The Language Gap

While I am trilingual, for each of the languages I know there are hundreds that I am not familiar with, so English is the default language that I use to communicate with foreign clients. Though every client I’ve worked with has at least some familiarity with English, a few of them weren’t fluent enough to express clear instructions. When this happens I just look for solutions that will help us communicate better.

My first approach is usually to confirm and repeat the client’s instructions. If I receive an email with a list of tasks the client wants me to do, I send an itemized reply to confirm that I have understood everything correctly. This is good practice even without a language barrier, since it lessens the risk for misunderstandings.

It also helps to encourage clients to express themselves naturally. For business communication most people feel that they must speak formally, sometimes to the extent of sacrificing clarity. If this is the case with your client, encourage him or her to speak conversationally and not worry too much about “sounding professional”.

Online translation tools can come in handy if your client has a hard time translating a phrase or idea into English. Ask your client to express the thought in his or her native language, then use translation tools like Google Translate and Babel Fish. Keep in mind that with these tools the results might not be accurate. For a better translation, you can ask around in foreign language forums or even visit the language section of Yahoo Answers. Just make sure you receive more than one answer to check for accuracy.

Still, these solutions might not be enough in some cases. Once, I had a client who had trouble with expressing negations. When she would say something like “write a list” she actually meant “do not write a list”. When I realized this problem, I would include graphics in my confirmation emails. I attached check marks for the things I would do and a cross beside any item I would not do. This taught me that it can be more helpful to use visual cues that substitute or complement your discussions.

But if communication becomes truly difficult and a do-it-yourself approach is no longer good for the project, it’s worth considering hiring a translator.

The Cultural Gap

Since what we have with clients is a business relationship rather than a personal one, it may seem like cultural differences won’t matter. But there are cases where there’s a difference in professional culture. The way you approach meetings, calls, and projects, may be a bit different from what they are expecting, and vice versa.

This was what happened to my WWD colleague Pamela when she worked on a startup project in France, which she wrote about in a previous article. Basically, she discovered that her definition of a vacation was different from theirs.

The solution to this is to begin your working relationship with a discussion on your preferred work process. How often do you need to report to the client? Should you be available for support at certain hours of the day? Will any of their holidays fall within the dates of your project? Formalize your work process by coming up with a project milestone sheet together. Discussing your concerns and committing to tasks in writing will help you both adjust your expectations before the work has begun.

Have you worked with clients whose language and culture are different from yours? What was your experience?

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But, for some reason, it’s not always that straightforward. Some clients might skip questions or answer them incorrectly, while others might want to skip answering the form altogether. Here are some free tools that can make the process easier for both parties:

SurveyMonkey

The first time I heard about SurveyMonkey I knew I could use it to improve the response rate — and the quality of responses — for my client questionnaires. It’s been very useful to me even if I’m only using the free version (the paid monthly plan is $19.95 per month). There are limits to the free version though, such as having only 10 questions and 100 allowed responses per survey. Still, I find that these limits are more than enough for small projects.Your client’s contact information (name, address, email, web site, etc.) is all considered as one question.

One practical feature of this service is that you can identify which questions are optional and which ones are required. When I send out client questionnaires via email, some important fields are often left unanswered, but that hasn’t happened since I started using SurveyMonkey. And, when you’re done working on the project, you can use it to send a client satisfaction survey as well.

Writeboard

Writeboard by 37signals is another app I’ve used for sending client questionnaires. Unlike answering your questions via email, clients don’t have to copy and paste anything or do much scrolling. They just have to type in their answers after each question. This makes it useful for other types of written collaboration as well, such as asking your client to make specific comments on copy, proposals and other text.

Now, why use something like Whiteboard over more feature-rich online writing apps such as Google Docs? First of all, I find that the clean and minimalist interface is more reassuring to clients who aren’t tech savvy. They aren’t worried about clicking the wrong buttons since there’s only one (“Save this Writeboard”). Also, it’s easy to send an invitation that your clients can just click and visit — no need for complex instructions on how to access the app.

The only disadvantage I see is that you can’t analyze client responses collectively and make reports. Still, the simplicity and straightforwardness of the app is enough reason to try it with your more technologically challenged clients.

