Writing for Money – Great Clients and How to Train Them
Unedited Guest Article by Angela Booth
If you’ve been writing for money for a while, you know that most clients are good, but not great. But have you considered that you can train your clients? Discover how to develop great clients in this article.
The old saying that we teach people how to treat us applies in your work with your writing clients. Your buyers may be new to buying writing services, or they may have worked with writers before, but how they treat you depends 100 per cent on how you manage the relationship.
1. What Do You Want? Create Your Terms of Service (TOS)
Start by getting clear about how your service works. For example, my friend Melissa is an established copywriter who rarely attends client meetings. She considers them a waste of time, unless the client is willing to pay double her daily rate ($4,500) up front for the privilege.
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On the other hand, my blogging friend Malcolm attends any and all client meetings (even with prospects) without charging the client a cent.
How your writing business operates depends on YOUR Terms of Service. You get to decide all aspects of your business, so write down what you want. If you don’t want to attend client meetings, that goes into your TOS.
Your TOS are the rules by which you run your business. Establish them, and then review them as your business expands and grows. Great clients are possible when you have a clear TOS document — and stick to it.
2. Communicate Often, at Least Once Week or Even Once a Day
Communication is what you do, so communicate with clients. Update a client on a project at least once a week. With short projects which only take a few days, update a client once a day, or at least every couple of days.
When you communicate, remind your client what you’ll need going forward. For example: “I’ll be starting on Chapter 3 next week, so please send me the PDFs of the presentations you mentioned.”
3. Get a Retainer: Start Writing when the Check Clears
Your clients run businesses. You run a business too. If your TOS states you’re paid a retainer, and you’ve sent the invoice, start writing when the money is in your bank account.
4. Be Polite and Always Go the Extra Mile
Always be polite, friendly and cheerful, and always provide something extra. When you show you have a client’s best interests at heart, he’ll reciprocate. For example, if you’re writing a brochure, create the copy for a flyer as well.
5. Ask for a Testimonial: You’ve Earned It
Once a project’s complete, ask for a testimonial. Chances are that a client will forget you’ve asked; everyone’s busy. So when you follow up a week later, ask again.
Use these simple tips to train your clients. Then all your clients will be a pleasure to work with, and you’ll make great money too.
For free weekly writing information sent to your Inbox, subscribe to Angela’s Fab Freelance Writing Ezine and receive “Write And Sell Your Writing: The Power-Write Report” immediately. Also, if you want to make a great income from your writing, her Sell Your Writing Online NOW training program gives you all the skills you need to make great money writing for the Web.
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