jo@projectbmarketing.co.uk
If you’re a freelancer who has ever worked with retainer clients, then you’ll know that you can’t always prepare for that sudden switch from feeling like their best friend because they call you every other day, to overnight instant ghosting. Your inbox stops pinging, your mobile stops ringing….and your mind starts overthinking all the possible reasons why they’ve gone quiet on you.
Did they not like the last piece of work?
Did I upset someone??
Am I about to get fired???
Actually, it’s usually none of the above. The simple truth is that things happen in business and there are times when attention needs to be diverted to something bigger and more urgent than the ongoing work that freelancers often support. Cue the client getting on with the urgent matter in question and leaving the freelancer to stew in their own silly thoughts!
In many cases, clients don’t always know in advance that this is going to happen (and in other cases they’re just reeeeeally bad at communicating…. but that’s a whole other blog!) hence you not getting the heads-up either.
The truth about freelancing
Anyone who’s a freelancer will know that the work tap can turn on and off with no warning and that this is something you must accept as a trade-off for your employment freedom. To top it all off the summer months can be naturally less busy as everyone takes their foot off the gas and enjoys their annual jollies, so it doesn’t help if this is the time your clients decide to go quiet on you too.
Some of you savvy freelancers (who have your sh*t together) will meticulously plan for this eventuality and front load work before then to compensate for the quiet weeks. But for those of you (like me) who have lots of other ‘life stuff’ to juggle alongside work, this is often more of a thought than an action, and it just doesn’t happen.
I’m here to tell you that this is OK! You are most certainly not alone in this situation, and you definitely didn’t do anything wrong!
I know first-hand what it’s like to go from non-stop phone calls to sudden telephone tumbleweed and it can leave you feeling a bit unloved! To make sure you don’t fall down the rabbit hole of doom that not only puts you in a bad mood, but also impacts on your productivity here are a few tips on how to keep yourself sane when the regular clients go quiet…
Speak to other freelancers
The best way to get a reality check in situations like these is to speak to others like yourself. The freelance community is strong and always a supportive place. Don’t be shy about saying hi and asking others how they manage similar problems – their answers may surprise you and you’ll almost certainly come away feeling better about yourself and your situation.
I’ve often found this can also lead to unexpected project collaborations and personal recommendations to new clients from the freelancers you’ve spoken to. Win-win!
Get yourself out there
Network, network, network! (I’m saying this to myself at the same time!)
Getting out of that all-too-comfy office chair and into the real world is another tried and tested (and highly successful) method for clearing your mind, getting perspective on a situation, and injecting much-needed inspiration back into your working day.
It may feel counter-productive to go out and meet people when you’re not busy, but it can actually be a good way of sourcing new work from both existing and new contacts. Catching up with your known contacts could lead to a new project and new people are always more likely to do business with somebody that they’ve met in person, so you have no excuse for not getting yourself out there!
Stop mindlessly scrolling social media
Ok this is one is hard. Endlessly scrolling social media platforms (and bingeing on competitor content) because we have more time on our hands is an easy bad habit to fall into and it can be so damaging. Why? Because we start looking at what others are doing and thinking we are not as successful as them. It can also take us off-track from our intended goals by making us feel inadequate…and we all know that comparison is the TOTAL thief of joy. Not even joking – don’t do it!
If you want to spend your time on social media more wisely, take some time to interact with your target clients’ content (making yourself more visible to them) or try creating some fresh content (just like this blog) to give your business a boost. Then you can sit back with a choccy bar and feel a bit smug with yourself (BTW mine’s a Wispa!).
And finally, always be super helpful
What do I mean? This one has two angles and is relevant for freelancers all the time really, not just when things are quiet.
The first is remembering that others experiencing a work slump could really benefit from a personal recommendation, so if you get the opportunity to pass on a good word about someone else’s business or skills then do it. Those good deeds always come back around to you and demonstrating you’re well connected with lots of useful business friends also makes you a magnet to new people.
The second is be prepared to give out your knowledge to the world first before you expect a ton of work to be coming back to you. If you’re open to genuinely sharing your knowledge with others for no return it really helps to build your credibility and creates trust with others. Who wouldn’t want to do business with someone who gave out tips for free?
During the next few weeks, I’m committing to doing all the above to maintain my sanity, drum up some new business and wait (more) patiently for my lovely retainer clients to need me again, which I know they eventually will.
The ebbs and flows of freelance life are never the same from one year to the next and if you’re feeling like me right now, then maybe they could help you too?
For more musings on freelance writer life plus lots of copywriting tips follow me on Instagram or Linked In
Till next time 😉