As any seasoned freelancer can attest, having a steady stream of regular clients can provide you with a sense of stability and financial security. Seeing as many contract workers lack a consistent monthly income, such benefits can prove particularly enticing. That being the case, turning first-time clients into repeat customers should be a priority for everyone who works in a freelance capacity. Freelancers looking for ways to keep clients coming back should consider the following measures.
Consistently Meet Your Deadlines
Meeting deadlines is an important part of virtually every profession. Staying on top of deadlines is particularly important for freelancers, many of whom lack the job security of full-time workers. For example, while a full-timer may be allowed to miss multiple deadlines before any action is taken, many companies won’t hesitate to let a freelancer go after a single miss. After all, this individual is a contract worker, and if they’re unable to honor their promises, it only makes sense that companies would pursue more responsible candidates.
Needless to say, if you develop a reputation for blowing off deadlines, you’re going to have considerable trouble attracting repeat business. In your efforts to avoid missed deadlines, make sure to avoid agreeing to completion dates that simply aren’t realistic. Impulsively saying yes may get you hired once, but this client is unlikely to stick with you after they discover that you’re full of hot air. So, if a deadline presented to you by a client strikes you as unreasonable, take care to inform them of this at the outset. Some clients may not understand how long certain jobs take to complete, and if you explain the situation to them, you may find that they’re far more amenable to altering deadlines than you initially thought.
Like everyone else, freelancers are only human – and are therefore liable to experience unforeseen emergencies that stand to place deadlines in jeopardy. If you’re forced to deal with an emergency situation mid-project, don’t hesitate to inform your client of this. Should you require a deadline extension, it’s best that the client is made aware of this sooner rather than later.
Requesting a deadline extension is also acceptable in the event that a client adds a fair amount of work to a project that’s already underway. If additional work is needed, it’s only fair that the project’s deadline reflects this. Â
Make Yourself Available
From a client standpoint, few things are more frustrating than being unable to reach freelancers. For example, if the instructions for a project have been massively amended, you may wind up wasting hours – if not days – of work if you don’t remain in regular contact with the client. So, in addition to providing clients with your work email, make sure they have a phone number at which you can be reached during regular business hours.
Not only should you make yourself readily available during the day, but you should also keep your clients in the know throughout every stage of a project. This will help ensure that you’re able to remain on the same page and sharply reduce the likelihood of miscommunications. Additionally, a good online SMS messaging service can be a boon to freelancers who regularly contact multiple clients at once.       Â
Be Willing to Revise Your Work
If you’ve already worked your tail off on a project, being asked to make revisions can certainly be frustrating. However, refusing to do so is liable to hurt you in the long run. For one thing, if you refuse to amend your work for a client, that person is highly unlikely to give you their business in the future. In addition, you may have trouble collecting payment for the work you have completed under those circumstances. So, regardless of whether or not you agree with the revisions a client is requesting, it’s in your best interest to simply go through with them – provided, of course, any additional work they require is within reason. Â
It’s in every freelancer’s best interest to maintain good relations with clients. After all, having a steady supply of regular clients can help build your professional reputation and provide you with a sense of financial security. While getting a client’s business for the first time can feel truly rewarding, making them a repeat customer is liable to be substantially more gratifying. Of course, in order to do this, you’ll need to prove yourself trustworthy, courteous, and dependable – which shouldn’t be difficult for freelancers who are confident in their respective skill-sets.
