Have you ever made a mistake that caused you to lose a client?

I have.

My mistake was completely misunderstanding how my client wanted to position his product.

Or maybe, my mistake was taking on the client in the first place. I’d seen plenty of red flags, but I went ahead and accepted the project anyway.

Since then, I’ve made other mistakes. Hey, we’re only human, right? Mistakes happen.

My Confession

Here’s a list of the mistakes I am aware of and remember (I’m sure I’ve made mistakes and didn’t even realize it):

• Forgot to include my “kill fee” in a proposal. Fortunately, the client didn’t make a fuss about it, when I brought it up later on.

• Made a mistake recording a Skype call appointment in my handy-dandy Moleskine agenda, causing me to miss the appointment with a potential client. I apologized profusely, explained my mistake, and asked when she’d be available again. We ended up doing the call an hour later, and several days afterward, she accepted my proposal. Yippee!

• Didn’t follow up a proposal I sent. I’m not sure if this was a mistake, or if it was my way of saying I didn’t really want to work with this prospect. I saw some red flags with this prospect as well, starting with an exploratory call that lasted two hours. Wait, maybe THAT was my mistake! I should have taken better control of the call and kept it to my usual one hour.

• Didn’t tell a current client about the increase in my fees. Instead, I let my enthusiasm for the work slide until the client gave me fewer and fewer assignments. I assumed she couldn’t afford me anymore. I didn’t want to confront her and say, “Pay this or else!” So I just let the relationship die quietly. I should have found a better way to cut ties with this client.

• Charging by the hour. Early last year, I had this brilliant idea of offering my services on retainer — for an hourly fee. Big mistake! I felt I was getting punished for getting better and faster at my work. This is why I’ve restructured my retainer packages to be project-based, rather than time-based.

Your Turn to ‘Fess Up

How about you? What mistakes have you made in your freelancing career? What were the consequences? How did you “manage” the mistake to minimize its impact on your freelancing?

Share your story in the comments below, so we can learn from each other’s mistakes.

Thank you in advance!

photo credit: becca.peterson26

A Rocky Beginning

The first couple of months of 2009 was quite rough for me. I didn’t have a steady income. I’d go for weeks without any freelancing projects, and I was unsure how to proceed. Clearly, I had no idea yet how to market my services.

About this time, I came across two of the worst clients I’ve had to date. One always emailed me on Saturday morning about a rush job she needed done that same day. I wanted the income, but refused on work on weekends.

The worst part was this client was delayed on a couple of payments. In fact, she sent me a PayPal cheque payment that didn’t clear.

The other client was one I was quite excited to write for. She’s a successful Internet marketer, a copywriter herself and somebody who could surely send me a steady stream of projects. The problem was, nothing I did seemed good enough for her.

What’s worse, she demanded I write copy for products I had never seen and didn’t provide enough information about them. Finally, I had to “fire” her. It felt like I was breaking up with a boyfriend.

Around this time, I also had a difficult time balancing work and family life – when I did have work, that is. My hubby’s work schedule changed, which meant I lost a couple of hours of uninterrupted work in the mornings. I struggled to work in the midst of constant interruptions from my little boy, housework and other domestic concerns.

This was a big problem for me. I tried to find a babysitter who would be willing to come to my house a few days a week. Or a daycare who would accept my son part-time. No luck.

The Tide Turns

I don’t know when things started to turn around but they did. Somehow, good things started happening.
Inexplicably, I raised my rates and actually began attracting more clients. Previous clients I’d worked with referred new clients to me. Somebody I’ve networked with online – who has never hired me – sent me a  number of clients.

And these new clients gave me steady work. I had enough sales pages, email campaigns, landing pages and tons of other forms of copy to write for the rest of the year.

Before I knew it, I had to turn turn away prospects. I had one client practically beg me to work with him. I agreed only after he promised me that I would work without deadlines.

About mid-2009 I achieved my income goal. My Mom was visiting for part of the year and I was able to accept more work. I even hired an assistant writer so that I would not have to turn away clients again. At some point, I was making double my target income.

However, I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. The workload became a little too much for me. I wanted time to exercise, do some sewing and just hang out with my kids.

In the end, I let my assistant writer go and cut down on my workload. I still have a virtual assistant to help me with the techie side of things, like keeping my WordPress blogs updated (why does WordPress have to update every 2 seconds?).

Now I feel much better because I can complete my projects in a leisurely pace. I actually have time to knit and sew Christmas gifts.

As for my productivity, the toddler and I have figured out a daily routine that allows me to work uninterruptedly for at least a couple of hours a day. You can read more about that here.

Lessons Learned

Why did I tell you this long story of my year in freelancing? Well, I hope you can learn a few things from my experience. Here are 5 lessons I learned in 2009:

1. Networking is the best way to find clients

I started networking because I needed support and practical advice to start my home-based business (both freelancing and Internet marketing). I didn’t set out to find clients through the networks I joined, but that’s how it has worked out. A number of people I met online and offline hired me. Even those who didn’t still recommended me to their networks.

2. Don’t be afraid to choose your clients

This can be pretty difficult to remember when you’re desperate for any client. But the truth is, at the end of the day, you have to be able to live with yourself and have a good night’s sleep.  If any client violates your ethics and integrity, he is not worth whatever he’s paying you. End the relationship and make room for good clients.

3. Value your work and clients will value you

I often hear from other freelancers that they got more clients when they increased their rates. It doesn’t seem to make sense. However, if you think about it, it really does. Many people believe (and rightly so) that you get what you pay for. So if you undercut your rates and keep them that way, prospective clients will think there’s a reason why you’re so cheap… such as that you’re probably not good.

4. The best way to succeed is to over-deliver to your clients

I read somewhere that if you don’t get a significant number of referral clients, then you’re doing something wrong. Almost all my clients are either returning clients or those referred by previous clients. So what am I doing right?

Looking back, the only answer I can come up with is that I always strive for excellence in anything I do. It doesn’t matter how much my client is paying me. I give every project my best shot, communicate clearly with my clients, and always look out for their best interest. I guess this works.

5. Keep your eye on what’s most important to you

As freelancers, we have an almost unlimited potential for income. However, sometimes income isn’t the most important thing. In my case, my family always comes first. And then there’s my health and spiritual life. These are all the reasons I decided to cut down on my workload even though it meant giving up the income.

How Has 2009 Been For You?

Tell me, how was 2009 for you? What lessons did the year hold for you? Please post them below.

And before you go: Merry Christmas!

photo credit: coquetboy