May 22, 2019 at 10:37Customer Mistakes on First Contact with Freelancer
Working with a freelancer is relevant in many areas and is beneficial for various reasons. A correctly selected specialist saves you money and time, and is also able to flexibly consider and implement your proposals and ideas. However, a freelancer who did not live up to expectations is able to bring losses to the company, and a start-up business will completely go bankrupt.
These unpleasant consequences occur if a freelancer:
In this article I want to outline the main points that you should pay attention to when you first talk with a private specialist.
1. I can do everything, I will do everything on time and in the best possible way in a week!Freelance is a very competitive market, which means its players will be trying to get an order by all means. The problem is that the power of some “players” lies in their ability to make unrealizable promises. So, you believe the person, perhaps transfer the advance payment to him and find yourself surprised that at the time of the deadline the work has not been completed, the task is different from the original, and the freelancer with honest eyes asks for another wait. It seems okay if you do not take into account that time is one of the most valuable resources and making a deal, you are calculating your resources. If the specialist claims that he will do the work on time, I recommend concluding a contract, which, in case of problems, can be notarized and where penalties will be provided, up to a refund.
2.Everyone trusts me. I work without a contract. There are no comments here. Of course, some freelancers do their job efficiently without a contract. But who gives a guarantee that everything will be performed exactly. Please remember that the phrase “Everyone trusts me” or “Ask this or that client” should immediately discourage the desire to do business with this specialist. If you ask a freelancer to conclude a contract, then he must conclude a contract. A normal situation is when a specialist himself offers the customer to conclude an agreement, and he already has the right to agree or refuse. Recently, I myself faced a situation where the help of a private specialist was required. By the way, in that area it turned out that it was not at all customary to conclude an agreement, and I'm still in search.
3. I do everything right, I'm a hero!This item should be noted right away. As I said earlier, freelance is a competitive business, which means that all specialists are replaceable. Therefore, if you brag about completing work on time or observing TK, then something is wrong right away. In such an area, meeting deadlines is the norm; if a person meets deadlines, it’s good, just GOOD! A freelancer is not a hero, he is a specialist and if this specialist competently does his job, you can additionally thank him with a review or a new order.
4. Look at my site, there are all the addresses and pictures of my projects.Any freelancer must have a resume, and the method of submitting a resume must meet the requirements of the customer. If you ask to provide a resume for online shopping, the specialist should provide a resume for online shopping, and not to collect all of their sites from the 1st year of the institute in order to create volume. Remember that you respect your time and want to get a result, and if a specialist doesn’t hear you at the stage of submitting a resume, one may ask, “Is this specialist needed?” I can assume that the freelancer does not have many targeted projects, but having said this to the customer and providing 1-2 projects, he will already show it can be credible, because he presented the real picture.
5. Why do I need a website, do I make them for clients?Well-known proverb “Shoemaker without boots”. However, here the meaning is much deeper. If a specialist, especially a web designer or programmer cannot provide the address of his site, then he either does not have enough experience in work, or time. And if a specialist does not have time for self-improvement and training, then he will not be able to perform non-standard tasks, therefore you will receive mediocre work as a result. I don’t want to deceive you and say that I am an ideal freelancer. I also often do not have enough time for training and self-improvement, or I get so tired of work that I want to move away from the monitor and arrange a day without a PC. Now I am optimizing my time so as to close this gap.
6. I graduated from high school, here is my crust.Often graduates of specialized universities after graduation seek to earn money. And it’s normal that they go to freelance, especially considering all the features of graduate job interviews and the results of these interviews. The problem is that some graduates overestimate the cost of their services, exposing it as optimal in the market and, of course, prefer to show the crust of the institute instead of a resume. The problem is that graduates' prices are often higher than freelancers without special education and reach almost the amounts that companies expose, which, in addition to profits, take into account expenses for office, staff, taxes, etc. I want to note that I do not mean all the specialists who graduated from the university. I know some who adequately assess their strengths, capabilities and appetites, but, unfortunately, there have been other cases. It is worth noting that a freelancer who studied independently or from other specialists and from his own experience has learned how to competently perform a task is valued no less than a specialist who graduated from a university.
These points are intended so that you can, at the first stages of communication with a freelancer, identify your position as a customer and decide whether to start working with him or look for more. I want to note once again that freelance is a competitive market and there are more offers than demand, so I recommend that you pay attention to these 6 points during the first conversation.
