How to Communicate Effectively With Your Clients

Communicating effectively with your clients increases the probability of you getting more work from them. It can also help you stand out from the crowd.

Some freelancers just offer the service, charge the money and that’s that – and even if the service they offer is good, the client is still not very happy with the working relationship. Well, this is because there was no communication and the client felt he was not involved.

Although following your client’s directions is even more important for your working relationship, be aware and don’t become a puppet. Try to make your point when you need to, as you are the expert here.

Following your client’s original instructions is totally different than doing what they say. It’s called “paying attention” and “caring” about the one you work with.

Follow instructions

The client is the one who pays you, so your final product has to please them. If you don’t do this, why would they hire you again? Or tell their fellow business owners to hire you? You don’t have to give them what you think is right, but what they think is right.

Following instructions from a client shows a simple, but important fact – that you respect them. When they’re paying you, it’s totally disrespectful to ignore their requests and do what you want to do – even if you know that your way may be the best.

When you don’t agree with a client, the only thing to do is communicate this to them. Talk to them and explain why you think your way is the right one. Show them examples and they will probably understand. Clients almost always agree with your ideas if you show them their final product will be better because of it.

Don’t just jump into modifying that grid system because you know it’s right. Explain why you’re changing it and they will probably understand you and appreciate you even more. They may even start to see you as the expert you are and may not question your decisions as much in the future.

If you are not sure about what’s meant by client’s instructions, then take a look at the following checklist:

• The deadline

  Do you respect the deadline you get from your clients? Because if you don’t, this is a huge problem. Many freelancers think that the deadlines are not mandatory and that delivering three days late is okay. Well, it’s not.
  
  Most of your clients have a schedule and if you don’t deliver your product in time, their whole schedule will fall apart. Keep the deadline in mind because this is one of the first things you are judged for.
  
  

• The delivery

  You can’t make a good impression by delivering a project that isn’t finished and still needs work. You get paid to deliver a completed project and that’s what you need to deliver to build your client base.
  
  Deliver the project on time and complete. If you don’t deliver a fully finished project, it’ll probably be your latest collaboration with the respective client.
  
  

• Handing in something else

  Did the client ask for a pink website and, without explaining why, you delivered a red one? Well then you didn’t follow instructions. Just because you have a different idea than the client does, it doesn’t mean you can just deliver whatever you want. At the end of the day, the client is paying you, not the other way around.
  
  Make sure you talk to your client about each major change you make and always inform them about the minor ones.
  
  

• Contacting the client

  You might not think this is a big problem, but if the client specifically asked you to only contact them by email, don’t overlook their wish. It’s the same when you ask clients to only contact you between 9am and 5pm, and they call you at 10 at night. Annoying, right? They think the same when you do it.
  
  Moreover, if the client asks you to contact them once per week, do it, even if you don’t consider it necessary.

Showing professionalism

This is what’s going to land you the next job – being professional. By following the simple rules above, you could manage to do it. Moreover, following the ones below you will definitely impress:

• Keeping in mind what the client requested is important, even if you don’t follow it. When you want to change something, simply ask to do it, but don’t forget to acknowledge the client’s request.
  
  
• Saying something like “Can I maybe contact you via email, although you requested to talk by phone? I would be more comfortable with email”, will work better than just contacting thmm by email out of the blue.
  
  
• A good way for avoiding delivering something the client didn’t request is to always ask before making major changes. If they’re rejected, try to explain why you believe the changes will be beneficial to them. As mentioned before, they will most likely accept you as the expert and go with your way of doing it.
  
  
• It is always a great idea to set a more achievable deadline and always deliver before the expected day. This will allow more time for the client to revise the product and they will always be happy thinking that you worked more for them than you should have. Delivering before the deadline is good and will always pay off.
  
  
• Freelancers not only deliver a project, but quite often will work as consultants, as well. Don’t forget that you can always make suggestions for next time, even if you are not going to be the one who gets the job. When the client sees that your tips helped them, they will remember you and might turn back to you if needed again.

SOURCE: 1stWebDesigner