Choose your customers-
A concept that has been gaining momentum over the years: the customer is not always right and we really don’t have to work with everyone. When a new client arrives from a recommendation, an advertisement you made or from social networks, it is important to listen to your inner voice and intuition already during the introductory conversation. Sometimes clients come who are not a good fit for us. You need to listen and first identify the person’s energy.
Is he attentive, open to ideas? Will he trust you in the process and not sabotage the project with doubts and over-control?
Secondly, it is important to identify from the description of needs whether the person understands the boundaries of the project within the agreed budget. Does he understand what he will receive? Check carefully that he is not someone who will squeeze out more and more services/products without paying for them.
Another important thing is to identify if there is chemistry and whether we enjoy talking to the client. Does he use respectful and pleasant language? Does he “dig” and unnecessarily drain a lot of energy from you?
If there is any warning sign – it is better not to ignore it, because in most cases the payment you receive for the project will not be worth the energy/nerve/extra work you will experience. From our experience – we do not work with everyone!
It seems obvious. We should go for projects that interest us, that challenge us, that we know how to do for sure and that we know how to guarantee a good and professional result. But at the same time, we also sometimes recommend getting out of our comfort zones and stretching the boundaries. For example, if a client requests a film using a technique that we haven’t used in a while, or brings a reference that seems different to what we usually do – don’t dismiss it outright – try to challenge yourself and not just say “no” out of fear. Who knows? Maybe this will open up an opportunity for you to market a new product or other avenues.
At the same time, it is also important to know how to refuse projects that seem unprofitable to you/projects that are described in a vague way, such that you know what you are getting into but don’t know how you will get out of them, and of course projects that are not suitable in terms of schedule or deadline.
Almost every freelancer in any field has to collaborate with other people. This can be a one-time collaboration with someone or a long-term engagement with a supplier or employee who joins you in doing business. It is important to know how to choose people who are a good fit for you, not only in terms of price, skills, and resumes. When you are interviewing staff members or meeting with a future collaborator, it is important to pay attention to the person’s energy, their pace, their way of thinking, and to check with yourself whether there is chemistry and compatibility between the person you are working with. Many times, friction arises precisely because of such a mismatch in pace, perspective, etc. Making the right choice can help you avoid unpleasant situations. It is also important to surround ourselves with pleasant, interesting people who will improve us, who will cheer us up and know how to help or say the right word on less good days, because in many cases we spend more time with work friends than with family and the friends we have chosen in our personal lives.
Choose yourself –
And last but not least, and actually the most important – choose yourself. Because why become independent if you don’t have a moment to breathe or if you don’t see the children, or if you don’t have a personal life? So it’s true that there are periods when you need to invest more in the business, but it’s always important to listen to your inner voice, know how to take a break when you need to, and plan your time in a way that serves you. You are allowed to choose whether to work in an office or take a day off and work in a cafe or on the beach. Don’t forget to choose to invest in yourself, whether it’s in enrichment studies or a professional conference or anything else (yes, a company vacation for yourself is important too!). You have already chosen to be independent, and by that very fact you have allowed yourself greater freedom of choice than salaried employees, and therefore we remind you not to forget to choose yourself every day, to enjoy what you do and not to sink into the clutter and an endless list of “needs,” which wears you down and makes you forget why you actually chose to do what you do.
This week you have the opportunity to try to influence what is happening in our country, but every day you have the power to influence and dictate what your business will look like and how you will feel working in it. This is real power that is important to use wisely. The right decisions and choices will leverage you and allow you to work happily and easily. And even if you made a few mistakes along the way, everything is okay. In the end, this can turn out to be great material for the next blog…
