English poet William Cowper once said, "Variety is the very spice of life." The same variety applies to freelancing clientele. Dancing with a variety of personality types takes skill and experience. Although you may feel burned at times, it doesn't hurt to think positively of these occasional misgivings.
This article aims to bring to light some of the most common behaviors of clients that you will meet online:
- Some clients don't have any inkling what codes mean and what search engine optimization is good for. They just want you to get the job done. If you get into specifics and start using jargons left and right, you might actually end up conducting tutorials to get your point across.
Technophobia is a perennial challenge in the freelancing world. Not all businessmen are Internet-savvy and you'll be surprised that some still prefer to communicate ideas over the phone. Working for technophobes is not a chore when you consider the degree of creative freedom which you get to enjoy in a given project.
- Some clients exhibit their very high standards through nit-picking. Unlike the technophobic individual, this type of client has considerable knowledge with what he wants and how he wants things done.
Working with clients who see themselves as the authority in the business can actually be a straight-forward and educational experience. You go with the flow, you learn from your mistakes (which the client points out with gusto) and you feel a sense of accomplishment upon completing the task.
- Some clients make you think that "Demanding" is their middle name. All the urgent commands and 10 pages of step-by-step instructions didn't just come from habit. The behavior probably emerged after hiring a freelancer who over-promised and over-charged but under-delivered.
Dealing with this type of behavior can be stressful and limiting to your creativity, but it can also an opportunity for you to learn about effective time management and customer satisfaction.*
