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financemark
Community Member

9 Things Clients Can do to be Taken Seriously by QUALITY Freelancers!

1. SPELL CHECK:  Freelancers here mostly attempt to work through understandable language translations, but blatantly horrible spelling is a sure sign that a Client is not thorough or thoughtful.  Quality freelancers ARE thorough, we take time to be accurate, we take pride in our work and we won't waste our time working with you if you don't care enough to review your post before it goes live. In short, you are a low-quality client.

 

2. BUDGETS MUST MATCH YOUR EXPECTATIONS:  "Super Duper Excel Expert Needed" for a $25.00 budget?? [you REALLY do get what you pay for, you know this right?]  "We have spent month on this forecast, and dont have time, but think you can review it in 2-3 hours time"?  [why not spend another 2-3 hours of your own time].  "Seeking a virtual CFO - for $1500."    Quality-Level Freelancers understand that UW can be a toilet-bowl race to the bottom, but if your expecations are this far unreasonable, then you'll get few, if any, responses to your invites.  If your profile shows that you have hired the cheapest freelancers and your avg hourly rate paid is low -- we will NEVER bid or respond -- b/c you have proven yourself cheap.

 

3. YOU HAVE TAKEN TIME TO VERIFY PAYMENT:   UWorkes are saavy - b/c we've been cheated, scammed and taken-advantage-of.  We likely will NOT bid on your project if you have not convinced us that you are willing to pay for our work.

 

4. YOUR PROJECT IS REALISTIC & BELIEVABLE: "$50,000 to help our app raise venture capital funds".  Take some time to review your ask - run it by someone who is grounded and realistic, before you post it. 

 

5. BE TRUTHFUL AND HONEST:  If you aren't 'really' located in the US, we will find out -- and you may be penalized by UW administrators. 

 

6. SEEK TUTORING - B/C ACADEMIC FRAUD IS A VIOLATION: If you are posting your MBA assigments for others to complete, we will know.  If you are dumb enough to identify your school and the class, we will likely email the insitution & the instructor - I do it 3-4 times/week. 

 

7. ACT PROFESSIONALLY: If a client is unprofessional in their communication and treatment, they are likely to be blocked.  It's simple civility really - be considerate, responsive and kind.  I block potential clients if they dissappear after some dialogue -- b/c I know they would be horrible to work with.

 

8. GIVE TIMELY & THOUGHFUL FEEDBACK: If  you never provide feedback, why take a risk to help you.  If you give 5 stars to the 30 or so projects on your profile, we know that you aren't giving the feedback mechanism serious thought. 

 

9. DON'T PROMISE FUTURE WORK LATER FOR CHEAP WORK NOW:  This is my favorite b/c it is so often used by people who should know better.  We provide quality deliverables in a professional manner - there is a fee for that --- NOW, not later.  And, we  won't leave $ on the table in the false hope that you will suddenly see the light and stop taking advantage of us sometime in the future.  Truth is: you will ALWAYS be cheap - and we know this! 

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mthornton-cpc
Community Member

I'd like to take this list and apply it to freelancers, as well. We too often have to combat a stereotype that we are somehow less than professional because of the bad apples. The same list applies with some small edits:

1) Ditto

2) Sub "rates" for "budget"

3) Sub "understand payment cycles" for "verify payment"

4) Sub "experience" for "project"

5) Ditto

6) Sub the freelancer offering academic fraud services for the client seeking them

7) Ditto

😎 This one applies to both freelancers and clients

9) Sub the freelancer accepting that promise for the client making it

 

These are often the same sorts of irritations we deal with when it comes to some brick and mortar clients, as well.

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13 REPLIES 13
mthornton-cpc
Community Member

I'd like to take this list and apply it to freelancers, as well. We too often have to combat a stereotype that we are somehow less than professional because of the bad apples. The same list applies with some small edits:

1) Ditto

2) Sub "rates" for "budget"

3) Sub "understand payment cycles" for "verify payment"

4) Sub "experience" for "project"

5) Ditto

6) Sub the freelancer offering academic fraud services for the client seeking them

7) Ditto

😎 This one applies to both freelancers and clients

9) Sub the freelancer accepting that promise for the client making it

 

These are often the same sorts of irritations we deal with when it comes to some brick and mortar clients, as well.

Great post. Great tips.

 

However: As a freelancer, I always keep in mind the fact that UN-professional clients may have lots of money, and a willingness to spend that money paying freelancers who can help them out.

 

I have earned a lot of money from professional, highly organized clients. But I have also earned a lot of money from clients who wouldn't be characterized that way.

Nice post, I agree.

 

Personally I don't care how someone spells their post, for all I know English is their 4rth language. I also don't care about the stated budget, I post my price and they can take it or leave it, no skin off my nose either way.

 

Clients displaying unprofessional behaviour are a temporary irritant, but their money becomes permanently mine once they pay. I weed out the worst while I interview them, tame most of the others, and just tolerate the small remainder for the short time I work with them. Client-Management is a core skill of any successful freelancer.

 

I always laugh when I see freelancers shying away from clients who have not yet verified their payment method. Thanks guys, all the more work for those of us who love working with new clients. Some of my biggest contracts came from such clients, as have many of my most interesting ones.

 

 

For me, personally, the most important quality in a client is that she is willing to pay for my time.

 

I can forgive an unorganized client who is unclear about what she wants to do... if she is willing to pay for my time helping her get organized.

Thanks Preston -- big "IF", but I would agree.

 

Cheers,

MK


@Preston H wrote:

For me, personally, the most important quality in a client is that she is willing to pay for my time.

 

I can forgive an unorganized client who is unclear about what she wants to do... if she is willing to pay for my time helping her get organized.


 How come your unorganized client is a she?


@Luce N wrote:

@Preston H wrote:

For me, personally, the most important quality in a client is that she is willing to pay for my time.

 

I can forgive an unorganized client who is unclear about what she wants to do... if she is willing to pay for my time helping her get organized.


 How come your unorganized client is a she?


 It's "a Preston thing", he always does that. I gave up being irritated by it a year or so ago 😉 Some reverse political correctness thing or saving time rather than writing "he or she".

Because he hates women --- yeah, that's it.  Preston hates women and puppies, and Santa Clause!

gilbert-phyllis
Community Member

Agree with Petra about payment verification, it doesn't matter until it's time to set up the contract. More important to me is that I can find some trace of them out in the world, e.g. a bona fide website, a LinkedIn profile, something that supports the notion they are who they purport to be, doing what they say they are doing, and have a clue about how to go about it. That's not a deal breaker, but it factors in, with weight depending on other variables.

Mark, Bravo and 100+ kudos for your post.  Now, if only we could find a way to get clients to read and ACT on it. 

Thanks Wendy -

Merry Christmas --- but dont tell Preston, he hates Santa.

Wendy,

If I can secure a project - I may want to make a spend on copy for my website -- Jan-Feb time frame?  Game?

 

MK

Sure - and Mele Kalikimaka.  PMing you. 🙂

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