Just for a minute, I want us to consider what it’s like to be in the employer’s seat when it comes time to put out an ad for a new freelancer (or several of them). I know that we talk a lot here about what the freelancing world is like from the point of view of the people looking for work, and I think it’s only fair to look at what it may be like from the opposite side of the desk.
Here we go: You have been magically transformed into the employer instead of the freelancer. You prepare an ad outlining what you are looking for, including the type of writing you need, what qualifications would dazzle you, and possibly how much you are prepared to pay.
You get a ton of responses and you weed through them to find the freelancers who seem like the best fit for your project. But before you get to that point, you need to go through people who:
- Didn’t follow instructions properly and include a resume and samples
- Decided to rake you over the coals about your business, the project, and/or the rate of pay
- Didn’t have the level of experience you specified in your ad
- Filled your e-mail box with spam
Once you find the people you are interested in working with, you contact them and give them the specifications of the project. Depending on the freelancer’s policies and yours, you may pay a deposit up front to get work started.
Now The Fun Begins
- You may get work back that is not of the same quality as the samples you were given.
- You may get work back that doesn’t look anything like what you ordered.
- You may never hear from the freelancer again.
Or you might be pleasantly surprised that you get the work you ordered back
- On Time
- The Correct Length
- On Topic
- Written by Someone who Takes Pride in Their Work
The next time you need work done, which type of freelancer are you going to hire?
More to the point, which type of freelancer are you?
We do take a chance when we start working for a new client, but the flip side to that is that they take a chance when they hire us too. If we do our work well, chances are very good that instead of placing another ad, the next time they need work done they will go back to the freelancers they had a good working relationship with.
One of the keys to success in this business is about building good relationships with your clients. Give them your best effort, and they will remember you long after the initial project ends.