After I first began freelance writing, I spent means an excessive amount of time worrying about my brand and model colours.
Ought to it’s teal or coral? Serif or sans-serif? Did my homepage look “skilled sufficient” for somebody to belief me?
I might tweak little issues late at night time — spacing, colours, buttons — pondering this was the ultimate element that will make shoppers take me significantly.
However what no shopper ever requested me?
“Elna, what font did you employ in your homepage?”
Not as soon as.
As a result of your model is the half shoppers truly bear in mind and has nothing to do together with your header picture or your shade palette.
It’s not the gorgeous surface-level stuff we obsess over in the beginning.
Your actual model exhibits up within the locations shoppers don’t see in your web site like:
- The e-mail you ship when timelines shift
- The tone you employ when a challenge feels messy
- The endurance you deliver to a last-minute edit
- The kindness you provide when a shopper is overwhelmed
Your model exhibits up within the quiet locations.
Within the tense moments.
Within the “this wasn’t within the temporary, however let’s determine it out” conversations.
And most of all?
Your model exhibits up when one thing goes improper.
That’s typically the second shoppers resolve whether or not they need to work with you once more. Not throughout onboarding… however in the course of the hiccups.
If you wish to know the way this performs out in actual shopper relationships, and why being simple to work with is your actual energy as a contract author, carry on studying.
When a Freelance Writing Challenge Falls Aside
A number of in the past, I had a SaaS shopper whose workforce modified course and I used to be in all probability the final to find out about this.
I bear in mind on a Monday I’d map out a content material plan… and by the next week half of it was outdated as a result of the product roadmap shifted once more.
Previous me would’ve panicked. Or overthought it. Or assumed I did one thing improper.
However over time, I realized that reacting with flexibility was often the quickest method to stabilize the state of affairs.
As a substitute of replying with frustration, I’d responded with one thing like;
“Bought it! Simply ship over the up to date temporary and I’ll alter.”
Nothing dramatic.
However don’t let this imply it’s a must to simply fold and let the shopper stroll throughout you.
After all, I obliged for some time however as soon as it impacted my psychological well being and I simply couldn’t adapt that rapidly, I let go of this shopper and moved on.
However this gig taught me that being simple to work with is a aggressive benefit no AI software or cut price freelancer can replicate.
Anybody can write a sentence however not everybody can keep skilled when the challenge shifts for the third time in per week.
When you’ve ever had a shopper whose plans change each 5 minutes, right here are some things that helped me keep sane and shield my enterprise:
1. Keep Regular within the Second
There can be occasions in your freelance writing profession {that a} enterprise might pivot their content material schedule or course as an entire.
When plans shift, reply calmly and purchase your self respiratory room: “Thanks for the replace — ship the revised temporary when you possibly can.”
That’s all you possibly can actually do for the primary time but when if turns into regular this will not be the shopper for you.
In any other case, if the shopper doesn’t have a short you may also provide that service for them!
One factor to recollect although, is to vet your shoppers within the interview stage.
That is the time to ask them about their content material or weblog and the varieties of content material they’ve or need.
2. Get Readability Earlier than Shifting Ahead
It’s okay to ask easy follow-up questions so that you’re not guessing your means by a transferring goal.
When a shopper modifications course, they’re often juggling inner conversations, and issues can get muddy quick.
A number of fast questions like:
- “What’s the brand new angle?”
- “What ought to I prioritize?”
- “Does this alteration the timeline?”
This may help you pin down precisely what they want proper now.
You don’t need to rewrite a whole draft solely to search out out they wished one thing utterly totally different.
These questions stop misunderstandings, hold you aligned with the shopper’s targets, and make the challenge simpler for everybody concerned.
However, understand if this turns into an even bigger downside, it’s time to let this shopper go.
I had certainly one of my Writeto1k course college students inform our Fb group a few long-term shopper pivoting their content material after which deciding to decrease the speed for this author.
Ultimately, this individual determined to now not work for this shopper.
3. Reset Expectations When Wanted
If the content material pivot impacts your schedule or workload, converse up early earlier than it snowballs into stress.
You’re not refusing the work, you’re simply adjusting the timeline so you possibly can ship one thing strong.
For instance, I had one shopper have me write 1x week as a substitute of 1x biweekly. I used to be okay with this as I solely had one different shopper on the time.
But when this pivot disrupts your course of or day, easy message like: “With the change, I’ll want till Friday to ship. Does that work?” units a boundary with out sounding defensive or overwhelmed.
Most shoppers respect this sort of honesty.
They need to know what to anticipate and when to anticipate it.
Clear construction helps coients plan on their finish, and it retains you from speeding by a draft you don’t have time for.
