What do you do when a client isn’t happy with your work? What can you say to help make sure you get paid on time? Is there a way to interview them to make project go smoothly and manage expectations?

 

Those are things I used to worry about a LOT when I started freelancing. Client management is one of the unspoken skills we really need, but it’s more important than most of us want to let on.

 

Even with my background in project management I was nervous starting out. But I figured out a way to get a lot better, faster.

 

Pay attention to myself as a client and consumer.

 

You’ve had interactions on the customer side thousands of times — more than you ever will as a freelancer, and each one? Is a hint to better client management in your freelance business.

 

So ask yourself — what have people done when you weren’t happy with a service? What do they do to make sure you pay your bills? How do they set your expectations from the beginning? How do you feel about all that and does it make you want to do business with them in the future?

 

Keep an eye out for that and your client management will be a lot easier.

 

 

 

Megan

 

This Week’s Recommended Reading

The Key To Your Clients’ Happiness? This Simple Framework

 

What's going on in the BF community?

Over in the Academy Skype group we’ve been talking about scheduling work when you have an unexpected illness or disability, pricing and getting deposits on hourly contracts, and the future of Upwork and Microsoft.