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It might be difficult and require some practicing, but sometimes a freelancer just has to tell clients, projects or himself “no”. Why this is so and how to master the art of saying “no”, you can learn here… - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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FREELANCER TIPS
The art of saying “no” as a freelancer
You can find more freelancer tips here: www.freelancermap.com/freelancer-tips
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The art of saying “no” as a freelancer
Freelancing is about freedom – the ability to choose for yourself with whom, on what and even when you would like to work. To fully enjoy that freedom, every freelancer should learn that saying no is often the best decision. Deciding when exactly to say no is a big responsibility, but a skill that has to be mastered if you want to grow and succeed as a freelancer. There are three main categories that you should learn to say “no” to. Say no:
To clients…
1) who constantly change the scope of work. This can be one of the worst and, unfortunately, too often experienced client behaviors. Negotiate beforehand just how many hours you are looking to put in for a client and make perfectly clear that overtime costs extra.
2) who are looking over your shoulder – there are clients who think they can do
your own job better than you. They discuss and argue about every little detail, making you wonder why they hired someone in the first place. With all the time that goes into communication, explaining and discussing, you will work more than double - say no ASAP.
3) who go for quantity over quality. These clients won’t respect your work or your
ideas, they just want a bunch of bad-quality services delivered quickly. There’s absolutely no pleasure and little value in work of that kind.
To projects…
1) which pay far below your usual hourly rate even if they promise long-term value. First of all, you want to grow and not shrink your average hourly profits. Secondly, the promises of building a lasting relationship with a client by doing projects for miserable rates often turn out to be empty.
2) which you would be embarrassed to put in your portfolio. If a project is
something that you are not willing to share with potential clients, why bother doing it? It probably doesn’t pay well, isn’t something you will enjoy and won’t help you grow professionally or add to your skillset. There are plenty fish in the sea, be confident enough to throw the stinky ones back.
3) with an unprofessional description. Avoid projects that are written with the
grammar or vocabulary of a ten-year-old. Take the description as the project’s application for your services. If you feel like it is far below your professional standards, don’t apply or decline the offer.
To yourself…
1) when you’re not going to be able to meet a deadline. It can be hard to confess to yourself that you won’t be able to accomplish something in time, especially as you gain confidence through successful projects in freelancing. But be realistic with yourself – too much on your plate means less free time, more stress and worse quality of work.
2) if the work is beyond your skillset. If you’re not 100% sure that you’re up to par
with a program, skill or type of work a client expects you to deliver, don’t fool yourself or them. Make a point of improving yourself in that particular area, but don’t just take a job that you can’t complete up to your freelancing standards. Doing the opposite will do immense harm to your reputation.
To yourself (cont‘d)…
3) when the job is simply not interesting to you. This is the last tip, but it doesn’t mean it’s the least important. In fact, it might be the most valuable of them all. Remember why you started freelancing and don’t just do jobs to get by. Those are often a part of a freelancing career, but should never be its focus. Follow your passion and the results will reflect it.
© freelancermap.com
Further freelancer tips available on http://www.freelancermap.com/freelancer-tips
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