Communication Etiquette

Proper communication is key for any freelancers looking to land new clients. If you fail to present yourself in a coherent and professional way how can you expect customers to be vowed by your talent? I’ve seen my fair share of shoddy email applications and lately – while looking for a PA in a forum I got so many crappy applications I felt like hitting my head against the wall. What is it with these people?!

From where I’m standing I’m aware that many countries are in the middle of a recession, so how come people do not go the extra length to apply themselves for jobs? You would think that with all the job cuts happening in the past 6 months there would be plenty of available talent to willingly work a long-term job, after all it’s money to pay bills. But the reality looks much different.

Proper communication etiquette for freelancers

Freelancers serious about finding clients need to understand that the way in which they communicate could be the deciding factor of getting hired or not. It’s simple and common sense. All too often I see a lack of it when conversing with other freelancers. So what can we do to nail our own communication etiquette to impress even the ficklest of client?

Here are some suggestions and ideas for proper etiquette:

1. For starters you want to address the person you are dealing with accordingly. Use their name, it adds personal touch and builds trust. I hate to be called mate or friend or anything else for that matter from people I have no existing relationship with. It’s cheap and will not serve to impress me.
2. Use proper punctuation and formatting when dealing with clients by email or in forums, and everywhere else for that matter. Don’t expect me to hire you if your first sentence is riddled with errors. I do realize that we all make mistakes – I make them all the time, but for god sakes, if you try to get work it is the wrong time to make mistakes.
3. Reply! At all times both parties have to be aware where exactly they stand with work, job applications or else. I don’t suggest people to bomb everyone with email replies just for the sake of doing it. What I do say is that if you are being advised of a job project then make sure your client always knows where you stand at any given time. This builds further trust and credibility between you and your clients – they are after all your bread & butter!
4. Don’t bore your client with long email copy. We are all short of time and busy, so please respect people’s time. They don’t want to hear anything else but the bare necessities. In essence they want to know when their job gets done and if you are delayed by how long.
5. The easiest way to stay on top of all your communication is to check your points of contact three times/day if you work full-time; mornings, afternoons and evenings. Treat any new inquiries with speed and deal with replies in terms of importance. Paying clients ALWAYS come first!

I’m happy to hear your suggestions about proper communication etiquette and what YOU expect from your freelancers or even clients in this regard.

Monika