Mastering Client Interaction to Prevent Delays

This episode shares the challenges freelancers face when working with frustrating clients. It illustrates the importance of communication, proactive management, and learning from obstacles.

• The struggles of getting detailed responses from a new client 
• The challenges faced when clients fail to be forthcoming with information 
• The role of a freelance copywriter in client communication 
• The importance of monitoring project timelines and client feedback 
• Lessons learned about managing expectations in freelancing 
• Reflections on the balance between creating and waiting for client input 
• The adaptability needed to keep projects moving forward 
• An invitation for listeners to share their own experiences and feedback

Chapters

• 0:00 Communication Challenges in Freelance Web Design
• 8:42 Project Progress and Feedback Discussion

Transcript

Cathy Sirvatka: 0:00

Hello fellow freelancers, in today's episode I'm going to share something that happened at work. I think this kind of episode will be helpful to show you a behind-the-curtain view of the day-to-day in a freelance web design business. Today's episode talks about a communication issue with a client and, though not all of these brief episodes will have drama, they will all cover issues that I think will be of interest to you. It's to share what I do in my freelance business and maybe it will help you. Here we go. Welcome to the Web Pro Savvy Podcast. This is your host, Cathy Sirvatka .

Cathy Sirvatka: 0:49

I started a website project with a new client in the beginning of August. We'll call this client Bob. He had gotten my name from a graphic designer I work with and highly respect, so I knew I wanted to treat him really well. As with all new clients, we met on the phone to talk about his business. You know what he does, who he serves, but I got very minimal answers. Honestly, I felt like I was trying to pull someone out of quicksand. He just wasn't forthcoming about his information. I did learn that Bob runs an IT solutions firm and that his old website didn't reflect what he does today. Following that meeting, I sent out a survey as I do with all my clients that asked him more detailed questions, hoping I could get more out of him, but I received back the most minimal answers possible. Now he needed all new copy for this new site, so this was definitely going to be an issue. I enlisted the help of a freelance copywriter to contract with me and I was also hoping she would be able to take the time to draw details out of him. So I connected Bob and the copywriter to get that part of the project going. I told Bob I wouldn't want to begin designing until I could see some of the homepage copy, even if not the final version that informs my decisions about layout as well as the look and feel I would aim for. So then I see that Bob and the writer had already had a Zoom meeting and the writer had come up with some initial concepts but needed more information from Bob. I see several emails from the copywriter and only a couple from Bob in which he apologizes for not getting back to her because he's been traveling or busy, but will get back to her over. He's been traveling or busy, but we'll get back to her over the weekend. I saw where he said he would gather more information about employee bios and industry use cases, but I never actually saw any of that information or his feedback. So I think maybe he's just not copying me on all his communications. I'm not hearing complaints from the writer, so I still think everything is okay.

Cathy Sirvatka: 2:45

What I kept seeing in emails from Bob were sorry, I'm late with this, I was traveling or I was busy, or give me until Monday to get this to you, but my writer finally sends him a first pass of copy. Then about five days later the copywriter emails to Bob have you been able to look at the copy I sent? And Bob says I was out of town Reviewing. The copy is at the top of my list. You get where I'm going with this right. Eight days later I received this email from the copywriter. If it works for you, I'd like to send along my invoice.

Cathy Sirvatka: 3:19

I worry we're not going to get much back from Bob and wonder if it's best for you all to proceed with the copy that you have. So I'm thinking now, that's not how I like to do things Now. I always pay my contractors directly, so the client only has one touch point. I'm worried because I need to pay her, but we haven't completed the deliverables of completed copy and design in order to invoice the client. Well, she sent him the copy she was able to create and states that she was essentially closing out her time with him and she made herself available if he wanted to do more work with her. Now, granted, she was only invoicing for the actual time she had spent because she was charging hourly. His response to that was trying to find the time has proven challenging, but I will work on it tonight. For sure I will reach out tomorrow. By now we can see these are empty promises, right? It's so frustrating. So I in turn send an invoice to Bob for the writing, and at this point I think he understands that the writing portion is completed because he's given all he's willing to give. So I send an invoice to him just for the copy. So that was the backstory.

