How not to tarnish your reputation

We've almost reached the stage where we need to talk to a potential client for the first time. And I would like to protect the reader from a number of mistakes in advance. Many of the beginning freelancers will, without realizing it, behave in such a way that from the very first words they will lose reputation points and the seriousness of their attitude towards themselves.

“I have a difficult life situation”

Don't tell future clients how bad things are and how much you need work. Whatever the financial circumstances and no matter how much you really want to get the order, the client should not know this.

If a freelancer says something like, “I hope we can work together, especially since I need work now more than ever to pay the mortgage,” the client will immediately understand that the contractor needs this project and can be pushed on price or other terms. On the other hand, you will find yourself in an awkward position. Firstly, he will think what kind of specialist this is, since everything is bad with his finances. Secondly, he may decide that if he agrees to cooperate, he will bear increased responsibility for the outcome of the work, since he will understand how painful it will be for the freelancer not to receive a fee in the event of any troubles.

It is easier for people to work with those who are doing well. It's calmer with them. They create a feeling of reliability. And if you choose between two identical performers in equally bad life situations, but one of them talked about it, and the other didn’t - and behaves as if everything is fine with him - then you will want to work with the second one.

“I need you more than you need me” or “You need me more than I need you”

This message is often veiled in other words, but it is easy to read. Moreover, both in one direction and in the other.

For example, the phrase: “It’s up to you: if you don’t want to work with me, don’t work.” It puts the person who said it above the listener. After all, it is already obvious that if the client does not want to cooperate with such a contractor, then he will not. In this way, the equal relationship between the client and the performer is distorted, and the latter tries to become the “king” of the situation where there is no need for this.

Or the phrase: “I have nowhere to go. Okay, I’ll do the job for you.” Here the situation is the opposite. The performer puts the client in a royal position, while giving him not only royal power, but also responsibility. This is not necessary. Whatever the situation, you must first remember that the contractor has a product or service, and the client has money.

By creating such unequal relationships, a freelancer will not be able to count on long-term cooperation, since someone will definitely get an unpleasant role that they will want to get rid of as soon as possible.

I’ll give you an example in which you won’t immediately see what exactly is wrong.

Client: “In total, we got 300,000 rubles for 15 days of work. Can I ask you for a discount of at least 10%, otherwise it’s somehow a little expensive, I didn’t expect that amount?”

Performer: “Sorry, but no. I have already cut down the project so much in order to make you the most inexpensive offer possible. Plus I subtracted from there the tax component and everything related to document flow.”

Here the performer is overly zealous in justifying his decision. The client asked a fairly simple and legitimate question about a discount, and the contractor, instead of the same simple answer, begins to pour out arguments, the purpose of which is not completely clear. But the client may think that the contractor is afraid that refusing a discount could ruin the deal. He also apologizes for something. This self-doubt is intuitively read by the client. And can often be misinterpreted. For example, like this: “He is not sure that his service is worth the money.”

In such a situation, it would be possible to answer more simply: “No, I do not offer discounts at the moment.”

Extra information

“I’m currently working on another project, so I won’t be able to start yours until December.”. This formulation creates the impression that the freelancer is overselling himself. The client does not need to know this. If he turns to a good, expensive specialist, then he is prepared in advance for the fact that this specialist has a lot of work and little time. If the client’s project is urgent, and he places an emphasis on this, then the freelancer may ask himself the question: “Should I take on this? Am I letting anyone down?" If the client does not focus on urgency, then the freelancer routinely evaluates it and puts it on the calendar. The original answer will be simplified to this:“I’m ready to take on your project from December 3rd”.

“My vacation starts next week, so if you’re willing to wait another month, I’m ready to start your project.”. Exactly the same principle as in the previous example. A freelancer's vacation is his own business. It is important for the client to receive a commercial proposal, which will indicate the terms and prices. All other information will be met something like this: “Okay, why did he tell me that?”

“Sorry, I won’t be able to submit your project by Friday. My grandmother died, organizing the funeral took too much time. Let me hand in the work in two weeks?”. Here is an example of failure to fulfill obligations. However, if the freelancer does not miss the deadline for the third time in a row and, in general, worked properly before that, then he does not need to explain to the client why the delay is happening until the latter himself asks about it. And in most cases, clients don’t even ask about it.

I repeat: in the case when a freelancer usually does not observe such mistakes. If they happen on a regular basis, and are even accompanied by “legends,” clients will irritably find out the reasons out of inertia in order to demonstrate their dissatisfaction.

