Clients and Freelancers
There’s a growing number of freelancers out there nowadays. Some of them seem to have the dream job that 90% of all others in their field may imagine, but unfortunately never get to experience!
In fact, many of these successful freelancers are making more than six figures a year. Some of this has to do with Lady Luck herself and some of it may have to do with connections or advantages. Yet, a lot of it has to do with how hard and intelligently these freelancers work. They’re able to earn the big bucks that very few others do, but it’s not just because they were in the right place at the right time. They also had both eyes open and jumped on the opportunity. Furthermore, they maintain a level of professionalism that ensures their continued success.
However, there’s also another secret to their success that really separates these freelancer ‘Titans’ from everyone else.
They understand something about this career that most people never get, a core secret. A simple one that truly “unlocks the vault” to a comfortable income and a whole lot of fun.
That secret?
Treating this career and your clients like a serious relationship.
Clients and Freelancers – You are getting into a very serious relationship here
Being a freelancer, you are probably going to want to keep business and pleasure as separate as reasonably possible. The truth of the matter is that you are jumping into a very serious relationship with very real repercussions, consequences, and requirements.
You need to understand this before you even think about moving forward!
Trying to find clients that respect you and also trust you with their hard-earned money is not an easy thing. These aren’t the kind of clients that you’re going to grab after an all-night pub crawl down at the pool hall, if you know what I mean?
Understand that this is a serious relationship and it’s important to start things off on the right foot, then from there it’s only going to get easier!
All the contracts in the world are worthless without trust and respect
For starters, you need to have a service level Agreement template filled out that specifies the particulars of the project and a contract to go along with it. In addition, you also have to understand that any contract in the world can be challenged. It can often be picked apart by a team of smart and motivated lawyers. So, be sure there is a mutual level of trust and respect between all the parties involved before entering into a formal agreement.
Remember that there’s a lot at stake here, and that both parties (everyone involved for that matter) is going to have their own opinion and expectations. The clients and freelancer’s perspective on the Agreement isn’t always going to precisely match-up.
By walking into this relationship with the thought that things may get a little bit hairy at some point down the line, you’ll be able to better prepare for those sticky situations. Not only by using contracts and agreements as crutches to help you out, but you’ll also be prepared to quickly defuse any problems before they become too big.
That’s the smartest investment you can make in your business!
Give as much as you can and you’ll likely get what you want
Lastly, you’ll want to try and focus on giving as much value as possible to your clients who are trusting you will get the job done in a professional manner.
Too many freelancers today try to squeeze every penny they can out of their clients. They approach freelancing projects with the philosophy that you have to do as little as possible for as much money as you can. This is an approach that both beats the client out of money and also yourself in the long run, as you’ll be closing up shop and looking for a new career before you know it.
By giving your clients the best you have to offer and exceeding their expectations, your value will be clearly established. This will eventually lead to an increase in pay, plus you’ll also earn the client’s respect and admiration. Additionally, it will hopefully lead to a bunch of rave reviews and referrals that will help keep you busy for a long, long time.
