Maintain Client Relationships
Start a Freelance Business A-Z
1. Start a Freelance Business A-Z
Estimated time: 12:26 minutes
(Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed)2. Identify Your Niche and Target Audience
Estimated time: 12:03 minutes
(Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed)3. Get a Handle on Your Finances
Estimated time: 12:25 minutes
(Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed)4. Set Up Operations and Administration
Estimated time: 16:39 minutes
(Completed) (Completed) (Completed)5. Develop Your Freelance Brand
Estimated time: 15:05 minutes
(Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed)6. Market Your Freelance Business
Estimated time: 12:44 minutes
(Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed)7. Find and Convert Clients
Estimated time: 17:16 minutes
(Completed) (Completed) (Completed) (Completed)8. Maintain Client Relationships
Estimated time: 11:40 minutes
Module 7 - Maintain Client Relationships
Once you've landed a client, you job isn't done. You not only have to complete the work, but you also have to interact with, and maintain a professional relationship with, your clients.
Set Clear Boundaries
Setting clear boundaries around expectations and availability is essential.
⦁ Understand the nature of your role: Ask the clients about their expectations for the role and whether it is project-based, seasonal, or ongoing
⦁ Include your terms in your correspondence and estimate – and stick to them.
Make clear the hours it will take to complete the project, the deadline (the actual date and time of day), what the project includes, the deliverables they will receive – and put it in writing.
If it appears you will go over the allotted hours due to client changes and additional tasks, let them know as soon as possible and make them aware of the additional charges. If you go over hours due to your incorrect estimation or difficulty completing the tasks, you will have to eat the hours and reduction in income.
You should never miss a deadline – punctuality is essential to a good reputation. But if it looks like you are going to be late with the deliverables, let your client know as soon as possible. It will be an uncomfortable conversation, but you need to give them time to make any adjustments or put out fires on their end.
Set 'Office Hours'
You can't be available to your clients 24/7. You need to take holidays and you need to set your office hours. Let clients know when you are available and your preferred method of communication. If they WhatsApp you a voice note at 9 pm and you 'close' at 6:00 pm – don't listen until office hours resume.
And be sure to schedule vacation time and go off-line (This is almost a guarantee that clients WILL contact you – it is Freelancer's Law. But resist the pull to work on your vacation and stick to your boundaries). You can't perform at your highest level if you are burned out.
Be Friendly, But Firm
If you experience any client issues or challenges, refer to your written agreement (Don't send it to the client – that is too aggressive. Leave it to them to scour through your correspondence to try to prove that they are right, only to find out they were wrong).
If they are late with payment, resend your invoice with a friendly reminder. If timely payment seems to be an ongoing issue with a particular client, request payment upfront for your next assignment and don't start work until you receive it.
Stay Top of Mind
Depending on the nature of your assignments, there may be long spells between jobs. Don't wait for them to contact you – stay in touch and nurture relationships with your existing, but currently inactive, clients. Consider these 'Keeping in Touch' strategies:
⦁ Newsletter
⦁ Send out a brief client newsletter that updates them on completed jobs and your new skills or offerings. Many clients may have hired you to do X and have no idea you can do Y.
⦁ Showcase impressive brands you have worked with to increase your credibility.
⦁ Provide valuable industry-related information so they start to see you as a trusted resource.
⦁ Holiday greetings
⦁ Send out a brief, non-denominational holiday greetings with a great graphic or image that showcases what you do in a fun, subtle way.
⦁ Birthday
⦁ If you can find out a client's birthday, send them a card. You can often find that information on their social media profile.
Key Takeaways:
⦁ Set clear boundaries with your client including 'office hours', preferred methods of communication etc.
⦁ Make sure expectations are clearly communicated and understood (yours and theirs). This includes the scope of the project, deadlines, payment schedule etc.
⦁ Don't wait for your clients to contact you – stay in touch between jobs through a client newsletter, email updates, and/or holiday greetings.
Action Steps:
⦁ Set your boundaries – your non-negotiables. Answer these questions in your Action Guide:
⦁ Is there any type of company you won't work for because they oppose your brand values and personal values?
⦁ What are your 'office hours'?
⦁ Plan out your holidays in advance and notify your clients at least 4-6 weeks in advance.
⦁ Brainstorm your 'Keeping in Touch' strategies, making notes in your Action Guide that you can refer to in the future (you probably don't have to worry about 'keeping in touch' for the first 3-6 months)
You have put a lot of work into establishing your freelance business. It's now time to act, using strategies in this coursebook to land and keep clients.
As you get more assignments under your belt, evaluate the targets that you set for your freelance business in module 2. Review your financial targets, number of clients, hourly rate, and annual income.
