Tips on Working Remotely with Clients

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/7UrMp)
Have you ever experienced working for someone whom you can’t see? This is quite ordinary nowadays with the advent of online work opportunities. Individuals can now work and collaborate with certain clients without meeting them personally. If you want to effectively work with your clients remotely, you will surely need helpful tips to get you started.

Web workers are used to this kind of set up and if this is new to you, you might find it hard to adjust. Still, many people prefer to work from home because of convenience and flexibility reasons. Working remotely is not for all individuals; it is for the self motivated and capable ones. Just follow these tips and you can easily work alone.

1. You must establish trust firsthand. If your client doesn’t trust you, the project will not succeed. How will you do this? Start by introducing yourself through some sort of kickoff meeting. Try video conferencing or you can also introduce yourself over the phone. Consider the time zones so that you can talk to your client at a reasonable time. You must dress up appropriately and when you’re already online, introduce yourself politely and highlight some of your best accomplishments. You can also ask the client certain probing questions so that he or she will feel involved and afterwards, propose your solutions.


2. Bulletproof contracts – a lot of freelancers accept work without providing a contract. Working distantly has its disadvantages and you must also protect yourself. Keep the contract as simple as possible. You must include the scope of your work or project, the listing if deliverables like wire frames, user manuals, or style guides. Make the list so that you can avoid miscommunications. Clients usually ask for revisions so you must set the limit. You can even ask for hourly rates for the extra revision tasks. Try to set guidelines on when payments should be made and of course, you need to arrange for the payment terms on the contract.


3. You must set deadlines. You and your client should agree on the deadlines. You can also ask for timely feedbacks so that the project can move forward. Short term deadlines are advisable. This is also an effective way to ask for respect.


4. You should always communicate with your client clearly. Limited interactions are very important. All your messages and emails must be crafted carefully; be straightforward. Never intimidate your client but just ensure regular communication.


5. Make use of the modern web applications so that communication is facilitated effectively. There are lots of online tools that can help you in facilitating conversations with your client. You must pick the appropriate tools and try to encourage your client to use the same tools. Ease of communication is vital for the project’s success.

You can also use project management tools like Basecamp. Basecamp is cheap and you can also set it up instantly with ease. You can also use tools like ConceptShare, Adobe ConnectNow, and BlinkSale.

If you want to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings with your client, follow these tips.