Your Own Web Site

Alternatively, you can host a questionnaire on your own web site by programming your own form and uploading it. Even if you don’t have programming skills, there are many free apps that can help you do this such as Email Me Form, WuFoo, and MyContactForm. While they also have paid plans, the free plans have enough features for most client surveys.

In the end, the solution you use must depend on your clients. Whichever is easier and faster for them is likely to be the same for you.

What tools do you use to create and send client questionnaires? How have they worked for you?

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At the start of their careers, most freelancers take on every new client that comes along. But as we mature and gain more experience, we become more discerning when we’re choosing who we work with. This usually happens because we’re starting to specialize, we want to avoid dead-end projects, or we become more specific about the work we prefer to do.

As we become more involved in selecting clients, what criteria can we set?

Are you the best freelancer for the project? We usually hope that the answer to this question is “yes,” but this isn’t always the case. From the start, we need to know if our work values, skills and experience are what the client needs.

Even if you don’t have all the skills needed, do you know where you can find capable people who can help you out? This is where your network comes in. If you aren’t the best freelancer for the job, you can always pass on the project to someone who is.

What do you know about the prospect’s working history with freelancers? If I’m talking with a potential client who has worked with freelancers before, I make the effort to find out what their working relationship was like. I find that the more difficult and unpleasant their experience with prior freelancers was, the more likely they are to volunteer this information. This helps you avoid the mistakes that your predecessors made, as well as predict future obstacles and problems.

Do they see your services as a cost or an investment? Many new business owners see it as a chore to go out of their way and hire a professional. Some even go out of their way to point out how replaceable you are if you charge them “too much” for something they can “hire a high school student to do”. Watch out for these warning signs. They indicate that the client sees you as an expense, and not as a professional that can actually help their business. They are probably hiring you because they know they need the finished product — but they don’t know why or how it affects their business.

Can you handle the extra workload? If I may make a slight reworking of Hofstadter’s Law: “You always have less free time than you expect, even if you take this law into account.” It’s not just the project work that will take up your time. Client support can eat up several hours of your workweek, especially at the beginning. You might also need to provide extras to keep the client informed and happy.

It can be tempting to take on a new project, particularly in economically turbulent times. But if you don’t have the resources or the time to devote your best work to the job, then accepting it can be detrimental to your career.

Is there a possibility of developing a long-term working relationship? Not all clients need long term work, but many of them do, even if they don’t know it yet. If you see a possibility of working with this client in the long haul, it’s best to take advantage of it if you can. Having one long-term client can be more profitable and fulfilling than trying to keep a constant incoming stream of several short-term clients. It’s easier for the client too, as screening, hiring and training new freelancers can be a drain on their time and resources as well.

What will you learn from this job? As freelancers, we need to be more conscious about stepping up and acquiring new skills. We aren’t automatically sent to seminars and training courses like most of our corporate counterparts.

What things do you consider when taking in a new client? Have you changed the way you screen and choose clients?

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The project milestone sheet is an incredibly important document for freelancers and their clients. It defines all the most important tasks, who is assigned to them, and when they are due. In other words, it serves as the map for your entire work process. As Darrell noted in a previous post, even small projects need to have these milestones set.

So how can you create a milestone sheet that works?

Deliverables and dates. The most important items on the milestone sheet are the deliverable items that will come from both you and your client. From planning to development to project conclusion, every significant step should be noted.

Apart from the developmental stages of the project, here’s what you should include:

• Contract signing;
• Payment schedules;
• Submission of existing relevant documents from the client (previous marketing materials, business vision and objectives, etc.); and
• Ample time for the client to review your work and send feedback.

If you’re located in a different timezone from your client, identify the timezone that the schedule is based on. This isn’t such a big deal when there’s only a 2-3-hour difference — unless the project you’re working on has strict hour-by-hour deadlines. But for time differences of more than eight hours, I usually set the deadlines according to the client’s timezone by default. For my own schedule, I also have a personal copy based on my own timezone.

Identify the client’s area of responsibility. You can do this through color differentiation when there’s just you and the client (a trick I picked up from Justin Hartfield’s post on Freelance Switch). If you’re working with multiple people, it might be better to tabulate the schedule based on deadlines, the expected item, and the name of the person responsible.

