelance Tips and Tricks - Viewed 43 times.

Working as a freelancer can be risky business, sometimes it means you never meet your client face-to-face. Because of this, judging a person’s feelings regarding a project, price, or idea can be very difficult. So, how can you cover your bases to ensure you haven’t overlooked anything, and can seal the deal? There isn’t necessarily a golden rule, but there are a few steps you can take to give yourself the best chance of success.

Thorough Consultation.

Cover Your Bases

Start your business relationship with a diligent and thorough consultation.

Some may argue with me on this – but I feel phone or an in-person meeting are the best host for any consultation. Ask the hard questions, ask the easy questions, learn everything you can. Today, clients are more tech-savvy than ever… which is good and bad. Good, because now you no longer need to do some of the more tedious tasks originally asked of you during the years prior to the development of content management systems, etc. Bad, because, now more than ever, clients are under the impression that they know what’s best for themselves. Support your claims with use-cases, if possible, and provide them real time examples to support your ideas.

Documentation.

Document everything. Be diligent in the development of your project scope and agreement. Require that your client sign a contract that the two of you agree on. Be cautious of your wording, and focus on including only the points your client has asked for. If you feel as though they’re missing something – consult with them and make adjustments to the agreement accordingly. Be sure to specify the ETA (timeframe), processes of communication, payment/compensation terms, and throw a comment in there discussing what happens if there is scope creep… and the client wants to take things a bit further.

Communication.

This concept is huge, both for the client and the provider. It’s absolutely crucial to have a reliable and consistent means of communication. Situations where you can interpret voice inflection and understand how the client is feeling are ideal. Send frequent updates to your client via email, phone, in person, or even through a screencast. Know what they’re thinking and let them know what you’re thinking. Stay on the same page.

Timeliness-ation?

Ok, the rest of my points ended in “ation”… I couldn’t let this last point ruin my flow. Timeliness is important. In my experience, it seems like everyone is waiting until the last minute today. Offer your clients accurate time estimates, and don’t make promises you can’t keep. Preferably, over-estimate the time it will take to complete your project, and give your client a nice surprise. Do your best to meet their time requirements, but don’t kill yourself. If you can’t accomplish the job they’re looking for in the timeframe they’re looking for, recognize it and move on. This will save massive headaches for both you and them.