Freelance Switch

Magical Clients: Coping with the Disappearing/Reappearing Act

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 05:30 AM PST

Credit: Bohman on Flickr

Sometimes, there’s just nothing you can do when a client disappears. Things can be great for a long time, but then they don’t call you for work. You’re sure they’ve found someone else to complete the projects you used to get, when–poof! The client is back.

That’s cause enough to toss some confetti, because freelancers are often left out of the loop when it comes to working with companies. So if you seem to be cut off from communication or told that nothing new has come up for you to work on, take heart–that client you thought was gone could make a comeback.

Make Your Push, Politely and Professionally, Then Back Off

I’ve blogged about how to let clients know you’re available for work without seeming pushy. After a project wraps up, send a message to thank the client. That opens you up for future communication. After that, an occasional check-in email or phone call (in addition to putting out an e-newsletter to keep your name fresh in their faces) is just about all you can do. You can’t check in every week, because that would be annoying and could make you look desperate.

So if you’re feeling a chill, back off and focus on other things. In the meantime, blow off the steam that has likely built up in your system from being apparently excommunicated. It helps tremendously to help you make peace with a situation and move forward. And it does wonders to ensure you don’t vent or say something cruel about the client in the meantime, which could burn a bridge.

Why You May Be on the Outs

When you’re not getting any work from a client that has given you regular projects in the past, you may think that a client is giving all the work to someone else, but the truth may be that they do not have projects that require your services at the time. I have a client that cycles like that: they go through business development phases for months and then it’s like Christmas–projects are flowing!

Also, consider that your client may also be using a pool of freelancers and trying to evenly spread the wealth, and you can’t fault them for that. They have to look out for their best interest and will not put all of their eggs in one contractor’s basket. I try to remember this when a client seemingly disappears. We’re just “on a break.”

I sometimes tend to blame myself when communication goes dark, but over time, I have developed a mindset not to get negative, not to blame myself and to try to paint the client in the best light. You can stew for hours over a disappearing client, but the truth is that you’ll just do that, stew, instead of picking up new projects–and that can be devastating for your business.

And then I pray that they reappear in the future. (You bet I do, especially if its a client that I like who gives me good work!)

And…They’re Back

It can happen when you least expect it. You’ve calmly and professionally extended your services, stayed visible, and worked your tail off not to burn bridges. That’s when a client can make a comeback. An email comes in with details for a new project, or you get a call that they need your help on something. It’s the best feeling in the world, again, especially if you like the client and the work. It also verifies that they trust you enough to retain you for more work, and that means you’re doing something right as a contractor.

The key then is to keep your cool, determine if you can take on the project and, if so, accept it. I don’t mention anything negative about not hearing from the client, but I let him or her know that I am happy to hear from them.

At times, you have to hide your emotions–and that can be a good thing in the workplace. Even after you’ve been let down by a client and feel like a freelance stepchild, sometimes you just have to suck it up. Chances are you weren’t being punished–it’s just the way that projects ebb and flow. Take the job and use the “reappearance” project to nurture that client relationship. Make yourself stand out. Maybe that way, the client will never vanish again.

Photo Credit: Bohman on Flickr

Building a Freelance Career #4: Do I Need a Website – Really?

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 12:30 PM PST

Credit: Cory Doctorow, gruntzooki on Flickr

Back in the early ´80s – if you were actually born at that point when I was a young music student in the UK – on graduating, aspiring soloists organized the production of a nice glossy brochure, set up a few high profile concerts and then gained experience by treading the national music society circuit. You might offer teaching in order to pay your rent and perhaps enter a few local competitions to raise your profile and that was that – all quite straightforward.

With the advent of the Internet, social marketing, MP3 downloads and You Tube, from a marketing perspective it seems to me that a musician’s life is just a mite bit more complicated, or perhaps that's just my middle-age talking! These days if you fail to have a presence in the Internet, so far as a potential audience is concerned, you don't exist – period.

One question I'm asked a lot is whether or not a classical musician needs a website in order to be successful. I know I need a website. The answer to that poser is ideally, yes – should you have the requisite funds to pay the costs of a competent web site designer, but not necessarily – an important consideration if you find yourself in a tight financial corner and already possess some working knowledge from your personal use of the Internet.

Key Web Site Alternatives and Combinations for You to Explore

FaceBook
My Space
You Tube
Free Blog or Self-Hosted Blog with a unique domain name – Blogger (Blogspot) and Wordpress respectively spring to mind
LinkedIn

Whichever of these you choose, whether singly or in combination, I recommend including the following functionality as a basic minimum:

Bio and Contact Information
Photos
Audio
Social Networking facility

Consider also incorporating these options:

Blog
Video

Reflect Your Image and Brand

All of these applications have features which you can personalise to a certain degree so I suggest that you review your answers to exercises in my previous posts on Image and Branding in order to help you make decisions on design.

Whilst I’m a great advocate for research i.e., checking out the sites of other classical musicians, I believe it is vital to make sure that your personality comes across and you communicate authenticity.

With a mercifully growing number of exceptions, the majority of the classical musician sites that I look at are as boring as playing variations on C# minor scales for 2 hours solid. Dare to be different!

Don’t fall into the trap of just listing achievements and qualifications! Your personality is part of your brand package.

In addition, it has been proved time and again in marketing that people are more likely to purchase when the trust element is present and if they feel they have some sort of relationship with the person or company with whom they are doing business.

If you decide to blog, be warned that amassing a significant ranking does take work and commitment on a regular basis. That said, it has certainly been worth the effort for me personally in terms of raising my Internet profile.

Be Professional

Before you conceive an all-singing, all dancing totally integrated DIY set of Internet applications to promote your music single-handed, have an honest chat yourself as to whether you have the time and technical know-how to pull off such a big project.

Whilst you may not have the money to pay for a totally bespoke web site outright, do consider hiring a freelance professional for various parts of your grand plan. What you save in time is immeasurable and let's face it, wouldn't you rather be making music?

Whatever way you make your existence know on the Internet, make sure that your presence is professional although do bear in mind that need not equate to "accepted traditional."

Photo credit: Cory Doctorow, gruntzooki on Flickr