If you work from home as a freelancer, you will understand the barriers that can arise when you are trying to maintain communication with your clients. This can be especially true when you have a network of clients that stretches overseas, as it is impossible to have the same working relationship with them as you would with somebody in an office. However, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost, as there are some key ways you can embrace your freelance position and maintain open communication with those you work for. This can be a tricky task, but once you know where to start, you will see a change in no time.
Emailing is one of the most traditional ways of staying in contact with clients, as it is the best place for them to send you any work that must be completed. The reason people still resort to using email is because it is a system that works, and it has become easier to reply instantly to emails in recent years due to the rise of smartphone email apps that are designed to improve communication.
The cloud
Although emailing is still a go-to, some people are starting to see the ease in which work can be assigned over cloud storage applications, such as Dropbox. This removes any issues that can arise if work is lost over email, and it also removes the need for email check-ins, as clients will be able to track your progress by seeing the work that has been completed in the shared workspace. Using a platform such as this is easy once some ground rules have been established.
Calling services
Sometimes, it is necessary to have a frank discussion with your clients about goals and progress. Yet this can be impossible to achieve with your international clients when you can’t spend time and money traveling to see them in another country. This is where most people find that calling services are the best way for them to avoid international calling fees while facilitating an open line of communication. For example, cheap calls Mexico and other far away countries are sometimes as little as home rates when you use the right service. You can click here to find out more about how these services can benefit you.
Instant messaging
Calling is the most ideal way to contact clients, but there will be times when this isn’t an option. When you have a problem that needs responding to, emailing can fall short, which is where instant messaging has started to pick up. Although it is harder to send work tasks and invoices over this platform, you can have a conversation in a similar way to how you would over the phone, which makes it easier to resolve issues as soon as they arise. Where social media is a great way to reach clients on a more public platform, instant messaging is more discreet and personable, so you can be assured that what you are discussing is not out there for the world to see.