Cathy Sirvatka: 4:28

Here we are today. I got this email Not done with copy yet Still haven't reviewed. Need more time. Please let the writer know I'm super busy and trying to find time. Need you both to be patient with me. Then I got a second email. It's been challenging for me to find the time to comment. That is why I reached out to the both of you.

Cathy Sirvatka: 4:50

I sent example websites of the ones I like, along with our competition. I would like to take bits and pieces from those sites and mold it into our own. And then he says to the writer as for the content, I'm looking to you for ideas and writing the content based on who we are and what we provide. So I'm getting frustrated even just reading this. He goes on. Perhaps it's best if we all look at the website live, Cathy, are we ready to see something? As for the copy, I think we need more meat. We do all the things the other companies do, yeah.

Cathy Sirvatka: 5:26

So I'm wondering what the heck just happened. What exactly went on over this time where the copy was supposed to be getting done? What exactly went on over this time where the copy was supposed to be getting done? I just called the writer to discuss the situation and found out that Bob had not ever given her any feedback over a period of four weeks, not once. He only offered excuses whenever she followed up with him. So everything that I saw from him was all he sent. So here's what I see he's failed to notice that he dropped the ball by giving no feedback and constantly putting us off. I dropped the ball by not monitoring their activities more closely. Now he's expecting the writer to make up and even plagiarize copy, and he doesn't remember that I told him I need copy before creating a design and now he's trying to control the project.

Cathy Sirvatka: 6:16

Now, just as a side note because I'm me, I actually did start a design, because that's what I do I just think at this point, I just need to get this project done. Taking the bull by the horns, I am going to make this project happen. I want it done and off my plate, and I still need the money. I don't want to just blow this guy off. I'm going to work with the little I have to create not just a homepage design, but the entire website. I am going to create it directly in WordPress. I'm skipping all the normal design process. It's not ideal, but it's what I need to do. I feel like now I'm in the trenches. So lessons I've learned in this?

Cathy Sirvatka: 7:01

Because when these things happen, we have to reflect and figure out why it happened and how not to let it happen again. Many times, clients will not acknowledge when they've done something wrong and instead they'll lash out at you and tell you where you failed. And let's face it, most of us struggle to admit when we're wrong, but when things go wrong like this, I do like to stop and take inventory. So, number one I assumed the writer had things under control. I assumed that if there was a problem she would have let me know, but she didn't. I should have been directly and regularly checking in with both the writer and the client to monitor the progress and sort out any issues, and in doing that, I would have had a serious talk with the client about being timely. I would have reminded him that our contract says we require timely responses and submission of any requested information, or else I could levy a $20 per day fee. It also says in the contract that I can actually end the project if there's no response within 15 business days, and that did actually happen. But that's the worst case scenario and not actually something I want to do. I don't like to leave people stranded and I want to have a full project completed and I want the money.

Cathy Sirvatka: 8:12

Number two this would have been hard for me to see, but custom copywriting was more than this guy actually wanted. Did he need it? Yes, he sure did. He had a whole website of copy that needed to be written, but he just didn't want to do his part. He didn't want to answer questions. So ultimately, I am creating the rest of the content utilizing ChatGPT. I'll have it create a site outline and merge that with the info that I got from the writer. I'm going to make it work.

Cathy Sirvatka: 8:42

Number three I should have been pointing out where we were in the project timeline to keep Bob energetic with responses, but now this project just needs to proceed methodically and expeditiously. So that's where we are now. I'll keep you posted as to how it turns out. Thanks for listening to my story. I would love to hear about the surprises you faced and how you handled it. Go to my podcast page, webprosavvy. com/ podcast, and you can leave me a voice message about your experience and you can also ask me questions. I may answer your questions in a future episode.