Freelancers struggle until they know this.
Your skills do not make you money as a freelancer, whether you run your thing or use platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, and the rest. Yes, you read that correctly. Thousands of people with your skill are broke or barely breaking even, so if it’s all about skill, people should start making money immediately after they acquire a digital skill. Still, you will understand the reality if you’ve ever attempted to get your first job on Upwork, get a remote job, or win a project as an independent contractor. If not skills, then what?
As a top freelancer on Upwork who had worked on several projects and with several brands across the world, I found out that although our core or technical skill is what we market and sell as services on freelance platforms, it is not half as important as having, in addition, the soft skill of effective communication.
Your core skills, for example, cloud computing, SQL, coding, design, writing, or virtual assistant skills, are valuable services. Still, it would be helpful if your communication skills improved. Let’s consider the stages where your communication skills as a freelancer are indispensable.
1. Job application stage.
Communication is done in two ways: speaking/writing and listening/reading. During this stage, you must actively and effectively understand the prospective client’s needs once they expressly communicate, once they imply, and once you understand by experience what they need and may not know. This helps you as a freelancer filter projects that are an excellent match for you to deliver an outstanding service to the client.
After identifying the right project, you must communicate your understanding of the project, similar experience, and competence for the job. This communication task is one major challenge why some top Fiverr freelancers struggle to find their foot on Upwork, as it requires more communication skills , specifically writing abilities. Unfortunately, many core tech guys and creatives are not typically interested in writing and lengthy communications.
After the Upwork proposal stage, meetings and interviews are the next stage in getting a freelance project. Amazingly, it is another communication cycle where your verbal communication skills are tested subconsciously. It is the vehicle to market your understanding of the project, get more details needed for execution and convince the client of your ability to deliver a successful result.
2. Contract execution stage.
I worked for a multinational company as a freelancer. I realised my workload was 75% communication, reading about two to three pages long instructions, revisions, scope changes, and all, and writing long responses. My video editing skills only couldn’t have seen me through that project. All thanks to my communication skills. A freelancer not inclined to communicate effectively will be frustrated with such a project. Let me give the manager of the in-house creative team of that multinational his onions, too; his communication game is fantastic, too.
When a client has good communication skills, you expect a smooth ride with the project. Even if the project is super complicated, you and your client will be able to navigate through it. Another important aspect of this stage is communication work in progress with clients at specific or sporadic intervals. I realised clients love to be updated as much as possible.
3. Delivery stage.
When delivering an order as a freelancer, though it varies every time depending on the project and my relationship with the client, I typically say something like:
Hi Donald,
Thank you so much for your patience while I worked on this project. Here is a link to the completed video content files:
(I add a link here.)
I’ve carefully reviewed everything to ensure it matches your expectations and is error-free, but if you notice anything that needs adjusting, please let me know. I’m here to help with any questions you might have!
Looking forward to hearing your feedback.
Best regards,
Sunday
Sometimes, the client may communicate that there is a need for revisions at this stage. As a freelancer, you should make the client feel understood and ask questions for clarification on any instructions or communication you find cloudy.
4. Post-contract stage.
After the client approves that you’ve successfully taken the project to the promised land and released payment, a typical client, ceteris paribus, will ghost you, but that can be avoided. At this stage, the client already got what they wanted, but as a freelancer, this is where you take the lead in the communication game.
You can tactically ask if the client has other projects for you or if they have anyone in their circle they feel may need your service. Also, you might propose an incentive to make the one-off client a returning client. Communicating all this can be awkward for the freelancer and especially the client. But it is all about how you present your communication. I might dedicate an entire article to just this in the future.
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