The Copy Diva - Julie Cortes

Beware of Word of Mouth

Having run my own freelancing business for almost a dozen years, I often chuckle when I come across those ever-so-lovely “crazy” clients. You know, the ones who think they can totally take advantage of you because you’re self-employed. The ones who will try to not pay your invoice at all or who pay extremely late. The ones who scream at you so loudly that you have to hold the phone two feet from your ear, making you have flashbacks of your teenage years, fighting with your parents. Or the ones who demand an enormous amount of revisions, all at the last minute, all at midnight.

To them I say, “Ha!” I’ve been around the block with enough crazy clients in my time to learn how to (hopefully) prevent these situations and how to protect myself when they do arise. I’ve met with an attorney and got myself a fancy contract written up … one that states that clients are paying for my time as opposed to the finished product, that they’ll pay in full no matter what, and that they’ll pay on time … and if they don’t, they’ll pay a small late fee.

Do they all abide? Of course not. Unfortunately, there are those who will walk all over you as a freelancer no matter what. But those are the people who earn a really bad reputation quickly – not only for themselves, but for their company as well. Because really, do you think I’m going sit here all quietly when something shady like that happens? Of course not. Not many people would.

Freelancers talk. And for the most part, we’re a tight-knit community. We look out for one another and try to prevent others from getting burned by the same schmucks. I, personally, am connected with hundreds of local freelancers in my community. And at the click of a button, I could easily share my horror story and do some major PR damage to the client in just a matter of seconds. Good luck finding a freelancer who’s willing to work with you after hearing that. I’m just sayin’.

So, word to the wise. While it may be in the best interest of a freelancer to deliver promised services and a quality product in a timely fashion, it’s definitely in the best interest of a client to provide frequent and effective communication, make timely payments, and keep all matters professional. No matter how crazy things might get.

Follow Julie Cortés and Aaron Lindberg on twitter @kccopydiva and @aaronlindberg