Include consequences of deviating from the schedule. The end of the project milestone sheet should also clearly describe the consequences of failing to follow the set schedule. If delays in providing one deliverable will impact the rest of the scheduled items, make that clear. Don’t make this the “fine print” of your schedule. It should have the same font size as the rest of the text on the milestone sheet. After all, it’s equally important.

Make sure the client reads it. To increase the chances that my client reads the milestone sheet, I attach it to an email that doesn’t bring up any other issues. The email simply states something like “Attached is the schedule for the project. Please read it carefully and let me know if you want to make any adjustments. Is the time frame adequate for you?”

A short message like that works for the following reasons:

• You’re talking about one thing only so your clients won’t be distracted with other issues;
• You’re calling it a “schedule,” making it sound less intimidating to non-corporate clients or clients whose first language isn’t English; and
• The client can’t answer your parting question without looking at the schedule you sent.

Follow up. I might come off as repetitive, but for typically forgetful clients, I mention the milestone sheet every time I’ve completed something. I also tell them what comes next, whether it’s additional work I have to do or I’m waiting for something from their end. The frequency and phrasing of your follow-ups depends on the client. When you’re working with clients who are more attentive to schedule, sending out frequent and repetitive reminders won’t be necessary.

If there’s a deadline looming for something that your client is accountable for, such as comments on a draft or payments, it helps to send reminders a day or two before the due date. For tech-savvy clients you can do this through your project management software. In most situations, sending email reminders is enough.

By applying these tips, you can make large projects more manageable, and tasks easier to track. Also, with a good project milestone sheet, even the most difficult clients become easier to work with.

Do you use a milestone sheet for your online freelancing practice? What tactics have worked for you so far?

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It’s been a week since their last email. After seeing your web site, some leads will contact you asking for more information, a project quote, or links to your portfolio. But after you give them what they need, you might not hear from them for a few days. Then, before you know it, more than a week has gone by and they still haven’t contacted you.

I find that prospects like these are often just shopping around and gathering as much information as they can from multiple freelancers. Many of them want easy answers, such as a hastily computed price quote or a vague list of services. There’s no in-depth discussion of the project. In fact, it’s possible that they haven’t told you what the project really is.

The fix: For cases like this, I find it helpful to ask a question at the end of my first reply email. This leaves the door open for additional incoming communication. You can also suggest a phone or VoIP discussion so that all the important details are covered in one sitting and no one waits around for email replies that may or may not arrive. If your prospect is still avoiding real discussions after you’ve tried these tips, then you shouldn’t be interested in working with them, either.

They keep asking for more of your previous work. You’ve already sent your portfolio and a list of client references, but somehow they want to see more of your previous work. When you send them a link to your web site showing an extensive list of clients, they ask, “Do you have anything else?”

Usually this means they’re looking for something specific and they’re hoping that you’ve already worked on something very similar before. It’s also possible that their project is different from anything you’ve ever done before and they just want to know if you can handle it.

The fix: Instead of just sending out links, why not add a description of what your portfolio means as a whole. For example, you can write something like, “As you can see from samples X and Y, I can create both illustrative and typographical logos.” Also, research their business beforehand so that you’ll know which portfolio items to highlight when they first ask for samples.

They ask you to make “samples.” Sometimes, a prospect might say, “How about you show us three concepts you have for the project and we’ll let you know if we like them?” They’ll call it an audition or a test, but it’s really spec work. Usually, spec work is a sign that the client isn’t interested in you or your skills. They want to see as many ideas as possible, all for the price of zero dollars.

The fix: First, think about whether your prospects are aware of what they’re doing or if it’s simply an honest mistake. If it’s the latter, it’s usually easy to have a conversation about the best work process for both parties. But if you’ve tried to talk to them about it and all you get is, “So what? The three other freelancers we’re talking to will do it,” then they clearly don’t care about your work and what you have to offer.

The project is all talk and no action. I’ve encountered several prospects who’d take the first steps with me — needs analysis, project proposals — but they don’t follow through. They want to have more meetings and discussions. Weeks later, I find that we’ve talked for several hours but nothing has been accomplished.

The fix: When sending documents during the negotiation phase, it’s best to write clear action steps in the form of milestone sheets or schedules. In fact, why not include a “Where do we go from here?” or “Recommended steps” section at the end of your proposals.

