I have been writing about freelancing and web design for over a year now, and I honestly haven’t stumbled upon a hiring guide that teaches clients to hire great freelancers.
Everybody wants to find good clients. Often, freelancers read tips from experts and blogs like these to successfully dig the gold out their freelancing mines.
You always see how-tos ranging from building portfolios to even firing clients.
I am a freelancer, why should I read this?
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You may be asking the same question. How will this article help me? How will it improve my career? Well, here are the following reasons:
- If you are a freelancer, reading this will at least help you understand what a good freelancer is.
- If you know what your clients are looking for, you’ll know what areas need improving.
- Because knowing your client and your skill is essential in becoming a successful freelancer.
Enough about freelancers. Let’s talk about clients.
Why Freelancers Need Clients?
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You, clients, are the source of all the projects we freelancers do. Without you, there will be no tasks and consequently, no money. You need us; we need you.
You need us to continually produce products and services such as websites, blog posts and SEO services. Without us, your marketing campaigns will be handicapped; your website won’t exist, and people wouldn’t probably see your website in search engines.
Why Clients Need Freelancers?
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We, freelancers, need you too.
- Without you, we’d be left broke.
- Without your projects, our craft will die and our creativity will stagnate. Your projects are the fuel to our creative engines. We need you to ask us to create websites, blog posts and SEO services.
- Without you, our efforts are all going to waste, we will be handicapped, and people wouldn’t even bother to follow our footsteps.
Our relationship is symbiotic. We benefit from each other. That is why you should also get to know how to find great freelancers inasmuch as we want to find great clients. So, how do you find great clients?
Here Are a Few Tips:
Know Where to Look
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The Internet is a very vast turf to scour and it will probably take you forever to find the greatest freelancers.
Let’s put it this way: you are hunting for a deer. What do you think will be the most intelligent way to hunt? Search the whole planet – deserts and seas included? Or just go out on the woods?
I tell you, great freelancers that will fit your project and your budget are far more difficult to find than deers in deserts. So, where are you going to look? Here are some interesting places:
Odesk
Elance
Freelancer
Guru
Demand Studios
iFreelance
People Per Hour
Freelance Switch Jobs
99Designs
Smashing Jobs
How Would You Know If a Freelancer Is Really Great?
So, let’s assume you have found a couple of freelancers. But you have no idea whether they are great or otherwise. What will you do? How does a freelancer become great? Here are a few things you can do to determine your freelancer’s skills and outlook towards work:
Look for a portfolio
In freelancing, having a sound portfolio is of paramount importance. Portfolios are used by freelancers to showcase their talents, experience and skills.
Now, if you want to know whether a freelancer is great or not, look for his portfolio. You will see there how your prospect freelancer performs his jobs.
Most of the times, you’ll also see feedback from the freelancers past clients. You will also be able to determine how long the freelancer worked for the said project.
How would you assess one’s freelancer’s portfolio?
- Observe the previous projects taken by said freelancer and assess if the style and expertise matches your needs.
- Note the speed and judge if the freelancer can possibly accomplish your project in your deadline.
- Normally, freelancers attach a pricing page or element in their designs. You can figure out how much the freelancer will charge you through that.
Interview
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Sometimes, looking at things is not enough. At times, connecting with a freelancer on a speaking basis will help you consider if you’ll acquire the services of that freelancer or not. So, to be able to hire a great freelancer, try conducting an interview.
Interviews help you:
- Gauge the communication skills of your freelancer (which can help you with relaying and seeking information about the project)
- Observe how your prospect handles pressure
- Understand how passionate freelancers are with the craft you are hiring them for
Now, if this is your first time to conduct an interview, here are some tips to make your conversation with the prospect easy and fluid:
- Be open to other means of communication. Some freelancers live off-shore so they can’t meet personally.
- Be specific with time and timezones.
- Be friendly but set authority.
- Ask about the freelancer’s:
- Experience
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Don’t forget to inquire about the specifics of the project and how will he be able to handle it
- Talk about:
- Deadlines
- Payments
- Give the freelancer time to ask questions
- Be respectful
If possible, do an assessment task
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If you happen to have a few extra time, you can even ask for an assessment. In freelance writing, this is a common trend. You can pay for that said assessment or make it a requirement for being hired.
Just remember to give the freelancer ample time and details about the project. This will let you measure his time-management, skill, creativity and of course, punctuality.
How to Give Feedback to Freelancers
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Feedback is one of the most important items a freelancer has to accomplish in the project checklist. Here’s what happens if you, freelancers, don’t receive feedback:
- Without feedback, freelancers would not be able to easily identify their strengths and weaknesses.
- Without it, they wouldn’t have new areas to improve. In addition, freelancers also put feedback on their portfolio to further boost their hireability in the future.
However, most clients fail in giving feedback. This is either due to their hectic schedules or due to lack of interest in giving feedback.
As a client, how is feedback important for you?
- It closes the deal between you and the freelancer.
- It leaves you and the freelancer in good terms.
- You can voice out your concerns about him and vice versa.
Now, you may be asking how you, as a client, would give feedback. Should it always be positive? How would you address negative feedback?
For that, here are some tips:
- Be honest and be polite.
- Be clear. If your feedback is positive, make sure it translates as positive.
- Remember to sandwich.
- Give feedback as soon as you could.
- Always walk away without any chip on your shoulders
Addressing Road Bumps
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As in any partnership, road bumps will always come in your way. These small but dangerous circumstances often destroy your client-to-freelancer relationship and can hamper the progress of your performance.
Here are a few freelancing road bumps clients encounter:
My idea did not materialize in the output.
Your Problem: You may have thought of a web layout that looks sleek. Being very excited, you contacted a freelancer. The said freelancer started to create your idea and realize it. Problem is, after a few weeks of coding and designing, you realize that the output you received doesn’t look like the idea that popped into your head. Not even a single pixel.
The Solution: If you the freelancer started on the project already, you should explain to him carefully what you want to see. Ask him if it is doable. Sometimes, what makes a project stuck in its place is the fact that clients think of ideas that are not doable, at least for a given period of time.
Try to be realistic. Also, at times, you tend to space out and not listen to your freelancer. Remember, this project is a two-way street. You give him something, he gives what you want. However, you also need to know what he can give to you. Sometimes, clients go closed ears on their freelancers to a point that no other idea will ever be acceptable.
My freelancer doesn’t report to me on time.
Your Problem: You may have agreed on a certain time of the day to talk about the progress of your project. However, in the course of the project, the freelancer you hired doesn’t respond on time. The freelancer doesn’t answer your emails either. You become really worried because you don’t know what’s happening or if anything is ever accomplished.
The Solution: Relax. Don’t get pissed off so easily. Your freelancer might still be working. At times, freelancers have difficulty when clients ask updates every hour. Give the freelancer some time. If you receive no reply, it might be time to let him go.
Conclusion
Remember that you are looking for freelancers to get things done. However, remember that looking and hiring for great freelancers can be a very difficult task. That is why you need to prepare for these things. Good luck on finding your freelancers!
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