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Just lost another big client. A second party said my work was "so far off the mark" that they decided to dump me and hire someone else to finish the job. I asked the person if he could pinpoint what exactly was wrong with my work. No specifics were available. I was told that so-and-so was too busy to explain it to me.
It's hard not to take this sort of thing personal. I'm usually very professional in my work, but who knows what is going on inside this company. (Not doing too well actually; lots of hiring and firing going on.)
Work has been a roller-coaster this year. I lost two other clients as well. The reasons are usually just arbitrary. I'd worked with one client for five years, another for two. Companies go through changes. You never know when or why your suddenly not getting work anymore.
As my friend says, "Good clients are hard to find, and keep."
I also tend to think the economy is wobbly right now. When this happens, the first departments to get hit are marketing and IT.
Any other freelancers have similar frustrating stories to tell? Shared misery is consoling..
Sometimes they say it was your work, but it really wasn't. They have a friend or a grandaughter or someone who needs the work and they want to throw it their way. Even though the product they get is crappier... had that happen. The guys daughter wanted to do graphic design. Every thing he told us NOT to do on the pieces, his daughter did, and he was JUST fine with it.
it may also be a "too expensive" thing. Companies are really cheap - they want everything for nothing.
Lost several to buyouts and relocations or a new head of the department had her own sources.
if worse comes to worse you can do the temp agency thing. Although your hourly billable is MUCH higher if you can do it yourself. Network incessantly.
To start with -- "not doing well . . ." is NOT the profile of anyone that you want owing you money. No loss in losing them. As far as the real basis of their problem? Do a follow-on QC sort thing when you have stopped taking this personal. Takes it out of debate mode and turns it into education for you. When and if they are doing better in the future, keep them on your "maybe" list.
If you want to take the "rollercoaster" out of this, see yourself as what a freelancer is. (you do know the origin of the phrase -- freelance?) Remember business is about money. Hunt money. When money goes dry, be out of the area before the drought gets you, too.
Thanks for the thoughtful responses. I did send the client an email saying that as a professional courtesy, I'd appreciate some feedback on what went wrong. Not sure I'll get any, but I wanted to at least be the more professional one. My work was not bad, and there is no reason for this as far as I can see. But hey, that's life in the fast lane. Time for me to drink my green tea and get on with it.
g.m. so sorry to hear about losing the client. It's hard not to take it personally, but there's so many reasons why they'd choose to go a different direction that you really can't waste time speculating.
still send em a xmas or holiday card and climb back on that horse
keep putting your feelers out for work and keep doing what you're doing with the regular networking stuff, meetups, entrepreneur groups and all that to drum up some new business.
I would not give it much rental space in my mind -- especially when it is not paying the rent. Looking back it is funny that even customers I have fired or threatened to sue (collections) will come back a year or two later, on their own. I do not make a big deal about and on we go.
Yeah, kick back and chill a bit. But then the good part. Since they are done/gone, what would you rather be doing? (business-wise).
Sage advice from both of you. I'm now only slightly bruised (they were mean to me, actually) and am moving right along, already making phone calls and picking up the pace with another client. I have two other clients left and they are both so appreciative. Just got off the phone with one woman who said, "Thank you so much for explaining all of this stuff for me." So things are not so bad! [Side note: I did slip over to the dark side just a bit by eating a giant bowl of rice and chicken casserole to console myself.]
I'm feeling better thanks to my friends on this forum!
I lost my patience with a particularly stupid client who has made my life hard for five years now. "To hell with you" was basically what I said, and when he threatened to take his business elsewhere I very nearly threw the phonebook at him. It has been a stressful day
I feel your pain. It's just a reminder that you have to get out there, all over again, and find those people you 'click' with to make good clientele.
I lost my patience with a particularly stupid client who has made my life hard for five years now. "To hell with you" was basically what I said, and when he threatened to take his business elsewhere I very nearly threw the phonebook at him. It has been a stressful day
I feel your pain. It's just a reminder that you have to get out there, all over again, and find those people you 'click' with to make good clientele.
Coldwine,
I think you are right. I took a long walk this evening and had time to reflect on the project I was hired to do. I realize in retrospect, the person I was working for was egotistical and incompetent. I wasn't getting the support I needed to do a good job. Hiring someone new is not going to solve his problems. I sent him another professional email advising him to continue working with me on the project, but that's all the energy I'm going to put into it.
Sorry to hear about your client. You may be surprised to find them coming back one day-- and you might not want them when that happens.
I have found it beneficial to network with other freelancers. When one of us is too busy to handle a project, we hand it off to another and they, in turn, do the same when they're swamped. That way, you never have to disappoint a client or turn away work and you help other freelancers while helping yourself. It's a win-win-win.
Something else I have found helpful is to form an alliance with freelancers in companion categories-- like graphic designers, web designers and PR managers. We lead-share and refer each other back and forth. It helps all of us... and most clients love to get a ready-made team that works well together without competing. The worst thing, I think, when you're a freelancer is to become an island. Sharing work and clients lightens the load... and good karma sent to others usually finds its way back to you. Sending you some mental good karma right now!
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You may be surprised to find them coming back one day-- and you might not want them when that happens.
