Communication plays a critical role in determining the success of a project. Throughout the entire process, you need to build trust with the employer, manage expectations and remain honest at all times. Whilst this can be complex at first, there are a few strategies you can use for each stage of the project lifecycle.
Before the Project is Awarded
Before the project is awarded, remember to highlight why you are the best freelancer for the project. We will endeavour to promote your services and recommend you for quality projects, however, you still need to be involved in the sales process in order to build trust and credibility. When an employer discusses the project with you, it is your job to make them feel confident in your abilities. Here are some tips that should help you along the way:
Open the discussion with a friendly chat
Try to remain professional and casual - not overly formal
Sell yourself and your abilities
Explain how much experience you have
Provide examples of work
Provide strong testimonials
After the Project is Awarded
Once you have been awarded a project, it’s time to get straight to business. You need to accept the project and get the milestones set up immediately. If the employer doesn’t initiate a discussion, it’s up to you to get it started. Explain how you will approach the project and break it down into tangible deliverables. Each of these deliverables should be set up as a milestone. Once this is done, project work begins. The most important things to remember are:
Accept the project immediately
Discuss deliverables and help the employer set up milestones
Get straight to work and clearly communicate timelines
During the Project
During the project, it is important to keep the employer informed. This plays a huge role in managing expectations. Give them regular progress updates and ask for feedback. Ultimately, you will need to be e agile and flexible with a customer-oriented mindset.
Give regular progress updates
Communicate openly
Be agile and flexible
Upon Project Completion
Assuming that the project goes smoothly, it is important to maximise the completion of a project in order to build up your reputation on the site. Employers often forget to provide feedback, so it’s up to you to request a rating and a review. We recommend asking for a detailed review about why they enjoyed working with you. Here are some tips to assist with obtaining a quality review:
Timing is critical: ensure you request review immediately after project completion
Ask for details about why they enjoyed working with you
Don’t force positive feedback before project completion
Hopefully these tips and tricks will help you become a top-notch communicator! If you have any questions or suggestions, please send us an email at preferred@freelancer.com.
