Tag / client relationships

by caitlyncallahan14

finding and welcoming new clients

Over the past couple of months, my clients have kept me on my toes with quite a bit of end-of-summer work coming my way. I’ve spent dozens of hours between June and now cranking out content on a variety of topics including personal finance, healthcare, Medicare, job search and career information, travel and more.

While I’ve been busier than ever, it’s been the most exciting and fun time of my freelancing career so far. Plus, not only have I been writing, but I’ve been forced to perfect an even better organization and time management system for myself.

That said, the time has come once again to expand my business. I’m ready to bring more work to Callahan Communication.

If you or someone you know owns a business or works for a company who is in need of content production, freelancers, or contractors for marketing purposes, my Contact Me form is a great place to start! Or, they can send me a private message on Facebook or Instagram @callahancommunication.

I’ve also been working diligently on putting together a services & pricing guide and client welcome packet for prospective and new clients to help ensure we have the best working relationship possible and they get all deliverables they’re expecting.

Read on to learn what you’ll get if you contact me and if you hire me!

what I include in my services & pricing guide

When you contact me to learn more about how we can best work together and what I can bring to your business, I will email or review in person a services & pricing guide. This guide is meant to be a high-level overview of my business and what I offer so that you can make the most informed and best decision for your brand.

my story

I love what I do, and I’ve been doing it for a long time. Here, learn more about me as I introduce myself and my business, including what I value, why I do what I do, and what I hope to do for you. It’s essential that prospective clients know they are working with a person, so I’ll also give you a peek at who I am and what I’m all about.

service packages overview

If you have a general idea of the types of services you’ll need, great! I’ll send you package overviews specific to your needs. If you aren’t sure yet, that’s ok too! You’ll receive summaries of my most encompassing service packages and we can narrow down your options from there.

deliverables

I want to make sure it’s clear what you’ll receive, gain and achieve after working together, so here I’ll outline specific deliverables to each service package. However, I recognize flexibility is key, so once hired, we can work together to clearly outline deliverables tailored to your needs.

portfolio

I want you to feel confident that I’ll bring exceptional work to the table, so here you’ll find information about past clients, as well as links to previous work so you can see for yourself.

client testimonials

And, you don’t have to take just my word for it. Read some testimonials from previous happy and satisfied clients.

processes

When you hire a freelancer or agency, you need to know what to expect. Here, find a general outline of my processes so you know what to expect and when, and to better understand if we’re a good fit to work together.

FAQs

This list of frequently asked questions from clients, and my answers, can help ensure a positive, successful working relationship.

call to action

Ready to learn more? This section outlines all of the ways you can contact me to take the next steps, including scheduling a free consultation, contract and SOW process, and more.

what I include in a client welcome packet

Once you’ve let me know you’re interested in working together, I want to make sure you feel confident and comfortable with your choice. You’ll receive either in the mail, through email, or in person, a client welcome packet guiding your through the most important pieces of working together.

welcome message

You made the right choice by hiring me for your content or digital marketing needs. I’ve spent almost my entire life immersed in the world of content and communication, and want to help business owners be successful through the power of the written word.

services overview

This page summarizes the services/package you’ve hired me for, so it’s clear what is (and isn’t) included. Our formal contract and statement of work will be built off of this information so we are always on the same page and expectations are clear.

communication

I take pride in being available for my clients. I’ll hare with you the best ways to contact me, and how and when I’ll plan to communicate with you.

processes

Here, I’ll be very clear about my process so you’ll know what to expect, including what I need from you, what I’ll deliver, deadlines, and more. This includes the contract, SOW, deliverables, editing processes and more.

I’ll also take time to briefly explain my process for investigating and understanding your brand and business, how I create content that works for you, and what the editing and finalization process entails so you can rest assured you’re receiving exceptional work every time.

guidelines

I want to make sure we both are maximizing our time working together, so I’ll share some guidelines and best practices that may be helpful.

tools & resources

If applicable, I’ll share tools you need to be familiar with, plus links to information, ebooks or other educational or informational tools that may be helpful during our time working together.

FAQs

This list of frequently asked questions from clients, and my answers, can help ensure a positive, successful working relationship.

next steps

I’ll clearly state for you what next steps are, either from you or myself, as well as timelines. I want to make sure you feel confident in moving forward together.

If you’re a freelancer and looking to grow your business, feel free to use my services & pricing guide and client welcome packet outlined here for inspiration for your own brand!

by caitlyncallahan14

in with the old

Recently I was messaged by a client I worked with in the past asking if I was still writing, and if I’d be able to help them with some content needs they had.

This client was one of the first I ever had on Upwork (in fact, I think he was the second). The pay was great (at the time), I was enjoying the content topics and writing, and he was an easy client to work with.

