How do you become the kind of freelancer everyone wants to work with?
– 12 habits that will make your clients love you

By Carsten Bjerregaard, CEO and founder of Marketingcapacity.dk

The most important thing as a freelancer is of course to deliver a good piece of work. But if you want to be the freelancer that clients return to and recommend to colleagues, then there is something else that makes the difference: namely how you collaborate. Clients do not necessarily choose the one who is most professionally skilled. They buy the one they like to collaborate with the most. Partly because it is nice in itself, and partly because good collaboration is the prerequisite for the best solution. The better you work together, the better you come up with the best solution, together.

Several thousand freelancers have created a profile on Marketingcapacity.dk, and every year we facilitate hundreds of collaborations. This has provided some insight into what makes collaborations between freelancers and companies work optimally. Of course, it depends on both parties, but here are 12 specific things you can do to become a valued and preferred freelancer.

1. Listen to more than just the words

All good collaboration starts with you really listening. Not just to the client’s brief or keywords, but to what the client is actually trying to achieve. Remember that the client may not necessarily be able to express themselves precisely within your field of expertise (that’s one of the reasons the client needs you). So listen to what the client really wants. When you listen to the intention behind the task – and not just the task itself – you will get it right both better and faster. You may want to try repeating the client’s wishes in your own words so the client can hear whether you have captured the client’s idea and goals. Remember that the client does not want to buy what you think they need. The client wants to buy what they themselves think they need. Many consultants have tried to present the solution to a problem that the client does not think they have. It rarely works well.

Example: If the client says: “We need a new, beautiful website,” you can ask: “What do you hope to achieve with it?” – The answer to this question will help you deliver something that actually works.

2. Also ask the questions that others may not dare

The best questions are those that make the task better. It is better to ask too much than too little. Not because you are in doubt – but because you take the task seriously. When you ask, you show that you are thinking along. It makes you both more valuable and more credible. Some people are afraid to ask, perhaps because they fear exposing themselves. And then they end up having to solve a task that they either do not understand or that they lack information to solve in the best possible way.

Tip: Always have 3 good questions ready after a brief – it shows that you are committed and analytical. In fact, questions are one of the best ways to qualify. If you ask about what is important, it creates trust in your client. NB: But remember, that they should be open and positive questions. You should not ask to find holes in the cheese, but to give the customer the opportunity to elaborate on their thoughts.

3. Talk to the customer about how the task should be solved

Reassurance is an important part of a good customer experience. And your customer is more comfortable when he knows how you intend to solve a task. It would create the opposite if you said: “Don’t think about that, I’ll come up with a good solution”. So finally share with the customer how you plan to solve the task. It could be:

• What tools you use
• What your work rhythm is
• How you will present your proposal
• How you see the approval process

You shouldn’t just nod and say “yes boss” – you should find the smartest way to the goal together with your customer. Maybe the task can be divided? Maybe you need access to some data? When you offer suggestions on how the task can be solved better, you show that you are a professional – and not just someone who performs without to think. And you give the customer an opportunity to correct the course.

Example: “Should we split the delivery so that you get the first draft in a week – and then we’ll take the rest after feedback?”

4. Clarify the connections for both time and process

There are few things that kill a good collaboration more effectively than disappointed expectations. So be thorough in asking: When will you deliver? How much do you have to achieve? Do you have to wait for some input? The more you get in place from the start, the better the collaboration will be. In the advertising industry, it has been an old truth; “You win the customer on creativity, and you lose the customer on everyday deliveries”. On disappointed expectations. On what some call “inaccurate deliveries”.

Tip: Send a short summary email after your start. Where you partly summarize what the task is about, and where you specify what the customer will get: “As agreed: I deliver XX on XX, and you send input no later than XX.”

5. Set a realistic deadline – and stick to it

It’s tempting to promise fast deliveries to appear efficient. But it doesn’t make anyone happy if you have to rush through the work afterwards so that it doesn’t turn out successfully – or if you are late. Give yourself some space to do the work properly. Better to surprise positively than disappoint with the quality or a poor excuse for not finishing.

