Most freelancers and business owners have experienced a time when communicating with a client were not as smooth or easy as we would have liked. And without realizing it, you may be making deadly mistakes that are costing you money and clients.
No need to panic, though! We’re here to help. In this post, we’ll explain exactly what these deadly mistakes are and how to avoid them so you can build an amazing relationship with your clients for long-term success.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Be mindful of your communication etiquette to avoid deadly mistakes. |
| 2. Understand the importance of active listening in client communication. |
| 3. Avoid overpromising and underdelivering to clients. |
| 4. Clarify expectations and ensure mutual understanding. |
| 5. Communicate transparently and promptly address client concerns. |
| 6. Continuously learn and improve your communication skills. |
| 7. Foster positive and professional relationships with clients. |
| 8. Take responsibility for any mistakes and work towards solutions. |
| 9. Adapt your communication style to meet the needs of different clients. |
| 10. Regularly assess and address any communication issues that arise. |
1. Not Having A Clear Goal
Not having a clear goal for your communication is like setting off on a road trip without knowing where you’re going. You’ll take longer to get there, and you might end up somewhere completely different from where you had intended.
You should always have a specific goal in mind when communicating with clients. Having this goal will help you plan the content of your communications more effectively. It also lets you measure how successful your communications were in achieving that goal, which can be useful information for future communications.
This doesn’t mean that every communication has to achieve its own independent goal; if it’s part of an ongoing relationship-building process, then the goals may be best measured over the course of multiple interactions between you and the client. What’s important is that each communication has a defined purpose and value to it, and that this purpose is clear to both yourself and any recipient(s) of your message before mailing or sending anything out.
Building a successful freelance customer service career requires a deep understanding of the industry. Learn about the 15 reasons why freelance customer service jobs are so attractive and discover the benefits of this growing field.
2. Being Too Casual
The key to being casual is finding the right balance where your client still knows that you’re a professional who takes their project seriously. One way you can do this is by being friendly and approachable with clients while keeping your tone professional at all times. This will let your clients know that they are working with someone who is competent and trustworthy.
This doesn’t mean that you should talk down to them, though; be respectful of their time and opinions, but also be clear about what needs to be done for the project. If something isn’t working out or if there’s an issue, let them know as soon as possible so that both parties can resolve it before it becomes a bigger problem down the line.
3. Using Confusing Language
Avoid jargon and technical language. Clients will have their own method of communicating, and sometimes that includes a lot of technical terms and industry-specific jargon. For the sake of creating consistency in your client communications, though, you’ll want to resist using these phrases yourself. Your audience isn’t going to give you extra points for being able to drop every buzzword associated with your industry.
In fact, if you pepper your message with too much jargon, it could confuse them or make them feel like less of an expert than you are. Instead of using confusing language that could potentially alienate your reader, explain complicated concepts in simple terms so they’re easily understood by all parties involved.
Be specific. In addition to being precise with the technical aspects of a project, be sure to keep your tone as colloquial as possible so the message is easy to understand (and maybe even enjoyable!). This means omitting filler words whenever possible.
If a word or phrase has no impact on the meaning or context of what you’re trying to communicate, cut it out! Don’t worry about sounding too formal or unfriendly; just focus on writing in plain English so everyone knows exactly what’s meant when they read it.
As a freelance customer service professional, continuous learning is key to staying ahead. Explore the 13 things you still need to learn about your freelance customer service business to enhance your skills and excel in your entrepreneurial journey.
4. Setting Unrealistic Expectations
When you’re first getting to know a client and still in the honeymoon phase of your relationship, it’s easy to set the bar too high. You don’t want to disappoint them, so it feels like a good idea to promise what you can rather than what you should. But if you fail to deliver on those promises, it not only damages your credibility with them but also weakens their faith in themselves.
As a rule of thumb, always under-promise and over-deliver. If your client asks for something that’s impossible or unrealistic, be honest about it: “I can get you this by Friday at 3 p.m., but I won’t have time to check over the spelling and grammar before sending it off. Is that okay?” Giving clients realistic expectations helps them plan appropriately; they may already be planning a team meeting for Friday afternoon where they want to present that work!
If a client asks for something impossible or unrealistic (like if they want a 3000-word article completed by 10:00 AM tomorrow morning), explain how their request is unrealistic and suggest other options instead.
5. Leaving A Negative Impression
You never want to be the person who leaves a negative impression on a client. Make sure that you are aware of how you are coming across, and check yourself if you have any doubts.
