Freelance Communication

I'm currently working on fifteen different websites.

My clients are all over the place, ranging from the Texan who calls me "ma'am" even in emails to the fellow from parts unknown whose most elaborate communication to date is, "Please start work."

If you work with freelance talent, you are likely to find that your combined skill at communication is one of the most important elements of a successful project outcome. With this in mind, I have some suggestions to offer.

• Be aware of cultural differences. Where I live, the first step in doing business is to establish rapport, and it isn't unusual for a local client to ask on first meeting whether I'm kin to So-and-so. I have clients from parts of the country where the first step in establishing a business relationship is to make it clear that you won't allow yourself to be screwed over. As you can imagine, it is very easy for people working together from these two areas to offend one another deeply first crack out of the box. Since we can't be expected to speak everyone's language or understand everyone's cultural background, we workers in the global marketplace need to operate on the assumption that any offense is inadvertent, and to be prepared to cut each other some slack.
• Provide clear parameters. If you know exactly what you need, say so -- and get the plan in writing, if possible. I'll provide html or English, as you prefer, and I'm happy to write your blog in the third person or the first. If you don't really know what you need, but just that your website isn't doing what you want, I can help you with that, too --that's a service that I offer. But having someone code your new web design and then saying, "Oh, I just needed a logo" doesn't make anybody happy. If you end up with something completely different from what you asked for, then it's your freelancer's fault and he or she should make it right. If you end up with something different from what you imagined because you didn't share that image with the worker, then it's your fault and you should pay for the wasted time involved in making it right.
• Keep in touch. One of the reasons to hire a professional rather than getting someone in the office to take a stab at it is so that it gets done right without your having to study up or stand over the worker. However, getting a draft of the work at an intermediate stage, signing off on the design mockup before it's finalized, or approving a strategy before it's implemented -- these are common sense steps to take to ensure your satisfaction with the work.

Hiring a freelance worker gives you economical access to specialized skills and talents, especially when you don't always need a lance of any kind hanging around the office. With a little attention to effective communication, people like me can make your outfit look as good as the companies that are big enough to have a Creative Services department. It's worth doing.

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