In such a situation, you can answer like this:“Sorry, but I see that I don’t have time to complete the project by Friday. I can hand it in next Thursday at 1:00 p.m. For letting you down on time, allow me to reduce the cost of my work by 10%.". With this wording, many clients will say that it’s okay and will even refuse the discount (if the freelancer is afraid that they won’t refuse, then you shouldn’t offer it), especially if you warn them about the delay in advance, and not on the last day.

“I made my first million at the age of 25 and since then I feel much more confident when working with projects like yours”. This is the case when, during a conversation with a client, a freelancer begins to share personal information. This is one of my weak points. Often I tell clients things that are not relevant. This occurs due to the desire to get closer to the person, to strengthen the relationship before or during work. This should not be done, since such behavior can cause a diametrically opposite reaction. We are not friends with our clients; our relations are strictly regulated. This may change over time, but certainly not in the first negotiations. Therefore, you should not tell stories from your past if they are not directly related to the deal.

Disclosure of confidential information “in secret”

This is no longer just extra information. This demonstrates that a freelancer cannot be trusted with valuable data. Such information includes stories about work on projects for other clients, protected by a non-disclosure agreement; any insider information; as well as information transmitted “in secret”. On the one hand, clients will be grateful for such valuable data, on the other hand, they will behave very carefully with the freelancer or will prefer not to contact him at all (except for another piece of secret information). Because today he shares someone else’s secret information with you, and tomorrow he will share yours with someone else.

Availability at any time

If the service provided does not involve supporting the client 24/7 and for exorbitant fees, then you need to remember that the client is a busy person. As well as the performer. With their own affairs, jobs, families. And when a freelancer declares that he is ready to answer the client’s call at any time and take on his task, the client hears the following: “I don’t have any important tasks except yours. And if someone contacts me after you, you risk being ignored, because he will take your place in my attention.” Therefore, from the very first steps you should show respect for your own, and automatically for someone else’s, calendar. To do this you need:

1. When scheduling negotiations and other stages of work, check your calendar and name specific dates and times, and not use the wording “as soon as you answer, I’ll start”;
2. For large tasks, do not name deadlines on the fly. Take a break. Tell clients: “I’ll check my calendar and tell you the dates in a while” (specific, accurate to the hour);
3. If a freelancer gets a call with an urgent question, see if it really requires an immediate solution. In most cases it is not required. If so, offer to discuss this issue at a specific time (and reschedule it after checking the calendar).

“I have some free time here, so give me a job!”

Another manifestation of unprofessionalism. If a specialist has not planned his workload and makes such a cry on social networks, potential clients may perceive his statement as: “Before, I would not have taken on your projects, I was busy. In the future, too, there may not be time. Now, perhaps, adjust to my working window and provide me with more orders.” If a freelancer really finds themselves in that situation, it is better to drop the first part of the message and say: “Friends and colleagues, I am looking for new projects, please get in touch!”.

“I have so much work to do now that I have no time for you!”

“Well, it’s not up to us - so it’s not up to us; Let’s look for another performer,” potential clients will think and leave. My recommendation to all busy freelancers: do not refuse to evaluate new incoming messages even at maximum load. If the incoming flow really turns out to be impossible and the calendar fills up for the year ahead, then congratulations: now we are dealing with a much more valuable specialist than just a freelance artisan. He knows how to generate a volume of work that can load not only himself, but also others. If a freelancer has such a skill, he will earn much more by selling orders for partners or organizing his own production.

Discussion of third parties during negotiations

Sometimes clients complain about performers who took on the task before you. Sometimes - to their clients. Sometimes - to common partners. In all cases when third parties are present in the discussion, but they themselves are not participating in the conversation, the freelancer should keep his opinion to himself and not develop these topics. This quality demonstrates in a specialist an adult who thinks strategically and monitors his reputation. He will not assent to the client, saying, yes, yes, what scoundrels the previous performers are! Will not discuss partners and colleagues. He will avoid discussing his clients' clients. Such emphatically tactful behavior is unlikely to alienate interlocutors, but it may well arouse more trust in the freelancer as a reliable and non-talkative person.

Publishing stories about negative customer experiences

Often, while scrolling through my social media feeds, I see posts from my fellow freelancers sharing heartbreaking stories of being ripped off by clients. Or about how stupid clients are these days. Or how freelancers had to work overtime due to changing demands for complex services. All these things are an attempt by weak people to complain about others. We all do this sometimes, but not everyone blows off steam outside of their circle of friends and family. A publication that ends up on the Internet will remain there forever. Years will pass, and many performers will understand that in fact they themselves were wrong in certain situations, but search engines will return their outdated gossip to new potential clients. And in a professional environment, some of our freelance friends will achieve more than we ourselves and will begin to consider candidates to work on their own projects. Will they come to us knowing that we have publicly complained about our clients? Hardly...