It’s common to think that you’re being helpful by asking lots of questions and over-explaining solutions, but those actions can be perceived as wasting the client’s time. Remember, they’re paying you to get things done. A better approach is to make it clear that your goal is to save them time by quickly diagnosing problems and identifying solutions.
6. Not Offering Solutions
When you’re presenting a problem to your client, don’t forget to outline solutions in the process. Clients are looking for solutions to their problems, and they won’t be satisfied with vague complaints; they want a plan of action. Offering solutions help ensure that the client isn’t left feeling worried or frustrated by your meeting.
It’s important not to overpromise results when offering solutions, though you don’t want the client to set unreachable expectations for what work can be done. The solutions offered should be realistic and achievable in order to maintain their trust in your team. If you think that it will take more time or resources than you have available, it’s best not to promise something unrealistic just because you feel pressure from the client.
There is no silver bullet solution for every problem, but as long as you can offer potential solutions that are reasonable and doable within reason, there shouldn’t be an issue with underdelivering on promises or raising red flags about your ability to perform up-to-par work.
Are you making mistakes in your freelancer customer support? Discover valuable insights on effective communication by reading why I think you’re doing freelancer customer support wrong and learn how to improve your client interactions.
7. Skipping The Proofreading Stage
Whether you’re writing a message to your client, a pitch to a potential client, or even an email to your coworkers, you should always take the time to proofread your work.
Even if you’re confident in your grammar skills and have just finished writing something, it’s always helpful to read over what you’ve written one more time at the end of the day. Sometimes mistakes can lurk in places where we don’t expect them, so it never hurts to give any piece of writing one last look-over before hitting “send.”
Some people are so used to their own style of writing that they might not be able to spot inconsistencies. This is why having someone else take a quick look at what you’ve written is also very helpful. Whether it’s due to an unfamiliarity with spell check or simply human error when typing something out, we often make mistakes that are really obvious when someone else reads our work.
So how do you avoid this common mistake? It’s simple: proofread everything before sending it! And if possible, get another set of eyes on whatever you’re sending out as well.
8. Failing To Address The Client’s Point Of View
From the client’s perspective, you want to know that they are being heard. You want to know that their opinions and ideas will be taken into consideration. As a writer, it is important for you to understand this client’s point of view. In order to do so, it’s imperative that you understand the client’s mindset. Consider what the client wants, who they are trying to reach and how their product or service can benefit them.
By addressing these points in your writing, you will convey an understanding of your customer’s point of view and better communicate with them. Let me give you an example of a time when I did not address my client’s point of view: I once worked with a company on creating content for their website. While creating this content, I failed to consider what the company wanted, who they were trying to reach and how their product would benefit them.
As a result, my writing was rejected by the company because it did not fit with their goals or target audience. Here is another example: A few years ago I was working with a small business owner who wanted me to write content for his website about his business’ services and products. However, he was only interested in talking about how great his business is and how he provides amazing customer service (neither of which were true).
When I asked him why he wanted me to write about those things instead of what his business actually does or sells (like most businesses), he said it didn’t matter because his customers will always come back no matter what because they love him so much (which was also untrue).
9. Providing Irrelevant Information
The point of communicating with a client is to provide relevant information and elicit feedback so you can effectively complete the project at hand. If your communication is full of irrelevant information, it will take both you and the client off track.
Instead, think about what your client needs to know. For example, if a particular component needs to be edited or changed, focus on that component and provide any necessary context as well as why it needs changing. Your goal should be clarity about what is required for this specific project and nothing else.
Communication etiquette plays a vital role in today’s freelance market. Master the art of professional communication with our guide on communication etiquette for today’s freelance market and enhance your reputation as a reliable freelancer.
10. Assuming You Know Everything About Your Client And Their Needs
You might believe that you already know everything there is to know about your client: What they want, what they need, how they work. But that kind of thinking can be dangerous.
Instead of making assumptions, consider asking questions while listening with an open mind to the answers. Try to understand what their needs are and take time to build a strong relationship with them by demonstrating your ability to see their side of things as well as your own.
Remember, it’s hard for people to be open and honest if you’re not willing or able to listen carefully when they speak. Keep this in mind when talking with clients so you don’t miss important details or make assumptions about their needs before fully hearing them out!
