10 tips for customer freelancers
Once again I decided to write a post for freelancers
At this step I was inspired by the experience of the last order, which had to be given to the side. Mostly, unfortunately, negative. There will be assessments in the boards, they are subjective, but I hope they will help someone.
Decoding ratings will be at the end.
So advice and my comments
')
Next, it would be worthwhile to put a few exclamation marks, but for now I’m holding :)
I was surprised to find out that many (more than half) of those freelancers who respond to orders do not read at all. In one case, it came to the point that they asked me to send me a link to the assignment after agreeing to work! Naturally, such freelancers give order dumb. The order is not yours.
Recently, I began to use the following text in the assignment as a litmus test: “write the prices and deadlines in reply”. And first of all, for the contact of those who responded, I select those who answered these two banal questions. The matter is not even that they will answer me (the last order as a result was changed towards an increase in the price, work and time), but that the people who answered - read the task. In addition to this, in the text, in addition to TC, there may be conditions that are worth paying attention to. Score for failure - minus.
In general, this advice should have come first. So, you have responded to the order and offered their services. how should the customer look for you? If you leave ICQ and respond in more than a day, the order is not yours. If you have a bot in icq that asks you to enter something (it really was! I even passed it for the sake of interest, but the freelancer did not answer :)) you are a minus. If you are lost after the response for another day - even a minus.
As a rule, there are freelancers in the style of “I will do it for 5 rubles!” (At this point, it is also worth writing that a detailed answer is better than “I will do it, write here ICQ”). But it is much nicer to deal with those who ask what the problem is, and I offer alternative solutions to the problems, if possible. And naturally, when I am offered to solve my problem in a better way than I had supposed when I wrote the TK, I would agree and pay for the solution. No, not so, in this case, the maximum will be said to you, “I would still like that” and nevertheless, they will put + for that, the person is interested in solving the problems of the customer. So it was in my last order. Performance Score +
If there is no response from you for more than 2–3–4 – days (depending on the type of order, of course, and arrangements. This text refers to “quick” works no more than a week), even the most banal, such as “did this and that then, I can show "the client begins to search for you or to pull at himself, and believe him this is not a joy. Performance score +, in case of long delays -
If you are faced with difficulties, I can gladly suggest something, the benefit of qualification allows. But if you ask me every time how to do something or something you can do yourself, you shift it to me, then this is
Regarding the first: I personally don’t care whether the account was bought by a freelancer or not, I answer to everyone who interested me with his portfolio or answer. Regarding the second: my practice showed that orders are given not to those who answered first, but to those who answered approximately in the middle :) Those who read readily respond, but with a delay of no more than a day (approximately). Naturally, if you have a blank for an answer, you managed to read the text, modify the answer and were the first - it will be only a plus
Necessarily. If you do not have it at all, then the order is not yours, unless of course you are a famous person. Although in this case it is also unclear - why you did not post it :) If there is no portfolio, then your task is to make it. It means either to draw something for non-existent firms, if you are a designer or if you are a programmer, make a small project and show it. Believe that a test project is better than none. Score for failure - a minus, for good performance - plus.
It is very embarrassing when in the middle of a project there are abrupt transitions to “you” and then back to “you”, if you work, then “you” is IMHO optimal. But, if you agree to communicate to “you” right away, this is also quite a solution, the main thing is not to interfere :) The problem is half a minute or a quarter :)
Practice shows that if the work is related to the web, then often that works locally refuses to work on hosting. Therefore, before taking on orders, make yourself a “test bench” where you can both test something and show it to the customer. In my last case, I needed 2 domains to test the operation of the flash. but I think this is the maximum :) This item actually applies not only to programmers. Think - how will you transfer files if they are big? For performance +
Freelance to many seems like a sort of hack, but this is not quite true. This is a real business in which you can fully participate and have a reputation. However, judging by my personal practice, many people do not think so and often forget about communication with customers :(
So: next to the tips are estimates.
If you scored 2 drawbacks before an agreement to order, the order is not your one minus or without pluses - most likely the next time you will not come. If the minus is from the very beginning - I personally wait until the next minimum puncture, and if it happens before the agreement to start work, then I refuse services. Well, the more advantages, the higher the likelihood that instead of looking for someone who does not understand on freelance resources, the client will knock you right next time in ICQ and offer to take the order. If you already know everything, then most likely you have long since transferred orders to other freelancers or have your own business :)
What could be the result of customer focus?
From my practice: 7 years after the first contact with the customer, they still called me and offered orders :) Directly.
ps. occasionally need freelancers; both designers and programmers. also periodically there are proposals for fulltime? so leave in a personal your coorinates. and you can also participate in projects with me, so see the profile :)
At this step I was inspired by the experience of the last order, which had to be given to the side. Mostly, unfortunately, negative. There will be assessments in the boards, they are subjective, but I hope they will help someone.