And once you talk these shifts clearly, you shield your workload and preserve belief.
4. Know When to Stroll Away
Typically an excellent shopper will turn into a bitter or unhealthy shopper down the highway.
That’s okay, it has nothing to do with you or your writing!
And whereas flexibility is a worthwhile attribute, it shouldn’t come at the price of your well being or bandwidth.
There’s a distinction between being simple to work with and being stretched so skinny you possibly can’t assume straight.
That’s why I don’t tackle greater than 3 shoppers AT THE MOST.
I’ve different companies, different blogs, and twins…I’m already busy.
Different freelancers can tackle extra shoppers however for me, that’s not doable.
When a shopper’s fixed modifications begin draining you, that’s a sign, not one thing it’s best to ignore.
If each replace seems like a hearth drill, otherwise you’re rearranging your total week time and again, it’s okay to step again.
You’re not being tough.
You’re defending the standard of your work and your psychological well-being.
Some shoppers suit your workflow and respect your course of.
Others function in a means that doesn’t align with how you’re employed greatest.
That isn’t a failure, it’s simply a part of freelance writing.
The extra you take note of these patterns, the simpler it turns into to decide on shoppers who allow you to do your greatest work with out burning out.
How I Constructed a Model So That Shoppers See as “Dependable”
It took me years to construct the model that I’ve now.
So, did I construct a dependable model?
For me, reliability confirmed up in a these easy habits that finally was a recognizable model for me.
1. I Turned in Work Early (Not Simply on Time)
After I first began freelance writing, I didn’t have an enormous writing portfolio or years of expertise.
However I did have management over one factor: how briskly and the way easily I delivered what I promised.
If an article was due Friday, I’d often ship it Wednesday or Thursday.
Not as a result of I wished gold stars however as a result of that’s what I’d respect if I had been managing ten transferring elements on a content material workforce.
Shoppers would write again issues like:
“Wow, that is sooner than anticipated, thanks!”
“This provides us extra time to overview. Superb.”
These little “wow” moments matter greater than any brand ever will.
2. I Made Edits Straightforward
When shoppers request edits, I don’t make it emotional or create lengthy explanations.
Simply: “Thanks for the notes. The up to date model hooked up.”
That’s the form of easy professionalism shoppers bear in mind.
On an analogous word, I additionally was not the kind of stringent freelance author that solely allowed 1 revision and any extras would value the shopper extra money.
This will make you appear to be a tough freelance author and for companies, it’s simple for them to search out one other certified freelance author.
Doing one thing like easy edits with none obstacles sticks properly for shoppers and so they WILL keep in mind that!
3. I Was Clear and Constant
Shoppers belief freelance writers who make the method smoother, not heavier.
And this appears to be like like if I requested for extra time to jot down the piece or had some questions if I used to be unclear about part of the temporary.
I made positive to not overwhelm the shopper with an absurd quantity of questions or parameters round my writing and that helps me appear to be the “go-to” author for them!
4. I Gave My Shoppers Causes to Need to Say Good Issues
Over time, I began receiving testimonials that mirrored precisely what I used to be attempting to construct:
- “Elna is reliable and delivers clear drafts each time.”
- “We by no means have to fret about deadlines together with her.”
- “She’s environment friendly, considerate, and really easy to work with.”
These weren’t scripted or requested — they had been the pure results of exhibiting up the identical means, week after week.
5. I Made Reliability A part of My Writing Course of
Over time of freelancing, I’ve modified my writing course of.
It’s now on the level the place I can get the content material temporary from a shopper, analysis and collect SME quotes after which write the article in round 3-5 days (together with modifying).
And with this push of doing issues quicker however more adept I bought into the routine of handing over my article slightly sooner than anticipated.
I knew my article didn’t want modifying. I solely had possibly 2 out of the handfuls and dozens of shoppers I’ve had over a decade, ask for a revision.
And I credit score that to my in-depth modifying course of that I element in my Writeto1k course.
Over time, these tiny, virtually automated steps grew to become the spine of my workflow.
They created a rhythm shoppers might depend on, and that rhythm is what formed my popularity.
Shoppers began to name me dependable as a result of my course of made their day smoother and their work really feel manageable.
And that consistency grew to become a part of my general model.
It’s Time to Construct a Skilled and Trusted Model as a Freelance Author
I hope you discovered some useful ideas that can assist you construct a robust freelance writing model.
Whereas I do benefit from the colours and design components of name constructing, I do know that being skilled, trusted and dependable is extra necessary to your model.
Inform me within the feedback the way you constructed your model as a contract author or copywriter! I’d love to listen to it!
