Note from Jennifer: You need repeat and loyal clients to build a high income freelance business. And while the key to doing that is do deliver great work, I think it also means making your clients love working with you not just love your work. The freelancers that are easy to work with and a part of the team are the writers that turn into a client’s favorite freelancer. So who better to share her tips than my wonderful virtual assistant Cat DiStasio, who is both a freelance writer and a VA. I have worked with Cat for three years and LOVE working with her. She is great at what she does and adds a lot of value to my business. And most importantly, she is a joy to work with. 

By Cat DiStasio

Happy clients should be the goal of every business, especially for a freelancer. After all, happy clients tend to send more work your way, and they make great long-term anchor clients. While it’s important for freelance writers to accept that they can’t please everyone every time, there are a few things you can do to try.

And when it works, you’ll see the results in your bottom line as well as in the satisfaction

Building long-term relationships with clients is a lot like other types of relationships. If your initial Letter of Introduction is like a pickup line, as Jennifer wrote here, everything that comes after that is like dating. And if you like your client, you want them to fall in love with you and your work.

Here are my tips for making clients L-O-V-E you and your work:

L – Lose the ego. While it’s crucial for freelance writers to be confident in their abilities, keep a level head. Remove your emotions from your client interactions whenever possible. It can be tempting to take a client’s responses personally or be overly critical of your work—writers can be pretty sensitive folks, you know—but that’s something you have to keep out of your client relationship. It helps to have a few good friends to vent to, and a good networking group to gut check your reactions when things get dicey. (Jennifer’s Freelance Content Marketing Writer group on Facebook is a great option for that.)

O – Offer suggestions and solutions. You can easily keep a long-term client by consistently delivering what they ask for and expect. That’s true. But, freelancers who add unexpected value to a client’s business set themselves apart from the crowd. Make specific suggestions for topics to write about, new types of deliverables, and other projects that fit into your client’s overall strategy, but don’t stop there. If you notice an inefficient process or learn about a new tool that may make everyone’s life easier, mention it.

V – Volunteer for more work. Even if a client loves every single thing you’ve turned in, don’t assume they will automatically offer you more work. Rather than waiting around for something that might not happen, make the first move. If a client regularly assigns you 3 blog posts a month, offer to do one per week instead. (Side note: you could even negotiate this on a retainer basis, but that’s a topic for a different post.) Sometimes, it’s effective to drop a quick note to a client to let them know you have some availability for the upcoming month, and ask if they have anything assignments you can take on for them. Do this regularly, and you’ll become a go-to resource in no time.

E – Express your gratitude. I used to think that this went without saying. After talking with a few groups of newer writers, I’ve checked my assumption at the door and have made this an explicit part of my advice. Say thank you, genuinely and frequently, and your clients will notice. I’m not talking about signing every email with “Thanks!” but rather about eloquently conveying your appreciation. Thank clients for new assignments, for their feedback, for their understanding, or simply just for being your client.

If you like a client, and want them to stick around for a long time, these tips will help build a relationship that can last.

What do you do to impress clients and keep them happy?