Pretty much all of us got into this "trading creativity for $$$" thing because we absolutely love what we do. It's easy to forget that there's more to the game than just passion + being good at your craft.
The whole "client communication" thing usually isn't the most thrilling part of your day. It's like, we get so caught up in the excitement of creating and learning new things in our field that we kind of let the whole talking-to-clients thing slide.
It's not because we want to be bad at it, and it's not because we're terrible people... But because we're just not wired that way, especially if your background is anything like mine.
Before freelancing, here was my entire job history:
Corporate world? Never heard of her.
Team meetings and office politics? Nope.
So when it comes to wearing the "professional communicator hat", it's something I had to learn the hard way.
I had no clear boundaries, no set times for chats, no structure. It was chaos.
Messages got lost, things got forgotten, and before I knew it, I was that flaky freelancer nobody wanted to deal with.
If that's anything like you, it becomes a stressful, awful mess FAST....not just for you but for your clients too.
Think about it from their side. They've just dropped thousands of dollars on hiring you, pumped to see what you'll create together.
But if they're left in the dark, not knowing when they'll hear from you or what's happening, that excitement turns to anxiety, then frustration, and maybe even anger. No one wants to work in that kind of vibe.
Bottom line... If you want to keep doing what you love (and get paid for it without losing your mind), you've got to get a handle on the whole communication thing.
To help with this, I've got 6 rules for client communication for you to follow. Think of this as the bare minimum any good freelancer should be doing.
It's about setting clear rules for when and how you'll talk to your clients, making sure everyone's on the same page, and keeping things running smoothly.
It's about making your clients feel taken care of and avoiding that whole excitement > anxiety > anger cycle that can lead to horrible projects (and no referrals).
Check out the episode, and IMPLEMENT ASAP.
In this episode you’ll discover:
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/294
#233: She Grew Her Freelance Business From $0 To $20k/mo In Under 4 Years | With Lydia Kerr
#232: The 11 Must-Have Tools For Growing And Running A 6 Figure Creative Business In 2023
#231: 6 Ways To Get More Clients In An EXTREMELY Competitive Industry
#230: Dynamic Pricing: The Secret Weapon Clever Freelancers Are Using To Maximize Their Income
#229: Raise Your Gosh Darn Rates.
#228: The Secret Ingredient To Higher Paying Gigs | The Client Acquisition Series
#227: Your Feast-Or-Famine Roller Coaster: Three Reasons Why Freelancers Never Escape This Vicious Cycle
#226: 6 Client Boundaries To Keep You Healthy, Happy, Stress-free, And Profitable
#225: How To Build Your Own Client Acquisition Machine (And Make 2023 Your Best Year Ever)
#224: Why Your High Sales Conversion Rate Is Actually A BAD Thing
#223: Shifting Your Clients From One-Time Projects To Monthly Recurring Subscriptions | With Annemie Tonken
#222: The Secret Weapon For 6 Figure Freelancers: Email Marketing
#221: The 4 Major Missing Pieces Of Your Marketing Plan | The Client Acquisition Series
#220: The Busy Freelancer's Guide To Getting Your Time Back (By Building Systems That Scale) | With Rachael Mueller
#219: How To Land High-caliber Clients By Emailing Strangers | The Cold Outreach Masterclass With Colleen Welsch
#218: How To Use Social Media To Start ATTRACTING Clients (Instead Of Chasing Them) | With Chris Smith
#217: Case Study: The Solo Freelancer Earning $1 Million Per Year (It's Not What You Think)
#216: How To Spend Less Time Doing The Stuff You Hate | The Easy Ates Framework
#215: How To Earn Up To $500,000 Per HOUR As A Designer | With Cat Coquillette
#214: How To Stop Trading Hours For Dollars By Creating An Ascension Ladder | With Rachel Brenke
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Dear Alice | Interior Design
99% Invisible
The John Clay Wolfe Show
Just So Stories
Black Beauty
How to Decorate
Design Better