Calling all freelancers!
Being a freelancer brings no guarantee of a steady stream of regular work. Sometimes you might find yourself with a very quiet schedule, twiddling your thumbs, waiting for the phone to ring and a project to come in. At other times, you’ll have a number of different assignments from multiple clients on your plate that you need to work on simultaneously in order to meet deadlines. It’s just the way freelance work is.
Naturally, every client that you work with will be under the impression that his or her business is your number one priority. When you’ve got a whole host of clients all demanding your precious time, it’s important to put some systems in place to help you manage them effectively. Late delivery of a project or handing in something that’s not up to your usual high standard could lose you work in the future. With the lack of stability in freelance work, it’s really important to keep good working relationships going.
When you’ve got a busy schedule, clients requesting updates every day, and more work streaming in, it can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. You can juggle multiple clients and still make deadlines, produce first class work, keep clients happy and stay sane in the process! Here are some useful tips and advice.
Evaluate the individual needs of each client
Look at your list of current clients and determine the demands of each one. Some clients may require a set amount of time from you each week or month. Some may just give you one-off projects to work on. Other clients may need you to be ‘on call’ at all times. Working out the individual needs of each client will enable you to prioritise your time in the most effective manner. Block out time for your retained client needs, and set aside some time for the inevitable urgent requests and last minute jobs.
Organisation is key
When you’re working with a number of clients, the key to success is good organisation. You probably don’t have the ability to recount every date, digit and detail by memory, so it’s essential to keep to-do lists, set reminders on computer calendars and make spreadsheets mapping out tasks. Everyone is different, so find the method that works best for you and stick to it. Some basic organisation will help to eliminate forgotten conference calls and most importantly keep you on track with your invoicing!
Maximise your time
At the start of every week, plan which tasks you will be working on each day, and how you will split your time amongst all your clients according to their demands. This advance planning should help you to be more focussed and productive during your working day, instead of spending precious time working out what you should be doing next. Try to be realistic about how long you’ll need to complete a task and always build in some extra time for unforeseen urgent projects. Evaluate your to-do list at the end of every day and write a fresh list for the next day, so you can get going immediately the next morning, maximising your work time.
Be realistic about your time and learn to say ‘no’.
There is nothing worse than letting a client down. Not being able to deliver will harm your reputation and stop clients from coming back to you in the future. Only take on extra work if you really think you have enough time to accommodate it. If the scope of work suddenly changes, don’t be afraid to push back. For example, if a client suddenly wants to add another element to a project, be realistic about how much time it will take, and only commit to it on those terms. Being honest about deadlines will ensure that you don’t leave a client disappointed by committing to more than you can deliver.
Keep clients in the loop and manage their expectations
Keeping clients happy is a bit like waiting on tables in a restaurant. Just like restaurant customers, each client needs to feel attended to. Checking in with your clients on a regular basis will help them to feel that their business is important to you. Even if you have a mountain of work to get through, going AWOL isn’t going to instil confidence in your client. A quick email update or phone call helps to keep them informed about your progress, and prevents any undue worrying.
Keeping these tips in mind should help you to juggle the demands of multiple clients, meaning satisfied clients and a successful freelance career for you.
The post How to manage with multiple clients appeared first on Syncoms.