Decoding ratings will be at the end.
So advice and my comments
')
1. Read the TK
Next, it would be worthwhile to put a few exclamation marks, but for now I’m holding :)
I was surprised to find out that many (more than half) of those freelancers who respond to orders do not read at all. In one case, it came to the point that they asked me to send me a link to the assignment after agreeing to work! Naturally, such freelancers give order dumb. The order is not yours.
2. Read the accompanying text.
Recently, I began to use the following text in the assignment as a litmus test: “write the prices and deadlines in reply”. And first of all, for the contact of those who responded, I select those who answered these two banal questions. The matter is not even that they will answer me (the last order as a result was changed towards an increase in the price, work and time), but that the people who answered - read the task. In addition to this, in the text, in addition to TC, there may be conditions that are worth paying attention to. Score for failure - minus.
3. Stay in touch
In general, this advice should have come first. So, you have responded to the order and offered their services. how should the customer look for you? If you leave ICQ and respond in more than a day, the order is not yours. If you have a bot in icq that asks you to enter something (it really was! I even passed it for the sake of interest, but the freelancer did not answer :)) you are a minus. If you are lost after the response for another day - even a minus.
4. Suggest your solutions
As a rule, there are freelancers in the style of “I will do it for 5 rubles!” (At this point, it is also worth writing that a detailed answer is better than “I will do it, write here ICQ”). But it is much nicer to deal with those who ask what the problem is, and I offer alternative solutions to the problems, if possible. And naturally, when I am offered to solve my problem in a better way than I had supposed when I wrote the TK, I would agree and pay for the solution. No, not so, in this case, the maximum will be said to you, “I would still like that” and nevertheless, they will put + for that, the person is interested in solving the problems of the customer. So it was in my last order. Performance Score +
5. Do not get lost
If there is no response from you for more than 2–3–4 – days (depending on the type of order, of course, and arrangements. This text refers to “quick” works no more than a week), even the most banal, such as “did this and that then, I can show "the client begins to search for you or to pull at himself, and believe him this is not a joy. Performance score +, in case of long delays -
6. Do not bother the customer
If you are faced with difficulties, I can gladly suggest something, the benefit of qualification allows. But if you ask me every time how to do something or something you can do yourself, you shift it to me, then this is
7. Do not chase pro accounts and the first answers.
Regarding the first: I personally don’t care whether the account was bought by a freelancer or not, I answer to everyone who interested me with his portfolio or answer. Regarding the second: my practice showed that orders are given not to those who answered first, but to those who answered approximately in the middle :) Those who read readily respond, but with a delay of no more than a day (approximately). Naturally, if you have a blank for an answer, you managed to read the text, modify the answer and were the first - it will be only a plus
8. Portfolio
Necessarily. If you do not have it at all, then the order is not yours, unless of course you are a famous person. Although in this case it is also unclear - why you did not post it :) If there is no portfolio, then your task is to make it. It means either to draw something for non-existent firms, if you are a designer or if you are a programmer, make a small project and show it. Believe that a test project is better than none. Score for failure - a minus, for good performance - plus.
9. “You” or “You”
It is very embarrassing when in the middle of a project there are abrupt transitions to “you” and then back to “you”, if you work, then “you” is IMHO optimal. But, if you agree to communicate to “you” right away, this is also quite a solution, the main thing is not to interfere :) The problem is half a minute or a quarter :)
10. Prepare the infrastructure
Practice shows that if the work is related to the web, then often that works locally refuses to work on hosting. Therefore, before taking on orders, make yourself a “test bench” where you can both test something and show it to the customer. In my last case, I needed 2 domains to test the operation of the flash. but I think this is the maximum :) This item actually applies not only to programmers. Think - how will you transfer files if they are big? For performance +
Results
Freelance to many seems like a sort of hack, but this is not quite true. This is a real business in which you can fully participate and have a reputation. However, judging by my personal practice, many people do not think so and often forget about communication with customers :(
So: next to the tips are estimates.
If you scored 2 drawbacks before an agreement to order, the order is not your one minus or without pluses - most likely the next time you will not come. If the minus is from the very beginning - I personally wait until the next minimum puncture, and if it happens before the agreement to start work, then I refuse services. Well, the more advantages, the higher the likelihood that instead of looking for someone who does not understand on freelance resources, the client will knock you right next time in ICQ and offer to take the order. If you already know everything, then most likely you have long since transferred orders to other freelancers or have your own business :)
What could be the result of customer focus?
From my practice: 7 years after the first contact with the customer, they still called me and offered orders :) Directly.
ps. occasionally need freelancers; both designers and programmers. also periodically there are proposals for fulltime? so leave in a personal your coorinates. and you can also participate in projects with me, so see the profile :)
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/20826/
All Articles