11. Ignoring Nonverbal Cues
The next time you’re communicating with a client, take a few seconds to study them. What are they wearing? How is their posture? Are they looking directly at you?
Often, nonverbal cues can be just as important to understand as verbal communication; in fact, some people would assert that body language and tone of voice are more important than the actual words spoken. As a result, it’s always best to understand both types of communication when talking to someone.
For example, if you have an introverted client who speaks in a very soft voice, it may be difficult for you to hear what they are saying. You may have heard only part of what they were saying and miss their point entirely. This can create misunderstandings and lead both parties down the wrong path.
Instead of having this happen, ask your client to speak up so you can better hear them and make sure you get all the information needed for your project. It also wouldn’t hurt to occasionally ask clarifying questions like: “Did I get that right?” or “What did I miss?” Using this approach will help keep everyone on the same page and ensure any potential miscommunications don’t cause problems later on down the road.
12. Being Too Formal Or Stuffy
Use language that makes the client feel at ease. If you are too formal or stuffy, it can come across as a sign of a lack of confidence. We all know that being too strict about proper English usage is a turn-off for many people (except for me, who is obsessed with proper grammar).
But more importantly, if you are overly concerned with sounding formal, it might come across as a lack of confidence on your part. Remember how you’d rather work with someone who looks comfortable in their own skin and confident than someone who seems nervous and unsure? The same goes for writing to clients if you’re not confident enough in yourself to be casual and friendly in your tone, the client might think you aren’t confident enough to handle the project either.
13. Lacking Empathy
Lacking empathy is another common mistake that people make when communicating with clients. It’s important to understand what the client is going through and not just feel the same emotions as them. But if you can’t learn how to do this, then you need to take a moment to consider this client’s situation.
Put yourself in their shoes and try to see things from their perspective.The best way to do this is by thinking about an experience of your own that was similar in some ways and then imagining what it would be like for them.
If you’re not sure how they are feeling right now, ask open ended questions or simply ask them outright what they’re experiencing emotionally. Remember that one person’s empathy does not equal another person’s empathy and it may differ depending on the individual circumstances at hand for each person involved too.
Once again, it’s important when communicating with a client (or anyone) that we take time out from our busy schedules so we can listen carefully before responding thoughtfully instead of being distracted by other thoughts or feelings which might cloud our judgment and cause us misunderstanding between all parties involved.
14. Not Focusing On What’s Important To Your Client
Don’t think that a client will be open to hearing your ideas if you’re not first able to understand what they want and need. Your clients are busy people, so it’s important not to waste their time or make them feel like their needs aren’t being met.
Give them your undivided attention, and listen carefully as they express their problems. Then explore those problems with them in-depth, asking helpful questions along the way in order to get a clearer picture of how you can best help them meet their goals. By doing so, you’ll show your client that you truly care and that alone can go a long way when it comes to winning people over!
Effective communication is governed by certain rules and principles. Familiarize yourself with the 9 rules of proper communication etiquette to create positive and productive interactions with your clients as a freelance professional.
15. Ignoring “Red Flags”
As you work with your client, stay aware of how they respond to what you’re doing. If they seem disappointed or angry, don’t just write off those feelings as being caused by something unimportant. Even if a particular issue seems small and insignificant, it might be indicative of other problems that could crop up in the future.
You can’t necessarily pay attention to every single thing your client says and does (especially with a large or demanding client), but there are some “red flags” that you should always be watching for:
- Your client never calls you back. This is generally because they’ve either lost interest in the project or are not happy with the work you’ve done so far. Find out what’s going on! It’s important to understand why this is happening so that you can find a solution before it becomes a more serious problem.
- The project has hit several delays already. This could mean that there are unseen issues preventing progress from being made at an acceptable rate or it could mean that your estimates were inaccurate and need some tweaking. Either way, sit down with your client and figure out what needs fixing!
- They’re reluctant to talk about money-related issues like budgets or payment schedules…or they disappear when this subject comes up at all! Chances are good (though not certain) that this is because they lack funding for the project, which means there may not be enough money left over after paying for everything else necessary for their business operations (including staff salaries).
In any case, get an explanation from them about why these topics make them uncomfortable; it’s important information when figuring out how much time/effort/money should go into each stage of production.”
16. Failing To Learn And Adapt Based On Past Mistakes And Failures
Don’t just take your cues from the past. Take your cues from the future as well. As any great business person will tell you, it’s important to adapt to new situations and changing environments. After all, if you don’t evolve with the times, you’ll quickly be left in the dust.
