Dealing with Conflict as a Freelancer
Freelancing means you are an entire business unto yourself. To many, that’s part of the attractiveness of being a freelancer. As a freelancer, you manage your own workload, set your own work day, and choose your own clients. But with all things, there are always pros and cons. Being a freelancer, it also means that when conflict occurs , you don’t have a supervisor or a team to turn to for advice or guidance. Like the rest of freelancing, it’s all on you. So what are the best ways to handle conflict when it arises?
For a start, it is important to remember no one wants to be difficult just for the sake of being difficult - usually they are just frustrated and trying to get the job done. Hence if you met with a difficult client, try to understand that they are coming to you for help and are not actively trying to make your life difficult. Remembering this will help you approach the situation with calmness and professionalism.
Usually, when conflict occurs, it is either that the client has unreasonable expectations of you, or they don’t really know what they want at all, which sets the project up to fail right at the beginning.
The good new is we can try to mitigate the issues with some simple steps:
1. The Devil is in the details
In most cases, the project turned nasty because from the outset the client failed to provide you with sufficient details for you to complete the job as they want it. As they are not expert in your area, hence it is quite normal for them to generalize the task and missed providing detail that may be important.
Whenever you feel like the task is a bit vague and can be misinterpreted, ask for more information before you begin. At CreativesAtWork, we have created Project Brief templates that the client can fill in so as to avoid missing out any details which is important to know. Every client is different and hence, it is good to always seek consensus with the specification and the direction that you are heading. With open communication and mutual understanding, trust and confidence will slowly build up between you and the client which can possibly lead to a long term relationship. Once you obtained all the necessary details, don't forget to include them in a contract or in an agreement. This will back you up later if any issues arise pertaining to details you never had in the first place.
2. Keep a record of everything
Save every email and try to take minutes/notes after discussion (it would be best if you can send those notes or minutes back to the client for their concurrence after the meeting), as well as any instructions and files sent to you. By doing this, you keep record of what was asked from you. This will be useful when it comes to an ugly situation of "who says what". You can use those emails or minutes/notes to back you up in the event of such confrontation.
3. Acknowledge the client's concern
Most of the time, all a frustrated person wants is to be heard. They want to know that their concerns are being listened to and that they are valid. Sometimes all you need to do is just to listen and practice empathy in a conflict.
Don’t get defensive with a difficult client. In your freelance career, you are going to be wrong sometimes. This is normal so it’s best to acknowledge that you could be wrong too and acknowledge the mistake and learnt from it. Other times, the client will be wrong, and may or may not understand that they are at fault. Either way, you are a professional, and professional should not get emotional and take up the issue personally. You should listen, learn, grow and work to find common ground to solve problems.
4. Use of your language is important
We live in a world with dashed off emails and quick texts, and we don't paid attention to diction, tone, or other signifiers of your relationship to the person on the other end. But to be a great freelancer, you need to ensure that you are paying attention to these details. Take a moment and read through your emails, your whatsapps and your SMS messages. Are they displaying the personality you want to show to a client? Could you be more pleasant? More thorough? More respectful? The difference between the average worker – in any field – and the high performer is how they communicate. Be careful with your language. You have control over what you say – use it well.
5. Let them go
If you have tried your best and the situation is beyond salvage, just let it go. Dealing with difficult clients is part of any professional’s life, don't feel bad about it. If a client is rude or disrespectful, that’s a clear sign to let them go. When all your communication efforts do not improve the quality of the relationship, or if after lots of respectful feedback you are still not being provided the tools to do the job well, it may be best to terminate the relationship.
You need to draw your own lines as to what you can tolerate. It is different for every freelancer. It could be as simple as a clash of personality types, or lack of communication or requests for changes too late in the project cycle. But the key is always to remain professional and clear. Set the example you want to see in your clients, and you’ll find your reputation stays intact, even when a client doesn’t work out.
Reach out to us at CreativesAtWork if you have other brilliant ways of handling difficult clients or nasty situation. Look forward to hearing from you.
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