I thought to write this post today considering I spent most of my weekend glued in front of my computer doing work. I just had to catch up on all these projects - and here I was thinking December would be a slower month for my business! (Why on earth I thought that, I don’t know)

I really need to give myself a break sometimes, especially when I can feel my body just begging me to rest. And all these tips I give you, I have to be sure to follow them myself! I will admit, writing them all out makes them that much easier to follow.

Anyway, part of my problem is the anxiety that comes with the territory for freelancers and business owners - am I do everything to keep my clients as happy as they can be? What if I let this one thing slide for the day - will the client go off and find somebody else? Will they undermine my skills, my ability to be on time? Stop giving me work?

To quiet those anxious thoughts in my head, first I do a little reality check. Ok, are your clients REALLY going to leave you when they know you work super hard, your work is phenomenal, and your value for the money is excellent? (Sorry for sounding so boastful, but this IS a pep talk after all!) Second, I then focus on the fact that I have never disappointed a client (and hopefully never will). After all, one of my business mantras is to ensure I have all of the details on exactly what the client wants, and always offer a free round of revisions. A client should never walk away with a project unsatisfied.

To remind myself and all of you who work on a daily basis with clients that help keep your business/freelance career alive, remember the following:

1.) Beware of sloppy work. Sometimes as freelancers or solo entrepreneurs, we tend to do everything ourselves - production, customer service, marketing, sales…and it can get pretty overwhelming. Whatever the case, don’t rush work for your clients, or you risk the chance of it being sloppy. I remember trying to rush a job once for a client because I was freaking out about missing the promised deadline, but thankfully my business partner (Kris) stopped me. She pointed out that she’d rather extend the deadline with the client than present a shoddy job, when we had the ability to present a fantastic job with just a little more time.

2.) Make your client(s) feel important. Most times, clients are demanding. They expect you to put everything aside for them, and to be treated with high importance, even with the simplest tasks. No matter what size project you are working on a for a client, treat it as though it is your biggest. Most importantly, since you are telecommuting and not often face to face with your client, be sure to give him/her regular updates on the status of the project.

3.) Don’t extend deadlines too often. As suggested in #1, it may be okay to extend deadlines with a client so long as there is very good reason, or if you know you have lenient time on the project. Only you can determine what will work best with that particular client. But remember that deadlines are indeed important, and clients will always appreciate good work done on time.

4.) Don’t promise what you can’t realistically deliver. Another problem I’ve faced is promising too many clients their projects within unrealistic time frames, in fear of losing them. More and more I am learning that it is more important to assure the client of the quality of your work, and that you need X amount of time to make it wonderful. You catch my drift…

Happy Monday all, and keep plugging away with those clients of yours! If you don’t have any clients yet, with hard work and persistence, you will!

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