Boundaries
Given all the extra things you can do for your clients and ways you can show how professional and wonderful you are, it’s also crucial to set boundaries. You do have value, and your time and talents need to be respected. When you set professional boundaries, your clients will respect you all the more for them.
What do I mean by this? At the same time that you want to be available for your clients and provide stellar service, you also need to look after yourself. Sometimes projects can turn into chaos if the client isn’t taught that you prefer certain parameters around your work environment.
I had a client once that emailed me several times a day with extra stray bits of information for a biography I was writing. Another preferred long phone calls several times a week. This ate into my time and I wasn’t getting paid anything extra for it. As a new freelancer, I also let my clients know I was available all weekend long. Good for business, bad for life.
Each person’s boundaries will be different. You’re freelancers, after all. The key is to step back and consider what yours are. What work environment do you want to create? If you lay it out tastefully at the beginning, this will preserve your sanity down the road.
Consider the following issues:
• Are you available on weekends?
• How do you like to be communicated with? By email/Skype/message/chat/text/phone?
• How often do you want to be given extra questions or information? At any time? Once per day/every other day/once a week?
• Do you have set hours you’re available within? Like between the hours of 8 A.M. and 5 P.M. EST?
Maybe you’re open for anything, maybe you’re not. The key is to plan your world.
The Least You Need to Know
• The process of completing the job is full of opportunities to make positive impressions on the client.
• The My Jobs page and project workrooms are go-to areas for managing your business.
• Milestones allow you and the client to keep track of progress and get you paid on time.
• Teams can be set up with different member roles and individual workrooms for staff.
• Ongoing communication is crucial in creating client advocates.
• Set your work boundaries early and in a friendly, positive way.