Also evaluate your client relationships and the success of your projects – what worked, what didn't? What can you improve upon? What kind of client feedback have you received?
Explore what else you can offer existing clients:
⦁ Can you package your services differently?
⦁ Has there been a demand for help on larger projects that exceeds your ability to deliver? Would you consider evolving your freelance business into a small business with employees?
⦁ Can you expand your offering by learning new skills?
Next Steps
Once you're set up and you've worked on direct outreach to clients, the next step is to attract prospects by expanding upon the marketing tactics covered in this coursebook. You can start to explore next level website content like adding a sales funnel to your website, lead generation strategies, email marketing, and social media advertising.
And finally, be persistent. Be prepared for the inevitable 'up and downs' of freelancing. The freelancer life is not always easy, but it's worth it.
Review What You've Learned
Refer to this course regularly as you grow your freelance business. Follow the step-by-step process, making any adjustments based on what you've learned. Answer the following questions:
⦁ What you have you learned about running a freelance business?
⦁ What did you find difficult?
⦁ How will you address any problems that you encountered?
⦁ What else can you do to refine and improve the process?
Key Takeaways:
⦁ Review your results to date and any feedback and use that information to improve your freelance business.
⦁ Expand on the marketing tactics in this coursebook – explore the idea of adding a sales funnel, lead generation strategies, email marketing, and social media advertising.
⦁ As you evaluate your results, look ahead to how you may want your business evolve in the future.
Action Steps:
⦁ Evaluate the targets you set for your freelance business in module 2 and answer these questions in your Action Guide:
⦁ Will you reach your financial goals by the end of your first year?
⦁ Is your hourly rate realistic or does it need to be adjusted? Is it too high? Too low?
⦁ Are your client targets reasonable? Can you juggle that many clients at once? Or, conversely, do you need more clients to break even?
⦁ Was your estimate of billable hours per week too high or too low?
Action Steps cont:
⦁ Evaluate your client relationships and the success of your projects – what worked, what didn't? What can you improve upon? Answer the following questions in your
Action Guide:
⦁ Have you been consistently underestimating the number of hours a project will take to complete? What can you do to change this?
⦁ Did you experience any miscommunications with your client? If so, what did you learn from it and how can improve processes and communications in the future?
⦁ What kind of client feedback have you received? Favorable? Rave reviews? Disappointment? What types of assignments garnered the most positive feedback? Is it possible to switch your focus to more projects like this? Look ahead to how you may want your business evolve in the future.
⦁ Explore what else you can offer existing clients:
⦁ Can you package your services differently?
⦁ Has there been a demand for help on larger projects that exceeds your ability to deliver? Is it worth considering evolving your freelance business into a small business with employees?
⦁ Can you expand your offering by learning new skills?
⦁ Review the course thoroughly and answer the questions on what you have learned. Use the action plan in the Action Guide to record your next steps.
Once you've landed a client, you job isn't done. You not only have to complete the work, but you also have to interact with, and maintain a professional relationship with, your clients.
Set Clear Boundaries
Setting clear boundaries around expectations and availability is essential.
⦁ Understand the nature of your role: Ask the clients about their expectations for the role and whether it is project-based, seasonal, or ongoing
⦁ Include your terms in your correspondence and estimate – and stick to them.
Make clear the hours it will take to complete the project, the deadline (the actual date and time of day), what the project includes, the deliverables they will receive – and put it in writing.
If it appears you will go over the allotted hours due to client changes and additional tasks, let them know as soon as possible and make them aware of the additional charges. If you go over hours due to your incorrect estimation or difficulty completing the tasks, you will have to eat the hours and reduction in income.
You should never miss a deadline – punctuality is essential to a good reputation. But if it looks like you are going to be late with the deliverables, let your client know as soon as possible. It will be an uncomfortable conversation, but you need to give them time to make any adjustments or put out fires on their end.
Set 'Office Hours'
You can't be available to your clients 24/7. You need to take holidays and you need to set your office hours. Let clients know when you are available and your preferred method of communication. If they WhatsApp you a voice note at 9 pm and you 'close' at 6:00 pm – don't listen until office hours resume.
And be sure to schedule vacation time and go off-line (This is almost a guarantee that clients WILL contact you – it is Freelancer's Law. But resist the pull to work on your vacation and stick to your boundaries). You can't perform at your highest level if you are burned out.
Be Friendly, But Firm
If you experience any client issues or challenges, refer to your written agreement (Don't send it to the client – that is too aggressive. Leave it to them to scour through your correspondence to try to prove that they are right, only to find out they were wrong).
If they are late with payment, resend your invoice with a friendly reminder. If timely payment seems to be an ongoing issue with a particular client, request payment upfront for your next assignment and don't start work until you receive it.
