Secrets of Freelance Writing: How to Keep Your Clients Happy
December 23, 2016| Category: Freelance Writing, Writing Tips
The demand on the freelance writing market nowadays is huge. On the other hand, there is a lot of competition out there. Thus, gaining customers loyalty is decisive in the freelance writing business. However, sometimes having excellent writing skills is not enough to be successful. You will be surprised how every little detail can make a difference and might have a colossal impact on how customers perceive the quality of service.
Here are some simple tips that will help you to satisfy your new or regular clients. If you follow them, your customers will simply fall in love with their dear writer and will come back again and again.
1. Read instructions.
It might sound too obvious but nothing can be more important than meeting the requirements and realizing what the client’s expectations are. Even if the paper is a masterpiece but the customer is not happy, it means you have failed it. Thus, reading instructions and understanding customers’ needs is crucial.
There are two major questions you need to ask yourself before putting your fingers on the keyboard:
– What is the purpose of the piece of writing?
– Who is your target audience?
After you have realized your main task, it is time to read the task description one more time and make sure you know exactly what is expected of you. If there are some points you hesitate about or need to clarify, the right time to ask questions is before you start, not after submitting the first draft.
2. Communicate with your clients.
The worst thing you can do is ignoring your clients’ questions or requests. It might be annoying sometimes, but if you do not keep your customers updated about the progress of their project, especially when they are asking you to do so, it is very unlikely they will come back. Besides, in most of the cases, it will take you only a few minutes to respond to your clients as what they usually need is just a confirmation that you are working on the paper and will deliver it on time. Moreover, if you have any questions or suggestions how to make the paper exceptional, do contact your customer. It will show your willingness to do your best and make all the necessary improvements if needed. The customer will value your effort and will be glad to work with you in the future. And the last but not least, it goes without saying that being polite and friendly while communicating with clients is something you should keep in mind even if you are infuriated or desperate. The best solution in such cases is to cool down and catch your breath before responding to the customer to make sure you choose the appropriate tone.
3. Make sure you deliver only high-quality papers.
Well, it sounds too obvious, doesn’t it? Nevertheless, this part is usually the most challenging one. Thus, make sure you run through the following checklist before sending the paper to the customer:
– Don’t accept offers if you are not familiar with the subject, and make sure you choose areas you feel more or less confident about.
– It’s needless to say that you should follow the brief outlined but if you feel like doing some additional research, go ahead and wow the customer with your competence and knowledge. If you a few thought-provoking features, it will make your paper outstanding and breathtaking!
– Run your paper through plagiarism checkers. Providing original papers is a matter of life and death in the freelance writing business. Once being caught on plagiarism, don’t expect being hired by the same customer again.
– Once you have completed the paper, do not send it to the customer right away. Sit back, have a cup of coffee or tea, and then read what you have written one more time. You will inevitably find a few things to improve. Besides, remember to run spell check before you submit your work. Once the paper is polished, it is ready to captivate your customer! Good luck!