However, due to personal things going on at the time that took up a lot of mental space, and a lack of true commitment to freelancing (mostly because I was overwhelmed), I didn’t provide the best experience that this client deserved. We worked together on and off for a year, and then I basically ghosted them and one year later, ended the contract.

I was shocked when he reached back out. Because while the content I provided was exceptional, the rest of the relationship wasn’t. I’m embarrassed with how I handled our contract. I’ll be honest.

But I’ve come a long way in the past year and a half. And so when I got his message asking if I could do some work, I decided that, as embarrassed as I was, it was my duty to show up and prove my worth. To repair that relationship, and in addition to providing exceptional work, go above and beyond with my customer service.

It’s just the right thing to do.

The more I think about it, I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only freelancer/business owner out there who is disappointed in themselves for how they handled a contract, sale, client relationship, whatever. We probably all have that one or two clients or customers who haunt us and keep us up at night.

Because over time, we’ve grown. We’ve gotten better. We’ve learned to thrive. And those marks on our record are hard to forget.

And this past week I realized the important thing is… you’ve grown. And you’ve gotten better. And you’ve learned to thrive.

And it’s ok to have those ghosts.

Because we were learning. We were just figuring things out. We were overwhelmed, taking on too much too fast, or drowning while trying to find the balance between life, work and side-hustle work.

It’s not ok now. I won’t accept anything but the best for my clients. And I’ll never have more ghosts that keep me up at night. (Or at least I’ll do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.)

But I fully believe part of growing your business is ensuring you grow as a person, both personally and professionally. While I improve my craft and learn more about industries and writing and content, I also improve how I communicate with clients, meet deadlines, stay organized, and build relationships.

That’s what’s important.

If you have those ghosts, don’t forget them. Let them push you to grow and be better. But don’t let them hold you back. It’s part of life. It’s part of owning and growing a business. It’s part of freelancing.

Is there a point to this blog post? Not really. But I felt it important to recognize that we all mess up sometimes. We all make mistakes that we have to learn and grow from. It’s part of what we do. But as long as we don’t do it again, and are constantly improving, it’s ok.

And, it’s even better if one of those old mistakes comes back and gives you a second chance to prove yourself.

by caitlyncallahan14

when it’s not a good fit

When you have a small business, your customers or clients are your lifeblood. They are how you keep your business alive, and ideally, the more you have, the more you thrive.

When you run a freelance or consulting business, developing great relationships with your clients is critical. It’s something that’s personally incredibly important. I do everything I can to have and maintain positive working relationships with my clients:

  • I give them several ways to get a hold of me, including messenger, email and my cell phone number for calling or texting.
  • I never miss a deadline. In fact, I try to go above and beyond deadlines and get the pieces in earlier than asked for.
  • I spend the time it takes on my assignments, making sure they are exceptionally written, edited and formatted to their expectations.
  • I always ask for and embrace feedback, and offer one round of edits on all of my work to make sure it’s exactly what they need.
  • If I haven’t heard from a client in a few days, I reach out. Make sure they saw my assignment submission, check in, ask about any other assignments they may need, etc.

But sometimes, even through all of that, a client just isn’t a good fit. They might even just be a prospective client who after having conversations with, you aren’t sure they are the best for you or you for them.

Spoiler alert – that’s ok.

It’s taken me my whole life to come to this conclusion, and three years of freelancing to really embrace it. In my opinion, what it comes down to is your value for yourself, your time, and your business.

Recently I’ve ended a few contracts with clients because they were unresponsive, had unrealistic expectations or requests, communicated poorly, or no longer pay what I believe my work is worth. I also turned down work from a new client because I didn’t feel like having the “client count” or money from the assignments would be worth what I knew would be a tough, struggling and even frustrating relationship.

Doing these things, and saying no when I wasn’t comfortable, was incredibly freeing. I’ve learned to value myself and my work more than accepting poorly paying jobs just so I have something. I run my own business and I am a professional, and I want to work with clients who treat me and my work with the respect I believe I deserve.

I’m going to assume that if you’re a freelancer, consultant, or other small business owner, you’ve encountered something like this in your career. It’s not fun. But, having to deal with customers or clients who are not a good fit is how we learn who is a good fit and grow in our professions. We are able to recognize the value of ourselves and our work, appreciate clients and our work on another level, and have a greater respect for ourselves and the business we’ve worked so hard to build.

It’s hard to turn down work that could add to your portfolio. Or payment for an assignment that you really could do. Something is better than nothing, right? Perhaps, and if you’re in the situation where that’s the reality, then you may have to take that job or work for that client until you can get back on your feet. (I’ve been there, too.) But the more you stand up for yourself and your business, and continue to work and build relationships with clients who matter, the more value you will get out of what you do – both professionally, and personally.