Stay Top of Mind
Depending on the nature of your assignments, there may be long spells between jobs. Don't wait for them to contact you – stay in touch and nurture relationships with your existing, but currently inactive, clients. Consider these 'Keeping in Touch' strategies:
⦁ Newsletter
⦁ Send out a brief client newsletter that updates them on completed jobs and your new skills or offerings. Many clients may have hired you to do X and have no idea you can do Y.
⦁ Showcase impressive brands you have worked with to increase your credibility.
⦁ Provide valuable industry-related information so they start to see you as a trusted resource.
⦁ Holiday greetings
⦁ Send out a brief, non-denominational holiday greetings with a great graphic or image that showcases what you do in a fun, subtle way.
⦁ Birthday
⦁ If you can find out a client's birthday, send them a card. You can often find that information on their social media profile.
Key Takeaways:
⦁ Set clear boundaries with your client including 'office hours', preferred methods of communication etc.
⦁ Make sure expectations are clearly communicated and understood (yours and theirs). This includes the scope of the project, deadlines, payment schedule etc.
⦁ Don't wait for your clients to contact you – stay in touch between jobs through a client newsletter, email updates, and/or holiday greetings.
Action Steps:
⦁ Set your boundaries – your non-negotiables. Answer these questions in your Action Guide:
⦁ Is there any type of company you won't work for because they oppose your brand values and personal values?
⦁ What are your 'office hours'?
⦁ Plan out your holidays in advance and notify your clients at least 4-6 weeks in advance.
⦁ Brainstorm your 'Keeping in Touch' strategies, making notes in your Action Guide that you can refer to in the future (you probably don't have to worry about 'keeping in touch' for the first 3-6 months)
You have put a lot of work into establishing your freelance business. It's now time to act, using strategies in this coursebook to land and keep clients.
As you get more assignments under your belt, evaluate the targets that you set for your freelance business in module 2. Review your financial targets, number of clients, hourly rate, and annual income.
Also evaluate your client relationships and the success of your projects – what worked, what didn't? What can you improve upon? What kind of client feedback have you received?
Explore what else you can offer existing clients:
⦁ Can you package your services differently?
⦁ Has there been a demand for help on larger projects that exceeds your ability to deliver? Would you consider evolving your freelance business into a small business with employees?
⦁ Can you expand your offering by learning new skills?
Next Steps
Once you're set up and you've worked on direct outreach to clients, the next step is to attract prospects by expanding upon the marketing tactics covered in this coursebook. You can start to explore next level website content like adding a sales funnel to your website, lead generation strategies, email marketing, and social media advertising.
And finally, be persistent. Be prepared for the inevitable 'up and downs' of freelancing. The freelancer life is not always easy, but it's worth it.
Review What You've Learned
Refer to this course regularly as you grow your freelance business. Follow the step-by-step process, making any adjustments based on what you've learned. Answer the following questions:
⦁ What you have you learned about running a freelance business?
⦁ What did you find difficult?
⦁ How will you address any problems that you encountered?
⦁ What else can you do to refine and improve the process?
Key Takeaways:
⦁ Review your results to date and any feedback and use that information to improve your freelance business.
⦁ Expand on the marketing tactics in this coursebook – explore the idea of adding a sales funnel, lead generation strategies, email marketing, and social media advertising.
⦁ As you evaluate your results, look ahead to how you may want your business evolve in the future.
Action Steps:
⦁ Evaluate the targets you set for your freelance business in module 2 and answer these questions in your Action Guide:
⦁ Will you reach your financial goals by the end of your first year?
⦁ Is your hourly rate realistic or does it need to be adjusted? Is it too high? Too low?
⦁ Are your client targets reasonable? Can you juggle that many clients at once? Or, conversely, do you need more clients to break even?
⦁ Was your estimate of billable hours per week too high or too low?
Action Steps cont:
⦁ Evaluate your client relationships and the success of your projects – what worked, what didn't? What can you improve upon? Answer the following questions in your
Action Guide:
⦁ Have you been consistently underestimating the number of hours a project will take to complete? What can you do to change this?
⦁ Did you experience any miscommunications with your client? If so, what did you learn from it and how can improve processes and communications in the future?
⦁ What kind of client feedback have you received? Favorable? Rave reviews? Disappointment? What types of assignments garnered the most positive feedback? Is it possible to switch your focus to more projects like this? Look ahead to how you may want your business evolve in the future.
⦁ Explore what else you can offer existing clients:
⦁ Can you package your services differently?
⦁ Has there been a demand for help on larger projects that exceeds your ability to deliver? Is it worth considering evolving your freelance business into a small business with employees?
⦁ Can you expand your offering by learning new skills?
⦁ Review the course thoroughly and answer the questions on what you have learned. Use the action plan in the Action Guide to record your next steps.
