Imagine this: you have a crystal ball to screen potential clients before they even attend the first proposal meeting. Learning to recognize unsuitable customers can take some trial and error. It’s common for new Salesforce freelancers to feel rushed to land their first clients since they consider landing any customer a blessing.
Eventually, they will reach a point where they’ll learn to distinguish between the customers they want and those they don’t want. This ability is critical because it lets freelance salespeople and marketers put their efforts where they will achieve the most impact. It can seem counterintuitive to fire a client or turn down business but learning to say no is as important to a freelancer as knowing when to fold is in poker. Without this skill, your clients will always have the advantage.
Freelancing has its Challenges
When starting out as a freelancer, it’s crucial to put in as much effort as possible and accept every job that comes your way. This will help you make connections and get some money in the bank, and it will also help you define your area of specialization. Learning on the job means you’ll have a lower hourly rate, but you’ll also be building skills for your future.
It is crucial to have thorough documentation when starting as a freelancer. The client will have a better picture of what they’re paying for, and you’ll develop a foundation to create a professional process to serve clients in the future. When documentation and workflows become more routine, it’ll be easier for your customers to see what kind of service you’re offering. As you gain more experience, it will be easier to spot clients who are not a good fit.
“It is often said in sales that getting a ‘No’ is almost as good as getting a ‘Yes’.”
Decide Who You Won’t Work With
There are two categories of potential customers I will not work with: the first group offered work subcontracted from another provider. In this case, the client would be two or three layers distant from me, so if there was an issue, it might take me days to reach them.
The second group of customers needed work that was not exactly what the client had asked for. In both situations, I experienced the same problems: work instructions that weren’t clear and clients with whom I couldn’t communicate.
A freelancer can’t do a good job for a customer if the customer can’t explain what their goals are. For me, unclear objectives or poor communication were warning signs. At the first meeting with a client, I usually tell them what my concerns are by asking them direct questions and going over their goals. If I don’t understand exactly what they want, I will politely decline the work. I will explain what I can offer and how I plan to work with them, and I’ll suggest that they would be better off with someone else. Even if we don’t work together again, I want my clients to feel that they still got some value from our meeting.
Red Flags for Freelancers
If the client is unreachable during normal work hours, I won’t accept work if it requires collaboration. When clients give me vague goals, I will make it a priority to establish whether I know enough to solve their problems or if I’m totally lost. The problem of setting clear goals for myself shouldn’t be confused with identifying what the client’s goals are.
Unclear objectives usually sprout from clients not understanding what they want or need. When clients come to me with goals that aren’t well-defined, I find they often overestimate their knowledge of the problem and underestimate the difficulty of the solutions. Knowing the red flags that show this customer is not a good fit can save you and the client a lot of wasted time.
Do What’s Right for You and Your Clients
Politely deny jobs by offering alternate services. There are several benefits to this kind of response. First, you can facilitate the introduction of other freelancers who might be a better fit for the clients. Also, it is helpful to continue providing value to the client. You may be in a better position to help this client in the future, either because your skill sets have grown or because the client has developed a better understanding of what they need from you.
Stay Tough – You’ll Make It!
Even though it might be hard at first, part of becoming an expert in your field is deciding which clients you won’t work with. Most of your customers are coming to you because they are clueless and need your help. Freelancers owe it to their clients to help them, and that means letting them know when their needs don’t match the solutions the client is looking for. There is a big difference between professionals and amateurs when it comes to using the power to say ‘no’.