Often, clients who don’t show interest in your work or decisions don’t really mean any harm by it. It’s possible that they are just extremely busy or they’re not used to working with freelancers. On the other hand, if you know that you’ve done your end of the work and they still remain indecisive or distant, then it’s time to call the relationship dead before it has even started.

What do you do when your leads and prospects have poor response time or don’t seem engaged enough in the project?

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When one of your more difficult clients contacts you for a new project, how do you work with them again, without repeating the problems you previously had?

Points to Consider

Before you sign up to work with a previously difficult client, there are some issues you need to address.

Refer to the paperwork. If your client is contacting you for support on a previous project, it helps to go over your signed contracts and documents to see whether the new request is within your area of responsibility.

Understand their position. Oftentimes, I’m the only go-to person that these difficult clients have worked with. This is usually because they’re not that tech-savvy or they have a hard time convincing other professionals to take on their projects. With their situation, they just want to get things done as fast as possible. Keep this in mind if they sound frustrated or in a rush when they’re contacting you.

If you’re going to help them out, know why. In my experience, guilt is never a good reason to stay with difficult clients. This is especially true if they are verbally abusive, need 24/7 hand-holding, and don’t value your work. If they’re immature enough, they might try to appeal to your guilt. Just remember not to give in.

Help out your difficult clients only if you believe in the project and if you’re confident that you can learn to foster a better, mutually beneficial working relationship.

Rebuild Your Relationship

Once you decide to work with a difficult client again, make sure that you’ve learned from your previous mistakes and won’t be likely to repeat them. Use the insights you’ve gained from your experience to make the relationship work this time around.

Improve your contract terms to forge a more balanced relationship. Go over the last contract you signed with this particular client. Are the terms clear and easy to understand? Are there any clauses you need to add or modify to protect yourself from being exploited?

Discuss the things that didn’t work out last time and propose solutions for them. If you had to “fire” a client before, they’re probably aware that your working relationship wasn’t smooth to begin with. It’s best to express your concerns and propose ways on how problems can be avoided this time around — without blaming each other for previous mistakes, of course.

Train your client to be more self-sufficient. I used to provide solutions to my clients’ simplest needs even if they were outside the project scope. While there’s nothing wrong with going the extra mile from time to time, constant support for even the most irrelevant tech issues can be a drain on your time and energy. Instead of providing solutions yourself, point them towards the resources that can best empower them to help themselves.

As freelancers, we see ourselves improving and becoming more professional as we gain more experience. Our difficult clients are the same way. It’s reasonable to expect that they, too, can become easier to work over time.

Have you ever had a difficult client go back to you for more projects? If so, did you avoid working with them again or were you able to establish a healthier working relationship?

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Now I keep these warning signs in mind. They’re indicators that I need to take immediate action to keep my project on track. If you’re working remotely, that can be much harder to do than if you have daily face-to-face contact with your colleagues, but hopefully these tips will help you avoid the trap I fell into.

The project had started in the normal way. I took the brief, produced the work, and sent it off in draft form for review with the words, “I look forward to your amendments.” But there were no amendments. My contact at the agency asked for my invoice the same day. I wound up having to chase payment, my contact was avoiding me, and in the end, I only got paid for half the job.

Here are the five warning signs that should have alerted me to the danger.

Warning Sign 1: Moving Away from the Agreed Plan

When I emailed my contact the copy his client had commissioned — a 30-second radio ad — and he had no amendments, I thought it was very odd. I’d included time for client amendments in my project estimate, which he’d approved. We’d also discussed the turnaround time for amendments, so we were both expecting that my ad copy wouldn’t be spot-on the first time.

When his only response to my submission of the draft ad was to ask me to send the invoice, I thought it was weird. Weirder still was that he emailed me this instruction: most of my clients will call to discuss draft copy. In an office, body language and behavior indicates clearly if a colleague is uncomfortable. But even email and phone conversations provide limited feedback.

What I should have done was called my contact immediately after I received his email to confirm that he and his client really had no amendments, and that both were happy to wrap the project up. But at the time I dismissed my unease, telling myself he was probably just busy.

Warning Sign 2: Unprecedented Behavior

No one I’ve ever worked with has accepted copy straight up, without amendments. Ever. So this should have been a huge red flag for me. If a person you’re working with does something you’ve never seen before — and their behavior affects you — check it out with them.

