When you decide to become a freelancer it’s important to know your strengths and skill set, as this is what will make prospective clients choose you specifically.
What you specialize in will, of course, influence what clients will be looking for in their choice of freelancer. There are, however, certain attributes that every freelancer needs to have in order to be the right pick for a client.
Take a look at this list of five critical elements every client wants in a freelancer. How many do you have already?
1. Professionalism
As a freelancer, you need to be able to strike a comfortable balance between being open and friendly, whilst remaining professional. If you appear to be too serious or overly formal, clients can interpret that as an indication that you lack flexibility and are unwilling to adapt – that doesn;t mean you need to be overly open either. Be friendly and easy-going while keeping your private life to yourself. Remember, that as a freelancer, you’re now a business. You are providing a process, product or service.
First impressions can often mean make or break, so it is often a good idea to have testimonials from others you have worked with. Even when you act like and say you are professional, nothing convinces a potential client like testimonials from other satisfied customers.
2. Affordability
First of all, remember that you are skilled, and your work is valuable. You shouldn’t take on projects for low rates just to align with a client’s tight budget. What most clients want is value. If, for instance, they pay $1,000 for you to put together a marketing plan, they want to know that they have received the best possible marketing plan that $1,000 could buy them. Clients want to know that you and, most importantly, the work that you do, was worth the cost. So being affordable doesn’t mean being cheap, yet you don’t want to rip off your clients either.
Provide quality work for a decent price, and you’ll be considered a good value asset.
3. Ease
Clients will purchase your services as a freelancer to make their lives easier – that’s the bottom line. What they want, when put simply, is for you to do the task that you were hired to do. You’re taking whatever it is off their plate and off their minds.
Make sure you know enough (and ask the relevant questions) to get the job done correctly. It is important, however, that you don’t become overly dependent – you were hired to make their lot easier, after all. They want you to take the lead as often as possible; provide the best customer service you can. You want your clients to wonder how they ever got on without you (and that’s what they want too).
4. Reliability
To get reliable work as a freelancer, you yourself need to be reliable. Clients want reliable workers that they feel they can trust. They want to establish long term relationships with freelancers, which is beneficial for both parties. Where the client is concerned, it is easier to have one good freelancer they know and work well with, rather than having to go through the hiring process every few months when they need someone new.
To make sure you are a dependable, reliable freelancer, try and follow the following:
- Meet all deadlines
- Accept constructive criticism and feedback
- Be honest – don’t lie or make up fake excuses
- If something come up meaning you cannot perform a particular task, your client would want to know
- Own up to any mistakes, and avoid making the same mistake twice
- Communicate clearly and regularly
You also want to remember that you made a commitment. Your client shouldn;t ever have to chase you.
5. Results
When it comes down to it, results are the most important thing. You do of course need professionalism, affordability, making a client’s life easier and being reliable in order to get work in the first place. Your client wants you to deliver results to a high standard, so being good at what you do is crucial. Or, rather than being good at what you do, be the best at what you do, and be sure to prove it’s the truth with every job you do. This is another time when clients would find testimonials from other clients helpful; a successful job very well done can often result in even more job offers and, after a while, you’ll have more jobs than you can handle.
Clients want good freelancers, who do their job and deliver. If this sounds like something you can do, then the hard part is done already!
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