How To Be Transparent As A Freelancer

Every day more and more people are becoming freelancers as the demand is steadily increasing. Businesses both large and small are looking for freelancers to work on one-off projects, and most of the time they use the same freelancers. So why is it that some freelancers get repeat work and you’re not? It’s all about being transparent.

Transparency has been a bit of a buzzword in the business world recently, and for good reason. More and more marketers are using transparency in their marketing plan, but that’s for another blog, let’s talk about what transparency is. Transparency is where you’re completely honest and share the smallest of details, even when you mess up.

Have an FAQ page

This is a page missed by many freelancers, newbies and veterans, however, it’s an important link in the chain of trust. Any questions that clients have previously asked, or you think may ask, should be on your website (or freelancer profile) and should be informative. Not only is it for trust, it also saves time for you and the client (no more long phone calls!). Keep your FAQ page within the same topic, and if you do have a lot of answers to put up then make sure you organise them accordingly.

Make sure they are questions that are frequently asked, and not just a dumping ground for answers.

Have an About Me page too

An about me page is a way for clients to get to know you as a person, so they can put a personality to the email. They will not longer be dealing with a stranger, but a person. In your about me page, list your qualifications and past experience, but also list some hobbies too. Add a professional looking photo to your page, or if you’re camera shy then you can always get a graphic made of you (our members, Fruitbowl Media, have done this). Let your clients know about you.

If you are a team of freelancers, include them too!

Update your clients

Keep your clients in the loop with what you are working on. If it is a long term project then send an update every other day or so and let them know how far into the project you are or any USEFUL updates. This will help put your clients mind at ease, hiring a freelancer can be a worry for some (especially if they are remote workers, and even more so if they have paid you upfront.

Difficulties (timing or skill wise)

If you run into any difficulties whilst working on a project for a client, let them know. Often there are times where a client will offer you a project but you’re not 100% comfortable with the skills required, tell them! Don’t try to wing it, you will lose their trust and their busineIf you can’t finish a project on time, let them know as soon as you know. It’s pretty daunting having to open up about any mistakes you have made, especially if it’s a huge client, however, it will pay off in the long run.

Pricing

A lot of freelancers are terrified of putting their prices on their website, thinking it will put people off. Most businesses have a budget in mind and are often working to a time constraint, by putting prices on your website you are cutting out a phone call or a few emails from their day, and that adds up! It’s creating a lot less friction between you and your client.

Ask for recommendations from previous clients

Do you have previous clients that were happy with your work? Send them a quick email and ask politely if they would be happy to write you a testimonial, both for your website and on your LinkedIn. LinkedIn recommendations for overlooked by many, but it’s often the first port of call to prospective clients. Display your testimonials clearly on your website

Show prospective clients your work in action

Find ways to show your prospective clients your work in action, whether that’s through a portfolio, a website you’ve built or through downloadable resources. If you are going down the route with downloadable resources, give them the content free in exchange for their email address. This allows you to build up your database of contacts plus they get to see your expertise.

Your clients will appreciate being kept “in-the-loop” as well as how open you are about your work as this is a sign you’re doing a good job. If you personally hired a freelancer to build you a website, you would want regular updates rather than being in the dark until it’s complete, am I right?