freelancers Tag

14 Mar

Posted at 00:00h in Art & Business
Yesterday I talked about the qualities of a dream client. Most client projects are a two-way street, so now I'm going to focus on all you freelancers out there. Here's a few suggestions for how to make sure every project goes as smoothly as possible. Following these guidelines will also help you gain a great reputation, get good referrals and earn repeat business. 1. It's not about you, it's about the client. This should be obvious but its easily forgotten. The client isn't there for you, you are there for the client. Everything you do needs to be focused on the client's needs and how you can best serve them. You can't always please everyone, but you should sure bend over backwards to try. Your goal should be to make the client look good for hiring you. 2. Ask questions and listen carefully. Gather as much information as you can about the project and about the client's expectations. If you are unsure about something, ask. As the project moves along, keep asking questions. Listen carefully to the answers. Take notes. If you aren't sure about something, repeat back what you think the client is trying to say so that they can correct any misunderstandings. The more you learn about the client's needs and expectations, the easier it will be for you to help them.

13 Mar

Posted at 00:00h in Art & Business, Uncategorized
As a freelance character designer I've worked with a lot of clients over the years: big ones, small ones, established companies and young startups. Most have been terrific and I've been fortunate to work with a lot of really great people. Still, despite the best of intentions not every project runs as smoothly as it could. Even after eleven years of freelancing I still occasionally work on projects that get bogged down by miscommunication, misunderstanding, and avoidable delays. If you hire freelance artists, or are thinking of hiring one soon, here's a list of friendly tips on how to help things go smoothly. Of course project delays and difficulties aren't always the client's fault. Tomorrow I'll turn the tables and give some thoughts aimed at all you freelancers out there. For now, here's some tips on being a "dream client": 1. Give the freelancer as much information about the project as possible. The more info the better. Who is the target audience? What is the project trying to accomplish? Is there a certain style or tone you are after? How will the art be used? Will it need to be enlarged or reduced? How will it fit into the context of the larger project? A lot of these are questions the freelancer should be asking you, but if he doesn't you should offer the information anyway. There's no such thing as too much detail.

09 Oct

Posted at 00:00h in Art & Business

OK, one is a Top Twelve list and the other is a Top Thirteen list. Still, these are some terrific articles from one of my favorite blogs, FreelanceSwitch.com: 12 Breeds Of Client And How To Work With Them Thirteen Breeds Of Freelancer And How To Up Your Game FreelanceSwitch has also started a podcast. I haven't had a chance to listen to it...