7 Common Mistakes that Cause You to Lose Clients

While losing a long-term freelance client can seem like a hit in the gut but it doesn't mean the end of your professional life. Clients change frequently for freelancers. Many will provide temporary jobs, but some may have a continuous flow of work for you.

Having said that, you shouldn't completely disregard client attrition rates. You might be doing something incorrectly if your clients terminate contracts and projects prematurely. We'll talk about a few typical causes of freelancers losing clients in this article.

1. Consistent Low-Quality Results

If your work doesn't satisfy their quality criteria, your contract will be terminated whether you work for individual clients or freelance agencies. Freelance clients won't train you, in contrast to full-time employers. They'll anticipate that you'll be equipped with the abilities you need to get to work right away.

You'll only get a little advice. If your output falls short of their expectations for quality, clients will fire you. Second chances are uncommon for freelancers.

Determine the elements your clients take into account when evaluating output since "quality work" has different definitions. Requesting samples is not a problem. For instance, if you work as a freelance web developer, you may request designs and templates from your clients, which would act as your source of inspiration.

Be careful not to directly copy samples, though. Copyright violations and plagiarism are unacceptable for any respectable workplace or business.

2. Differences in Working Styles

People have varied work styles. While some thrive working in isolation, others like generating ideas with a team. There’s no right or wrong way to work. Employees might even look for organizations and employers that accommodate their work preferences.

Unfortunately, freelancers don’t share the same independence. Although you can screen clients before taking on their offers, you have minimal control over your regular work conditions. Similar to employees, clients, and employers also have distinct work styles. You can’t expect them to share the same work habits as you. On the contrary, you might have to adapt your work style according to their needs.

It’s easy to miss tiny distinctions. However, dramatic disparities in the intended work tempo, communication techniques, and meeting frequency will cause stress, in which case parting ways with the customer might be preferable.

3. Changes To the Project Rates

As a freelancer, you have the freedom to change your charges at any time. If you believe you should be compensated more since your skills have significantly improved, you could attempt to raise your project rates. The question of whether your clients will remain is another question.

Clients have budgets as well. Even if they truly appreciate your work, they cannot overlook budgetary limits to accommodate your services. Discuss and agree on your new rates. Simply create a backup plan for what to do if they reject you.

4. Frequent Disagreements or Conflicts

Client and freelancer disagreements aren't uncommon. However, if disagreements emerge in practically every job, the client will most likely cancel your contract soon. Nobody wants to work in a toxic environment, not even your clients.

However, you should not be upset if you lose an employer that consistently disagrees with you multiple times. Losing them may even be advantageous. Understand that the freelancer-client interaction may not always work out smoothly and that not all terminated contracts reflect negatively on your work.

5. Failure to Adjust to Different Time Zones

You can't work a traditional 9-to-5 schedule if you have international clients. Emails do not always communicate the intended message. Some jobs will necessitate collaboration between you and your client via instant messaging or video calls.

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to work across many time zones. Even if you force yourself to stay awake all night, you may not be as productive as you would be during the day. People have various productive hours in reality. If a client expects you to be accessible during a specified time frame yet you cannot deliver, they may fire you.

Assume the client is willing to negotiate. Consider using a project management platform like Asana or Trello to collaborate and check off tasks as you go. For meetings, use the best appointment-scheduling software like Calendly or SimplyBook.me to automate them. They reduce the need to exchange emails by providing a calendar of everyone's availability to all parties concerned.

6. Lapsed Deadlines and Missed Quotas

Freelancers have a reputation for missing project deadlines. Some companies even avoid freelancers altogether if they can’t risk taking on workflow uncertainties.

Admittedly, many freelancers struggle with late submissions. And if you’re also guilty of missing due dates, you’d do well to shape up and organize your schedule, or else your clients will keep leaving. You have to respect other people’s time.

Take charge of your workday by managing your daily duties and active projects. Don’t just dump random items on your to-do list. Instead, create a system that incorporates effective ways to finish tasks on time, like using calendar tools, minimizing distractions, and mindful progress tracking.

Recommended: Freelance Payment Rates

7. Company or Agency Reorganization

Please realize that you aren’t constantly at fault when clients leave. You may be a reputable freelancer who provides quality outputs and never misses deadlines, however, you’d nevertheless drop tasks.

Your clients have their particular agendas which can be particular. Their decision to cancel jobs and agreements could stem from a few explanations, which you may not have control over.

Let’s say you compose sales emails for a SaaS brand name. Even if they just take their particular business differently or develop an in-house creative group if you create engaging, persuasive copies, your customer could nevertheless leave need.

During these cases, it is best to proceed to various other jobs quickly. Just don’t burn bridges. Ensure your clients that you’ll welcome all of them if they need your services again.

Develop a Technique To Stop Losing Freelance Clients

Yes, it’s typical for clients to drop freelancers, but that doesn’t succeed impossible to secure financially rewarding jobs which can be long-term. Whatever project you take in, give it your all. Your customers will keep finding their way back to you personally if you regularly deliver impressive, high-quality results.

To make sure that you always have upcoming tasks in the pipeline, produce a client acquisition system for your independent business. In the end, it is possible to just lessen buyer attrition rates to a degree. You’d do well having a couple of gigs that are backup to compensate for the losses whenever you drop major freelance consumers.

Easy Answer:

Consistent Low-Quality Results
Differences in Working Styles
Changes To the Project Rates
Frequent Disagreements or Conflicts
Failure to Adjust to Different Time Zones
Lapsed Deadlines and Missed Quotas
Company or Agency Reorganization

How To Become A Freelance Web Developer