Before you do anything else, give them a call to get clarification about what’s going on. If their behavior has made you at all nervous or uneasy, let them know. By raising the topic, you give them the opportunity to talk about any issues they have — issues that, as in my contact’s case, they may otherwise be uncomfortable raising with you.

Warning Sign 3: Silence

A sudden silence can mean that your colleague has been called out of the office unexpectedly. Or it can mean that they have a problem that they don’t know how to discuss with you.

After I sent my 14-day invoice, I heard nothing from my client — not even an acknowledgment that he’d received it. Again, slightly uneasy, I reassured myself that he was probably busy. What I should have been doing was calling to follow up my invoice and make sure he’d received it.

As it turned out, when I called after the invoice due date and left a message, he didn’t respond. I emailed; no reply. When I called the following week, I was told he’d gone on leave for two weeks. When I was put through to Accounts, they told me there was a problem with the invoice and they’d been instructed not to pay it.

Warning Sign 4: Fast Talking

When I finally spoke to my contact, it was over the phone, and he told me that his client hadn’t liked the copy and they’d had to rewrite it. But he was going into a meeting and couldn’t talk now. He’d see that I “got paid at least part of the invoice,” and then he was gone.

By this time, I knew he wasn’t going to pay. I also knew he didn’t have a meeting. But there was still time to salvage things, had I wanted to. If this happened to me now, I’d ask to stop by the client’s office for ten minutes and discuss the problems with my work. Don’t let a client try to bamboozle you with fast talk or excuses — no matter how much they sugar-coat their story. Discussing the problems can also give you a chance to rectify the situation.

Warning Sign 5: General Unease

It won’t surprise you that all through this process I felt a general sense of unease — one that grew as matters progressed.

Now, whenever I get that feeling, I know I need to try to work out the cause of the discomfort. As my experience showed, it’s tempting to ignore your instincts and hope that things will go the way you’d like. No one likes to be uncomfortable, after all. But if you’re feeling it, you’re feeling it for a reason. Don’t ever ignore it!

If you look at your discomfort more closely, you can usually identify the source of the issue. Then, you can formulate a plan to right matters. Perhaps you’ll explain your concerns, point by point, in an email, and then call your contact to discuss those concerns. Or maybe you’ll make a few decisions about how you’ll move forward on the project, setting boundaries you will and won’t cross, or creating a series of requirements you’ll need to have met before you progress through each deliverable.

These five warning signs now ring alarm bells whenever I encounter them. Being aware of them, and acting on them, has kept me out of trouble since The Job That Went Bad. What warning signs do you watch for in your projects?

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To avoid this problem in the future, I’m reevaluating the way I work with clients. How do I include them in my work process? Can I improve on my current methodology?

So far, here are some points I’ve come up with:

Include your process on your web site. The first thing I noticed was that I failed to set expectations at the earliest stage possible — on my web site. There was nothing on my site about how I performed a needs analysis, did research and reworked drafts based on client comments. I’m going to create a page about my work process as soon as possible. Some good examples include one from Mount Evans Designs and another from Recopy Studio.

Have a milestone sheet and refer to it often. The milestone sheet includes a table that lists all the deliverables required, along with a corresponding deadline for each item. Since you’ll be needing input from the client, whether it’s comments on your work or additional documents, you should include these in the milestone sheet as well. For emphasis, I use a dark red font color for the deliverables that the client is responsible for. I let her know that these items will be coming from her, and that if there’s a delay in sending out those items, the project will be delayed as well.

When I first sent out a milestone sheet some years ago, I didn’t realize that the client didn’t even read it. Be sure to refer to it often, at every stage of the project, so that your client knows what it is for and how to use it.

Choose only the simplest tools. For less technically-savvy clients, I stick to email and instant messaging as our main communication/collaboration tools. I find that if I’m teaching my client too many things at once — from how to use a fancy collaboration app to how to improve their web site copy — they become easily confused and frustrated. Which is more important: (a) getting them to use that new app or (b) that they properly utilize your expertise to better their business?

If use of a specific tool will make a big difference in the quality of your service, then go ahead and teach your client. It’s usually much better if you can find existing video tutorials so that she can learn how to use those tools on her own time, isolated from her consultation with you.

