“What are my clients afraid of?” What freelancers can do to soothe their clients.

No matter what kind of freelance work you do, you are selling yourself as a product in the first place. And most likely, you are engaged in B2B selling where you perform a service that will help business grow. When it comes to B2B selling, there are two major forces that shape decisions made by clients – they are laziness and fear. The client is lazy to do a given task on their own, so they outsource it to you. And what about fear? How can you make your client believe you are a safe and reliable partner that will handle their task most accurately?

Any client is human. Their projects may be huge and complex, but at the end of the day any client just wants to know everything will be fine. Below are the most frequent concerns that customers voice in regards to the freelancer they choose.

“I am afraid this freelancer may simply fail the task and leave”

Well, this is a reasonable concern for any customer, leave alone those that are ready to pay a hefty sum for a project. As a contractor, you need to show that you feel for this project and that you can be trusted. Instead of throwing in a general ‘Check out my portfolio’, opt for sending a particular set of works that will be the most relevant for your client and for the project at hand.

“What if they do something totally different from what I expect?”

To freelancers, the concern may seem irrelevant. I mean, it is the client who pictures the end result, right? So it is their best interest to provide as much detail as necessary, isn’t it? Realistically, it is not always the case. Freelancers need to take the lead in the process and document what exactly is wanted of them. Having a documented description (Miro, Google Slides, Figma or anything else) is helpful in further work. Both parties will have a shared understanding of what the result looks like and may use it as evidence in case of disagreement. Even before you begin work, show your client that you know what is expected and describe your approach to their task.

“They will leave if things don’t go smoothly”

To counter this fear, you could demonstrate that you are persistent and that you are able to see two steps ahead. The key here is to stay proactive by foreseeing potential risks and difficulties. Of course, this particular skill and fortune telling abilities, so to speak, are in direct proportion to your experience. However, you may still be alert to any future inconsistencies by learning more about the project (and its history) from the client and by doing some research of your own. Additionally, you may want to consider an escrow payment tool to keep the money safe. Clients will then be sure that you are tied with them till funds are released.

“They are super-experienced; they will probably ask for a pay that is above the market average”

If you are only starting your way in freelance, the odds are your prices are reasonable, if not on the lower side while you are building your portfolio. But that is a different story if you are an experienced professional who was approached by a client on a budget. You may begin by explaining to a tight-budget client that your expertise is worth the money. Then, you may want to offer them plans on how much work you can do for their price. This way, you will appear friendly, willing and supportive.

“What if they work with my competitor?”

To address this fear, you may want to use a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). You can either propose your own template or sign your client’s. With NDAs, you need to carefully revise limitations and conditions that you will be subject to. While it is important that you give your client a peace of mind by signing an NDA, you don’t want to compromise your freedom and portfolio by never telling anyone of the job you did for the client.

A secure payment method is 50% of your deal

A payment tool that you offer your client significantly contributes to your client’s experience with you. The more secure and reliable your payment method is, the more at ease are your clients.

To provide your client with a secure tool, you may want to use EasyStart, the new freelancer payment service. Payment is done through a payment link that is sent to the customer. You can receive money to your bank card or bank account.

Unlike traditional payment services, EasyStart works worldwide and provides legal closing documents that you can send to your client and use to legalize your income. With EasyStart, freelancers don’t limit themselves by geography and can work on any project with any client.

Summary

• In a deal, nobody wants to be underpaid or overcharged. So an open discussion and relevant evidence will really help in settling disputes on pricing.
• Clients seem to have a lot at stake as any project they outsource is part of a greater business. To keep your client calm, stay open to additional conditions.
• EasyStart is a secure tool to request payment and to provide closing documents for both yourself and the client.
• As any client is primarily a business, the major factors behind their decisions are laziness and fear. If you explain well how exactly you will solve their problem for them risk-free, you will gain traction as a responsible freelancer that meets every need. Ultimately, a secure client line is the basis for a consistent stream of income.