Do you go to extremes to please your freelance writing clients? This is not something you will do all the time for all your clients. But those who send you a lot of work and are a true joy to communicate with should be treated as nicely as possible; or at least this is the way I look at things. Simply put, I don’t have any problems going to extremes for clients that have been good to me in the past.
What does it mean to go to extremes for your clients? This all depends on what you mean by the word “extreme.†For me, three ways of doing this are as follows:
1. Check in on a regular basis to make sure that everything is okay. I like to do this with clients because it shows them I care, and also helps to ensure that they have everything they need at all times. You don’t want to go overboard and annoy your clients, but you definitely want to go above and beyond when it comes to making sure that they are all set as far as your work is concerned.
2. Be open to making as many changes as requested. Clients that are respectful and always sending new projects deserve to get exactly what they want. This is not to say that you should turn down other clients when they ask for a few changes here and there. But what it does mean is that you should be more receptive to clients that you have a long term relationship with. After all, you know they are being honest and that they would not hesitate to help you in the same way.
3. Send a gift from time to time. If one of your clients is always doing things for you it is time to return the favor. Believe it or not, there are many affordable gifts that are perfect for most clients. For example, I sent cookies out to several clients this past Thanksgiving and Christmas. Each gift cost $50. While this may seem like a lot it was well worth the time and money because I want my clients to know that I value our relationship.
Do you feel confident that you can implement the above “extremes†into your freelance writing career? If so, go for it. When you go to extremes to please clients it will work out in your favor in the long run.
It is not uncommon to become bogged down by minor details. This is something that many freelance writers struggle with, and you are probably the same in many ways. But listen up. You are not perfect so you need to keep moving on no matter what it takes. Of course, you need to use this advice wisely. Here are two situations: one when you need to be perfect and one when you should do your best and then move on.
 1. When working on a project for a client you need to be perfect. No matter how long it takes you want to make sure the end result is accurate in terms of spelling, grammar, structure, etc. After all, if you don’t do your best you should not expect the client to come back to you time after time. Even though it can be difficult to proof your work several times it will work out in your favor in the end.
2. If you are a freelance writer you may not have many technical and design skills. Even if you don’t excel in these areas you may need to tackle related tasks from time to time. For instance, I prefer to do a lot of the work on my blogs and other sites. I may not do all the design and tech work, but in the long run the maintenance and other minor details rest on my shoulders. While I try to make everything as perfect as possible, I have found that this is not always easy. In turn, I have learned to move past minor imperfections and onto details that are more important. So what if I can’t line up an image exactly as I want it? So what if a particular plugin isn’t working? These are minor details that don’t mean too much in the long run. No, you don’t want to get sloppy with your work, but you do need to know when to move on.
Nobody is perfect. As a freelance writer you want to strive for perfection when it comes to work for your clients. But with some details, such as minor imperfections (noted above) with your own projects, make sure you spend your time on what matters most. As long as you keep moving forward you are always taking another step towards success.
Many new freelance writers feel that the best way to land new clients is through forums such as Digital Point. The question is: is this a good idea, or are you more or less wasting your time? The answer to this question depends on who you are, the stage of your career, and what type of gigs you are chasing.
Through my experience, the majority of jobs in forums are not worth chasing. Most of the buyers are only offering a few bucks per article, if that. To go along with this, you should not expect to find many clients outside of webmasters scouting for talent in forums. In other words, magazine editors usually don’t post online to find freelance writers.
Are there any good jobs available through these boards? Yes, there are. But as noted above, they are usually few and far between. If you have some time, any it only takes a few minutes, you may want to scour the most popular boards once per day to see if there are any jobs worth applying for. You never know what you are going to find.
Also, don’t forget that a lot of “scam artists†hang out in these forums. They are in the business of doing whatever they can to scam others, and in turn make more money on their own. In many cases this means taking unsuspecting freelance writers for a ride. They will request a batch of articles, tell you that you will be paid upon completion, and then disappear once you give them the finished product. If you are going to accept work you find in forums be sure to ask for at least 50 percent payment upfront. And if you really want to cover yourself you should request payment in full.
While you can find freelance writing jobs in forums you should not get so caught up in this method that you don’t look elsewhere. Remember, you need to have a solid marketing plan that gives you the chance to find new work in a variety of areas. You may want to add forums to your marketing plan; just make sure they don’t dominate your time.
