Working Mums in the UK
Working Mums in the UK

The best clients are the busy clients. Why? Because they’re the ones with successful businesses, so they have enough money to pay you. They’re also the ones who are busy enough that they really need you. And they’re the ones who are likely to have ongoing work for you.

They’re also the ones who are the easiest to keep because you know exactly what you need to do to keep them. It’s simple – just make their life easier and save them as much time as possible and they’ll come back.

It may seem like a simple thing, but it will make a big difference to clients. I know because I’ve spoken to hundreds of clients and have constantly been told how busy they are.

Here’s what three clients had to say.

“The Best Freelancer” –Emma, Editor

“The difference between the freelancer I never call again and the freelancer I call on month after month has nothing to do with writing skill. The difference is that the great freelancer gets done exactly what I need done without any hassle. If I can give her the job, forget about it, and know it’ll get done right, it will always go to her first.”

“Make it Easy for Me” -Josef, Business Manager

“I contracted someone to do an ad campaign a few months ago. They started emailing me pictures all the time. “What do you think of this for the ad?” “Could this work?” “Do you like this one?” “Hey, here’s one you’ll like.”

I don’t have time for these constant interruptions. I’m sort of glad they wanted my opinion, but do it right. Research and choose a small selection of suitable ones. Then send me those at the end of the week and ask for me to choose which one will work best. That would have been a good (and business-like) approach.”

“No Time to Waste” -George, Project Manager

“I work with some people who seem to think that the whole thing is fun and games. I sort of understand that to them it might be. They’re sitting at home and maybe time isn’t precious to them. But it is to me.

I don’t have time for long phone calls. I don’t have time to read long and detailed emails. I definitely don’t have time to read long emails where you describe how you approached the project and why you liked completing it. If it’s not on topic, I don’t need to hear it. And if it is on topic, it’s still best to keep it short and to the point.”

Making it Easy for Clients

Making a client’s life easy is simple to do. All you have to do is remember that the client is busy every time you contact them and think about how you can make it easier for them. Here’s a good example for a freelancer who was asked to send a brief overview stating the angle and content of the article.

First Example of Brief to Client

After a lot of thought and research, I have decided that the angle of the article will focus on effective ways of trading shares on a budget. I plan to cover three main topics. These will be new floats, low-cost shares, and how to reduce trading costs.

Second Example of Brief to Client

Angle: Trading Shares on a Budget

Content:

- New floats

- Low-cost shares

- Reducing trading costs

Both examples communicate the same meaning. But the example with headings and bullets is much easier to read. The busy client can learn exactly what they need to know with little more than a glance. It also has a more professional and organized look and so creates a better impression of you.

And as a final added bonus, the easiest way for the client is also the easiest and quickest way for you. So, you win a little extra time and quite possibly a long-term client.

A Final Tip

Remember that if clients seem rushed, they probably are. If clients seem stressed, they probably are. Don’t think of it as a bad thing – think of it as a great opportunity.

If you can be one of the people that makes life easier and takes away some of the stress, you’ve got yourself a client that is likely to pay you well and pay you often. And that’s what a successful freelancer needs to succeed.

Several people wish to get into the proofreading career as they think it is very simple, but the fact is that it is not that much simple. Since the field is highly competitive, to succeed as a freelance proofreader, the person should possess all the necessary information to stay ahead in the competition race. As a proofreader he should look for simple mistakes, as they may ruin the whole content. They should form proper sentence structure. While structuring a sentence, it should convey the proper message, look for punctuation errors like the commas, semi colons, colons etc., also look for grammatical mistakes like wrong tense, confusion in the usage of words etc. As a freelance proofreader, there should not be any compromise in the quality of the work done. Certified freelance proofreaders are preferred as they are good in common sense, information and training. They have also get updated with the new terminologies which are relevant online.

Qualifications of a freelance proof reader:

The person should posses a great eye for detail. Often the material given for proof reading is boring and hence the person needs to be very patient and have a thick skin. He should be very good in vocabulary. If not how the person can find out the grammatical and punctuation mistakes? Apart from this, the person should learn the symbols and lingo associated to proofreading to qualify as a freelance proofreader. There are lots of materials available to training in this field.