Let them know the consequences of deviating from the process. The first time a client doesn’t follow your process, be clear about what consequences this had on the project. They have to know that if they insist on doing things their way, you won’t be able to meet your deadlines or give them your best work.

End with the important stuff. Whether you’re talking to a client on the phone or sending her an email, always finish with a list of the important things. Let them know what you’ll be submitting next and when they can expect to receive it. You should also go over what you require from the client, and when. Don’t let important details get lost in the middle of a phone call or email.

With that said, it’s always important to keep your cool and remain polite. Don’t sounding bossy or get angry; it will just irritate your client. Remember that your process is about giving the best customer service possible. It’s not just about following a flowchart.

Do your clients respect your work process? Are there any apps, tools or techniques you use to make your work process clear?

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Then there’s that 0.5% that I wish I never worked with.  They scammed me out of my work, never paid, and tried to get away with it.  After taking advantage of me, they repeat the same process with the next freelancer, and the next, and the next, until threads about their scamming ways start appearing in message boards.  Does this sound familiar to you?  If not, count yourself lucky.

It’s a good thing that this hasn’t happened to me in the last three years.  I probably owe this to the fact that I pay attention to any red flags or hunches I get when negotiating with new clients.

Things to watch out for

Of course, the first place where you can spot any red flags is the first email you receive from a prospective client, or the ad they place.  Previously, I talked about dissecting online job placement ads.  One of the points I raised was that the way an ad is written often reflects the communication style of the business.  If the ad is very detailed and well written, it usually indicates professionalism.  It’s alright for potential clients to have grammar or spelling mistakes, but when the sentences are too vague or hardly make sense, future communication might be such a hassle.  The same could be said for the first exchange of emails.

Watch out for ads with a defensive tone, such as “Don’t send an outrageous quote, as I can get my neighbor’s son to do this” or “This shouldn’t cost/take more than….”  This just goes to show the small value they’ll be placing on you and your work.

The number one thing that makes me nervous about a potential client is when they’re hesitant to sign a contract.  Not because of anything in the contract per se, they just don’t like contracts, period.  I’ve yet to hear a solid argument against a contract, but here are some of what I’ve heard so far:

• “But it’s only for 3 articles! Surely, you don’t need a contract for a job this small.”
• “I never had to sign a contract with a freelancer before, why should you be the exception?”
• “What for?  I trust that you’ll deliver your end of the deal.  Don’t you think it’s unfair that you don’t trust me?”

Here’s why no argument ever works: the contract is there to protect the rights of both the freelancer and the client.  It defines who owns the work, the scope of the project, and the details of the payment.  It sets clear expectations on both sides, with each party feeling confident that he or she won’t be messed around with.  Honest clients usually understand and appreciate having a contract, even if you’re the first freelancer to send them one.

Another thing that raises my doubts is when the new client wants to pay only when you’ve sent the entire project to them.  They don’t want to make down payments, and they don’t want to pay you after each project milestone.  You’re supposed to fulfill your end of the deal first, and then get paid.  After all, how can they trust you when they only met you online?

Agreeing to this kind of payment scheme is like leaving your laptop unguarded in a busy coffee shop, with your PayPal username and password as the desktop wallpaper, to boot.  You’re setting yourself up to be robbed.  True, your client might have made an honest mistake, but if they can’t see how this kind of arrangement is grossly unfair to you, then the project isn’t worth the risk.

It’s also important to pay attention to what comes up when you’re profiling your client.  You’re bound to research your new client anyway, especially for big projects.  What comes up when you enter his name or the company name into a search engine?  Are there any negative results?  How does he answer the client questionnaire you sent?  Is he evading questions that are integral to the project?

What to do when a red flag goes up

Like I said earlier, a red flag is sometimes an honest mistake.  But this doesn’t mean that you should spend hours of your time trying to convince your client to agree to the conditions you want to set.  If you’ve sent the email or made the phone call that explains your side, that should be enough.  Otherwise, you’ll just be wasting your time and energy with a person or business that doesn’t respect the work that you do.

Were you ever scammed by a client?  How did it happen?  Was there anything that raised your doubts from the start?

Image by Simon Cataudo from sxc.hu

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