How To Deal With Your Strict Clients
- rhizadxb
- Jun 18, 2020
- 2 min read
Strict clients are part of your freelancing journey. You may experience difficulties in handling them but, these strict clients can help you grow and develop your skills. In freelancing, clients have different personalities and perspectives, you need to learn how to handle them in order for you to be successful in your freelancing career.
Here are suggested tips in handling your strict clients.
1. Clarify your role from the beginning to manage expectations
To avoid misunderstanding with your clients, clarify the services that you’ll be providing from the very beginning. Explain to the client that you have limitations before taking off the job.
There are instances wherein clients expect you to participate in other related tasks and if you’re not going to participate, the client might be angry with you. If you’re signing with a specialized aspect of a project, make sure it is very clear from the beginning for the client to avoid expecting.
2. Adapt your communication style for your client
Communication is the very key in a successful client- freelancer relationship that is why it is very important to understand the tone of the client in terms of email or message in Skype, Google Hangouts and other chat platforms.
Adapting the type of communication that the client is using will make a harmonious communication with your client. And, if you experience something you don’t understand, ask again your client in a more organized structure like numbered or bulleted lists and tell your clients that they can answer the questions and clarifications one-by-one.
3. Archive all discussions and instructions to reference later
Always make sure that you take notes, record and archive instructions and whatever you and your client agree to do in order to avoid conflicts in the future.
You’ll never know what happens in the middle of fulfilling your tasks. When an issue occurs, make sure that you have archived everything for you not to be accused of not doing this and that. Sometimes, clients forget something and so, be prepared and always keep your tasks in order.
4. Supply data to support your decisions
Clients hire freelancers because they need the expertise of the freelancers. Some clients are a bit opinionated on your work, and when that happens organize information and explain what happened. Give examples of the same tasks and explain the reason for doing it and the benefits it will give to their business.
When you have supplied enough information, it will be harder for the client to dismiss your work.
5. Stay level-headed no matter what happens
When you received an email from your client that is aggressive, don’t reply right away instead, stay calm, relax and think of how you respond to your client without giving back the tone that client is using.
Managing emotions is crucial yet is a very essential skill that when a freelancer has, the career of the freelancer will be uplifted by it.
It is very important to know your client, what is it that the client is particular and learn to be extra careful in dealing with that certain aspect.
I hope the five tips will help you in managing your strict clients in the future!
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