9 Client Communication Tips For Freelancers

Working remotely as a freelancer means trying to manage client relationships whilst building innate trust from the get-go. You might have started the relationship with an in-person interview or Zoom call, but on an ongoing basis, you won’t be sharing the same physical office space as a remote freelancer, so it’s essential to master your communication style.

Remote working can make communication problematic, poor communication is one of the most common reasons for clients not calling back. If you don’t communicate frequently enough, your clients will continuously check in with you wanting updates. If you end up miscommunicating, you could be wasting your time working on deliverables that the client doesn’t want because you or the client weren’t transparent with the expectations and deliverables. Communication plays a huge role in your freelance business, let’s learn how to refine it.

1. Happy mood & a smile goes a long way

You’ve probably heard this advice before, that you should always smile when talking on the phone, but is it all just a gimmick, or does smiling really affect the tone of the call? Here’s how smiling impacts a phone call, and why your employees should be talking with smiling faces.

Smiling affects your vocal tone

When you smile, your tone actually becomes more positive and friendly. You can try this for yourself by smiling and saying something really negative aloud to yourself. You’ll probably notice that, regardless of what you say, your tone is more upbeat and friendly when you say it with a smile.

We are all incredibly perceptive, even our body language can be interpreted through vocal patterns. If you are talking on the phone and have a negative posture, frowning face, and defensive attitude, it will come across in your voice. That’s why customer service agents are always reminded to smile while they are talking, or begin smiling before they even start to speak.

When you talk with a client, be mindful of your state, if you’re having a tough start to the day, do anything that lifts your mood up, play your favourite song, call your best friend beforehand, go for a walk, do something that impacts your state in less than 60 seconds and you’ll see the impact it has on your next call.

2. Let’s leave small talk for later

Many communication experts say to make small talk before you jump to the point, but I disagree with this, here’s why:

Example one:

“Hey Josh, how are you doing? How’s your dog? How’s the weather? Has the brief been signed off, so that I can start the edit?”

Example two:

Hey Josh, Has the brief been signed off, so that I can start the edit? Great, how are you doing? How’s your dog? How’s the weather?

You can clearly see the difference in those examples. Always come to the point first and then do the small talk later. Be clear, go straight to the point first, and then have the pleasantries once the business essentials are out of the way.

3. Be a good listener

Good listening skills are important in any business relationship. Take the time to really listen to your client. If you don’t understand why something is important to a client, you’re probably not listening or asking the right questions. Follow up with more specific questions and listen to what your client has to say.

• Don’t interrupt your client. Use short expressions to encourage your client to speak more, such as “go on,” “this makes sense,” and “Yes, I understand.”

• Especially on Zoom calls, use non-verbal cues to show that you are listening like head nods, expressions and acknowledgements that what has been said, has been heard.

• Maintain eye contact and take short notes where possible.

4. Be polite and adopt a helpful tone

Your tone of voice is such a crucial component in client communication. It has a huge affect on the meaning of the communication — Albert Mehrabian’s study suggests 55% of communication is in our tonality! Your tone will dictate the level of formality, command and professionalism that you want to present. it goes without saying that your predicates (words) go hand in hand with your tone, take the examples above: “Anything else?” and “What else can I help you with?”. One is clearly sliding into the bitter-sounding territory, while the other feels friendly but still professional. That’s where you’ll want to be for the large majority of your client interactions.

5. Use positive language

Positive language keeps the conversation moving forward and prevents accidental conflicts due to miscommunication. Words like can’t, won’t, and didn’t — and phrases like “you have to” or “you need to” — are usually interpreted as negative. Focus on how you’re going to fix the problem, and avoid words that cause knee-jerk reactions and resistance. This is essentially what 90% of job descriptions are saying, when they have that famous phrase, ‘we’re looking for a can-do attitude’. Having a positive, solution-focused approach can go a long way.

6. Use your clients name

If you’re not using the client’s name or brands name in your initial meeting, you’re missing an opportunity to use the psychology of consumer behavior to your advantage. Dale Carnegie advised readers to “Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” use the name they use! Sérgio is Sérgio, not Sergio. Katie is Katie, not Kate. If you don’t have the person’s name, you can go with a friendly, generic greeting like: “Hey there!”

7. Honesty over everything

It’s better to say no and potentially disappoint a customer than hedge with falsehoods such as “hmm, great idea.” If the answer is really no, it’s best to be upfront about that.

People can generally spot insincerity when they see it, so if you don’t think it’s a good idea to add another fancy animation to a video, don’t make them think you do. It’ll save both parties time by being honest as soon as possible.

8. Respect your client’s time

While you should contact your client on a regular basis, you also don’t want to take up too much of their time. Generally speaking, unless a client requests more time, most phone calls should last no more than 10 to 15 minutes for updates. Don’t call your clients for an idle chit-chat. They’re busy and so are you, so keep your contact as professional as possible unless your client reaches out to you socially and you’ve formed a relationship outside of work.

9. Ask your client for their thoughts and opinions

Any time you discuss new business, ask your client what they think about the information you’ve shared. You should be giving your opinions on the matters you discuss with your client. Ask their opinion of the information you’ve relayed to determine whether your views coincide. Acknowledge and respect the client’s opinion and feedback on it. Even if you disagree, say something like, “Yes, I can see your point and I’m curious on your thoughts behind this.” If you know that a client is wrong and that they’re setting up for a failure or a potential bad design choice, don’t be afraid to speak up and voice your professional opinion.

Hope this helps. 💖

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