Successful business people learn from their own mistakes, but they also learn from other people’s mistakes. They anticipate problems before they arise and adapt to changing market conditions before their competitors do. By doing so, they’re able to stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive in an increasingly challenging economic climate.
This is particularly true when it comes to communicating with clients: if you want them to trust you and take your advice seriously, then it’s imperative that they feel like their needs are being heard by someone who really understands their situation, not just someone who has read about similar situations online or in a book (although those resources can certainly be helpful).
Final Thoughts
The truth is, that communicating with clients is a hard skill to master. It’s not something you can learn in a book or get by listening to someone else you have to do it yourself. As a business owner, it’s important that you take the time to develop your communication skills so that you can be an effective communicator with all kinds of clients. And remember: The better you communicate with your clients, the more likely they are to return and work with you again.
All in all, this list is not exhaustive, but you now have a starting point in your quest to communicate effectively with clients. In the following weeks, we’ll be sharing more examples of what it means to communicate well and provide tips on how you can use these skills on a daily basis. In the meantime, please let us know what other mistakes you’ve experienced or how these tips have helped you by commenting below.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources related to communication mistakes and entrepreneurship:
10 Deadly Communication Mistakes That Could Be Killing Your Business
Discover common communication mistakes that can negatively impact your business and learn how to avoid them.
8 Communication Mistakes That Can Damage Relations with Clients
Understand the communication pitfalls that can harm your relationships with clients and gain insights on how to prevent them.
10 Deadly Mistakes of Entrepreneurship and How to Avoid Them
Learn about critical mistakes entrepreneurs often make and discover strategies to steer clear of them for a successful entrepreneurial journey.
People Also Ask
How Do You Communicate Effectively With Clients?
When communicating with clients, it’s important to be clear and concise so that your message isn’t misunderstood. The language you use should also be appropriate for the situation and the audience’s level of expertise. To make sure your client doesn’t have questions once you’re done speaking, ask if there are any before moving on. You may want to summarize what was said and propose a course of action for the future, as well.
How Do You Communicate With A Client Professionally?
To communicate professionally with clients, start by introducing yourself and explaining why you’re contacting them. Then, state your request or question clearly so they know what they need to help you with. Additionally, keep your email short and direct so they can understand it easily without getting bored or confused. If possible, include links to other resources that might help them understand your message better!
How Do You Talk To A Client?
When talking to a client, try not to be too formal or stilted in speech patterns; instead, speak naturally so that both parties can relax and focus on developing an understanding of each other’s needs/concerns (if any).
It’s also important for both sides involved not just to listen but rather to hear what each person has said because hearing vs listening is not always the same thing hearing involves active participation from all parties whereas listening does not require any input from anyone else other than one individual at a time).
What are some common communication mistakes entrepreneurs make?
Entrepreneurs often make the following communication mistakes:
- Lack of clarity in conveying their business ideas
- Failing to actively listen to their team members
- Overpromising and underdelivering to clients
- Neglecting proper communication etiquette with stakeholders
- Using jargon that is not easily understandable to others
How can I improve my communication skills as an entrepreneur?
To enhance your communication skills as an entrepreneur, you can:
- Practice active listening and seek feedback from others
- Clearly articulate your thoughts and ideas
- Adapt your communication style to different audiences
- Invest in improving your non-verbal communication cues
- Continuously learn and stay updated on effective communication strategies
What are the potential consequences of poor communication in entrepreneurship?
Poor communication in entrepreneurship can lead to various negative outcomes, including:
- Misunderstandings among team members
- Decreased productivity and collaboration
- Damaged relationships with clients and stakeholders
- Loss of business opportunities
- Increased chances of conflicts and disputes
How can I avoid damaging relations with clients through communication?
To maintain healthy relationships with clients, it is essential to:
- Communicate clearly and transparently
- Respond promptly to client inquiries and concerns
- Show empathy and actively listen to their needs
- Avoid making assumptions and clarify expectations
- Take responsibility for any mistakes and work towards solutions
What steps can I take to prevent deadly communication mistakes in my business?
To prevent deadly communication mistakes, consider implementing the following steps:
- Prioritize effective communication within your organization
- Provide communication training to employees
- Foster a culture of open and transparent communication
- Encourage feedback and create channels for communication improvement
- Regularly assess and address any communication issues that arise
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.