PowWowNowThere are many awesome perks to freelancing. An exciting world without restrictions, bound to no location and the freedom to choose work that benefits you most (to name a few). But, with this freedom, it can sometimes be tricky to stay connected to clients. Being away from the office a lot of the time means you can’t always just pop round to so and so’s desk for a rundown on what’s needed over a cuppa.
Often you won’t be able to interact face-to-face, so your virtual chat needs to be on point. That’s why we thought we’d provide some handy tips for staying connected and keeping your clients grinning from ear to ear.
Here we go.
Technology is your pal, embrace it!
No, we’re not talking about emails. Emails are great and all, but they’re prone to miscommunication and the occasional overly blunt response (we’ve all received one). We’re talking about conference solutions (yayy!!). They’re more exciting than the name suggests, we promise. Conference tech today means the lines between a face-to-face meeting and a virtual one are becoming increasingly blurred.
Ring, ring, ring
With a conference call, you can simply join a call and hash out all the who, what, when, where and why. Hearing someone’s voice is instantly better than reading an email, also a call tends to be more productive when compared to an email chain made up of a trillion messages, with a trillion people CC’d in (you get the point) – and much quicker! It’s a straightforward tool for you to keep up-to-date with your clients and maintain relations.
Say cheese, you’re on camera
You can always step it up a gear and introduce video into the equation, just make sure you’re presentable (pesky crumbs be gone). A video call is a great tool for better understanding a conversation, face-to-face allows you to pick up on things that you might miss on a phone call. On a more personal level, if you’re often working remotely video calls let your clients get to know you better – and save you from the FOMO you can sometimes get working alone.
Sharing is caring
Features such as screen share are an incredibly useful tool for a freelancer, as it’s an easy way to show what you’re working on and any progress you’re making. It’s simple to use, and it saves you the hassle of trying to explain your work, particularly if it’s visual project, which is very difficult to sum up in words. Happy days!
Venture into the office
Technology is needed to stay connected when working remotely but if you get the chance it’s always nice to pop in, for a literal face-to-face. Speak to your clients and ask if it would be possible for you to spend the day in the office. Hot desking is all the rage so take advantage. Being amidst the company you are working for can really help you understand the needs of the business. It’s the perfect way to experience the human element of the company and for a good old-fashioned bonding sesh. It’s also just a great way to demonstrate to clients how you work, allowing you to strut your stuff in the office rather than wherever you work remotely.
Anchor those client relations
So, there you have it, some of our top tips to help you stay connected to clients whilst freelancing. We don’t like to brag but we’re certain (a little braggy) that using the tools and tips above will help you build rapport with your clients and help you be the best freelancer you can be.
Enjoy the wonderful world of freelancing, without having to worry about the potential problems that come with remote working and boss being your own boss!
Twine