Importance of experience to be a proofreader:

Unless and until the person is experienced, it is very hard to get into the proof reading business. Just by telling verbally about the jobs the person has done, he should show people what he has worked on and the expertise he has in the field. For gaining valuable experience, the person can volunteer to proof read for charities locally. Some print media or websites offer jobs, which can be volunteered.

Making the presence felt in proofreading profession:

To establish oneself in this field of proof reading, one has to advertise by making a small investment on mailers, flyers and business cards. Also he can send information to people in the industry who may be interested in offering freelance proofreading jobs. The target people can be publishers, schools, graphic designers etc. A website will do wonders for getting proof reading jobs as many people are on the look out for proofreaders online. Designing a website for self in their own domain using available templates will give a professional flair.

You may find it hard to use networking to find a job if you can’t rely on your warm contacts to give you the information you need. At times, you would have to ask your warm contacts to refer you to at least two people that they know who will be able to give you the information you needed.

However, there are times that your warm contact, particularly those who don’t know you well, may not readily provide you with the information. Some of your warm contacts may feel reluctant about vouching for you to their other contacts.

Because of this, you may find it difficult to use your network. To make networking and getting referrals an easy task for you, here are a few tips.

* Nurture your warm contacts.

Before you even need your warm contacts or before you even ask for help, keep in touch with your warm contacts. You may send notes or greetings from time to time, call to “catch up” on them, invite them to lunch, be interested or help in their business or do anything just to cultivate your connection with them.

In this way, by the time you need help, they can remember you and can more readily give information about their other contacts that will be able to help you.

* Be polite.

Since you might not have close personal relationships with some of your valuable warm contacts, it is inappropriate to just give them a call and ask them for information about your field of interest.

Sometimes, sending a note in advance, or asking to meet them for lunch is a better way to ask for their help.

* Listen to them.

Most of the time, even if your warm contact knows little in the field where you are trying to find a job, they might offer you advice. Be polite and interested in what they are saying. Who knows, the information that they are giving may be valuable to you in the future.

There are times that your warm contacts may be telling you tips on what manner will work best when you talk to the persons to whom you are being referred. Your warm contacts may also imply what qualities and qualifications the person is looking for.

* Ask for at least two referrals.

Before you ask for referrals, make sure that your warm contact had said everything that he or she can say about your field of interest.

Even if they know little about that field, it is impolite if you cut them short while they are speaking to ask if they know somebody who will be able to help you.

If they weren’t able to refer you to at least one of their contacts, thoughtfully ask them why they couldn’t do so. They may give you answers that may include indirect comments or suggestions. They may also indicate a lack of confidence in your work strategy. If this is so, you may have to make follow ups with them to prove that you are indeed credible and match their requirements.

However, there are also times when they can’t refer you to their contacts because they just don’t know anybody who might have the information or might be interested in the product.

In this case, ask them to keep their eyes open for opportunities that you might be interested in. You can also leave with them copies of your resume.

* Just ask for two referrals.

Two referrals are enough from each warm contact. This is to have another option in case the first one didn’t work out. Asking for more than two referrals could be impolite as it can take much time from your warm contact. Also, that will make your warm contact feel that you are relying mostly on him or her for your job search. So, unless they volunteer the information, don’t ask for more than 2 referrals.

* Contact referrals as soon as possible.

When your warm contacts give you referrals, there are times that they also call these people personally to give more information about you. On the other hand, when you contact the people to whom you were referred, your referrals may call your warm contacts to verify the information or to ask more information about you.

Either way, you have to contact your referrals soon enough that these people can still remember their conversation with your warm contact, or your warm contact can still remember that you have talked.

At times, after your referrals were called by your warm contacts, they anticipate your call and even prepare questionnaires and exams for you to take. Do not waste this opportunity by delaying follow-up on referrals.

Keeping these tips in mind will be able to help you in asking for good referrals from your warm contacts.