I wish you to find a competent specialist in your field who will increase your income by doing everything efficiently and on time.
These unpleasant consequences occur if a freelancer:
- Does not fit the timeline
- Does not comply with the terms of reference or completely follows in his own understanding
- Violates the schedule and reporting
- Not getting in touch
- Does not develop or introduce new technologies
In this article I want to outline the main points that you should pay attention to when you first talk with a private specialist.
1. I can do everything, I will do everything on time and in the best possible way in a week!Freelance is a very competitive market, which means its players will be trying to get an order by all means. The problem is that the power of some “players” lies in their ability to make unrealizable promises. So, you believe the person, perhaps transfer the advance payment to him and find yourself surprised that at the time of the deadline the work has not been completed, the task is different from the original, and the freelancer with honest eyes asks for another wait. It seems okay if you do not take into account that time is one of the most valuable resources and making a deal, you are calculating your resources. If the specialist claims that he will do the work on time, I recommend concluding a contract, which, in case of problems, can be notarized and where penalties will be provided, up to a refund.
2.Everyone trusts me. I work without a contract. There are no comments here. Of course, some freelancers do their job efficiently without a contract. But who gives a guarantee that everything will be performed exactly. Please remember that the phrase “Everyone trusts me” or “Ask this or that client” should immediately discourage the desire to do business with this specialist. If you ask a freelancer to conclude a contract, then he must conclude a contract. A normal situation is when a specialist himself offers the customer to conclude an agreement, and he already has the right to agree or refuse. Recently, I myself faced a situation where the help of a private specialist was required. By the way, in that area it turned out that it was not at all customary to conclude an agreement, and I'm still in search.
3. I do everything right, I'm a hero!This item should be noted right away. As I said earlier, freelance is a competitive business, which means that all specialists are replaceable. Therefore, if you brag about completing work on time or observing TK, then something is wrong right away. In such an area, meeting deadlines is the norm; if a person meets deadlines, it’s good, just GOOD! A freelancer is not a hero, he is a specialist and if this specialist competently does his job, you can additionally thank him with a review or a new order.
4. Look at my site, there are all the addresses and pictures of my projects.Any freelancer must have a resume, and the method of submitting a resume must meet the requirements of the customer. If you ask to provide a resume for online shopping, the specialist should provide a resume for online shopping, and not to collect all of their sites from the 1st year of the institute in order to create volume. Remember that you respect your time and want to get a result, and if a specialist doesn’t hear you at the stage of submitting a resume, one may ask, “Is this specialist needed?” I can assume that the freelancer does not have many targeted projects, but having said this to the customer and providing 1-2 projects, he will already show it can be credible, because he presented the real picture.
5. Why do I need a website, do I make them for clients?Well-known proverb “Shoemaker without boots”. However, here the meaning is much deeper. If a specialist, especially a web designer or programmer cannot provide the address of his site, then he either does not have enough experience in work, or time. And if a specialist does not have time for self-improvement and training, then he will not be able to perform non-standard tasks, therefore you will receive mediocre work as a result. I don’t want to deceive you and say that I am an ideal freelancer. I also often do not have enough time for training and self-improvement, or I get so tired of work that I want to move away from the monitor and arrange a day without a PC. Now I am optimizing my time so as to close this gap.
6. I graduated from high school, here is my crust.Often graduates of specialized universities after graduation seek to earn money. And it’s normal that they go to freelance, especially considering all the features of graduate job interviews and the results of these interviews. The problem is that some graduates overestimate the cost of their services, exposing it as optimal in the market and, of course, prefer to show the crust of the institute instead of a resume. The problem is that graduates' prices are often higher than freelancers without special education and reach almost the amounts that companies expose, which, in addition to profits, take into account expenses for office, staff, taxes, etc. I want to note that I do not mean all the specialists who graduated from the university. I know some who adequately assess their strengths, capabilities and appetites, but, unfortunately, there have been other cases. It is worth noting that a freelancer who studied independently or from other specialists and from his own experience has learned how to competently perform a task is valued no less than a specialist who graduated from a university.
These points are intended so that you can, at the first stages of communication with a freelancer, identify your position as a customer and decide whether to start working with him or look for more. I want to note once again that freelance is a competitive market and there are more offers than demand, so I recommend that you pay attention to these 6 points during the first conversation.
I wish you to find a competent specialist in your field who will increase your income by doing everything efficiently and on time.