Do you answer when Clients call?
There is no denying that working as a freelance writer is more or less a “solitary position.†In other words, you are not going to be around others for the better part of the day; unless you have family at home, of course. But even then, you will not be conversing with co-workers, bosses, etc. Through my freelance writing course I have heard from many writers who do not like to speak with clients on the phone. In fact, some members have gone so far as to say that they do not answer if a client calls. Instead, they let voicemail handle it and then email the client back. In my opinion, this is a huge mistake.
If a client is calling they are doing so for a reason. They want to speak with you in real time, and you need to be open to doing so. There is nothing wrong with missing a call for a legitimate reason. But if you are ignoring clients you are making a big mistake. Soon enough they may feel that you are trying to avoid them, or simply not interested in doing business with them. The end result is losing a client that you probably want to keep. Now do you see how detrimental it can be to avoid calls from clients?
There is a bigger issue at hand. Why don’t you want to answer the phone when clients call? Are you afraid of saying the wrong thing? Are you so shy that this is a major problem? Once you know why you are ignoring calls you can begin to work towards finding a solution. And a solution is something you need in order to fix this problem and better your career.
You need to answer the phone when your freelance writing clients call. This is a great chance to not only form a better relationship, but to also break up the monotony of the day. Get past what is holding you back so you feel comfortable answering the next time a client buzzes you!
February 14th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Nice post, and very good points.
I have known two freelance writers who prefer not to talk with clients on the phone (I don’t think they dodge calls, they just prefer not to), the reason both of them give is that they don’t think they sound professional or don’t sound as professional as the image they try to give off online.
It pays to answer the phone though.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:07 am
I’ll have to disagree with you a little bit on this one Chris.
I’m a big believer in turning the ringer off when I’m working. I don’t take calls while I’m writing, and my clients generally know this and set up call times the day before, or email me before calling so I know to expect it. Otherwise they get my voicemail.
While they don’t always love it, I’ve found that for the most part they actually respect it. Remember, they’re paying for you to devote your time to writing… not chatting with other clients or prospective clients on the phone. Every phone call you take in the middle of a project is a distraction that can affect your end product. So in my case, they know I won’t likely take the call while I’m writing, but in exchange they also know I won’t be taking other calls when I’m working on their projects.
Calls, imo, are something that should be worked into your administrative or marketing time, scheduled separately from your billable time for clients (unless of course they’re scheduling a phone conference that you’re actually billing for – those have less of a reason to be impromptu though, as if they’re paying for the time, they generally want you to be prepared). There are very few quick questions that can’t be handled via email these days between those conferences.
February 17th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Jenn – You make some very nice points. I see where you are coming from, but I prefer to answer the phone to show my clients that I am there for them at all times. I guess it all depends on how you look at things, as well as what you prefer.
February 25th, 2009 at 8:25 am
[...] As I have mentioned before, you should answer the phone if clients call. Some freelance writers are against this because they [...]
March 9th, 2009 at 2:07 am
I too prefer taking the call, thinking the client has something important to say. But, as Jenn say, it disturbs us and shouldn’t entertain talking while we’re seriously writing (if we have time allotted to writing schedule).
That seems to be a good idea to let the client know when we are taking calls!
Solomon