Example: If you think you might be able to get it done on Friday, say Tuesday – and deliver on Monday with a happy greeting.

6. If you can’t keep an appointment, say so immediately

We are all human. Illness, delays and mistakes happen. But the difference between a good and a less good freelancer is how you handle it. If you can’t keep an appointment, say so immediately – and come up with a new proposal. Honesty + a solution = continued trust. And the sooner the client is notified, the better the client may be able to adjust their plans.

Tip: Use a message like: “Unfortunately, there’s a bit of a problem – I can’t deliver until Wednesday. I apologize, and I’ll make sure the quality is right in the cupboard.”

7. Share too much rather than too little along the way

Silence creates anxiety. And anxiety creates control. So keep the customer updated, even if nothing groundbreaking has happened. It’s better to communicate too much than too little. A “I’m on it – everything looks good” is often enough. It puts the customer at ease and shows that you’re in control.
Example: A short status email in the middle of the process: “I’m halfway there, and it seems to be working well – I can’t wait to show you.”

8. Confirm when you’ve received an email

When the customer sends you something, acknowledge it immediately. It’s a small thing, but it has a big impact. A quick “thank you – I’ve received it and will get started tomorrow” means the customer doesn’t have to sit around and speculate. This kind of communication is a low-level of practical security – and it is gold in a collaboration. The same applies, of course, if the customer sends an SMS or leaves a message on your answering machine. Acknowledge that you have received and understood the customer’s message.

Tip: Make it a habit, and it will only take 10 seconds.

9. Listen positively to corrections – and avoid arguments at all costs

Of course, you can express your opinion – the customer appreciates it. But: It must never become a discussion or fight about who is right. When the customer makes corrections, listen. Try to understand what the customer wants and ask questions instead of defending yourself. Save yourself the excuses like: I didn’t have enough time, I hadn’t been told enough, etc. It is one of the most annoying things as a customer if you always have to go through these kinds of explanations. The more you show that it is natural for the customer to have comments and corrections, the better the process will be.

Tip: No one has ever won an argument with a client. Remember that.

10. Give advice – but respect the client’s choice

You are the expert. But the client decides. Your job is to make things clear: “If we do A, I think B will happen – while if we do C, we will get D.” Then the client can choose for themselves with open eyes. As an advisor, you have the responsibility to present your recommendation in a way that the client understands. Once the client has understood this, it is the client’s sovereign right to make their choice. And as an advisor, you will be in the best position if you work as enthusiastically for the client’s ideas as you do for your own.

Tip: Remember that what some call ‘counterplay’ can easily be perceived as ‘stubbornness’ on the other side of the table. Not least if it is about who has come up with a given idea.

11. Think about how the client should feel in safe hands

It’s not about being perfect – but about giving the impression of having an overview, control of things and a good mood. When the client feels that you are someone they can trust, they will shrug their shoulders. You need to give the feeling that “I have this under control”. Use checklists, divide tasks, make short summaries in emails, and clearly state what the next step is. A safe collaboration gives the client peace of mind – and a desire to collaborate with you again.

12. Bring your good mood to work

It’s not difficult to feel when a freelancer is a little tired of it all. But fortunately, the client can also feel it when you want to succeed with the task. When you go to work with energy and an “It’s going to be fun, let’s get this going” attitude, it rubs off. A smile in your voice. A friendly tone in the email. A little “have a good weekend!” at the end of the message. It costs nothing, but makes a huge difference. When you communicate with warmth and enthusiasm, working together suddenly becomes a pleasure – and that is actually a competitive advantage.

Tip: A wise freelancer once said: “I am a traveler in energy”. Because he had decided that every time he walked into a meeting with his clients, he would give off good energy. I hardly need to say that he held on to his clients very well.

Conclusion

Of course, the most important thing is that you deliver a good job. And that your clients get the results they want. But if you really want to keep your clients – and get clients who approach you themselves – your ability to collaborate is almost as important. And clients who approach themselves are, as we know, the best thing there is…