5 Ways To Fail At Freelancing

If you want to accomplish something well, knowing how to get it done is only half the challenge. Because failure is another aspect of learning, knowing how NOT to do something is just as important. This same idea applies to calculus, physics, engineering, and yes, freelancing. After all, it took 1000 non-working light bulb prototypes to create one that finally works!

5. Bluff on deadlines

Failing to stick to your promised deadlines is one way to kill your relationship with a new customer for good. Most of the times, a small freelance project will not even entail a contract, and bluffing on your deliver time will ensure you never get one. Why would a client bother working with someone thats either dishonest or not qualified enough to even know how long something will take them?

If you know that a project will take you a bit of time, tell your client about that. Dont say, I will get this to you by Friday if you think youll need the whole weekend to get it done. It might be impressive at the start, but its the results that count in the long run.

4. Lack of manners

Netiquette is quite commonly ignored, and it doesnt necessarily mean youre just acting rude. For instance, being overly pushy isnt a good way to act. Have you ever worked with a freelancer who selflessly promoted themselves too much? Failing to recognize the difference between being a salesperson and being impolite shows a lack of manners. Proper grammar in ALL business communications will count too, so spell your emails right if you want to succeed!

3. Do the wrong assignment

Want to fail at freelancing? Stop paying attention to detail. Take for instance content creation. Imagine that youre an article writer, and youve been hired to rewrite an article ten different ways. But instead of doing that, your train of thought carries you off on a tangent and you write ten unique articles instead. If you want to fail at freelancing, then forget that businesses have REASONS for wanting specific things done a specific way. Even though you may think youre delivering content thats of higher value to your client, its still not what they had asked for. As a result, you probably spent eight hours on a project that will not get you paid because you didnt do what was asked of you.

2. Charge too little

Surprise! #2 on our list has to do with your pricing, and not the expensive kind. Charging too little can have the same end result as charging too much; people will not take you seriously. If you do this, you create an impression of lacking some knowledge that the client might require of you. Even if you have years of experience in your field, they might choose to go to someone else who charges a bit more. Its may stupid to you, but it happens all the time.

1. Under-deliver

Over-promising is the leading reason for failing at freelancing. If you say you will do X, Y, and Z, and only do X, then guess what youve basically robbed your client of their money. Wouldnt you be mad if Wal-Mart told you that they are having a Buy 1, get 2 free sale, but instead they just charge you for all the items in your cart without telling you about it? If your client is buying the service that youre advertising, under-delivering can be sensed from a mile away, so do whats asked of you. Did you promise to proofread that content twice? You better do it. Why? Because an average six hundred word article might have 3-4 errors in it, while one that youve looked over two times will likely have none. And thats what separates the good from the bad.

Overall, you need to remember that companies and individuals outsource work for three reasons: to save money, to save time and to increase productivity. If youre not hitting one of these three goals, youre not delivering value to your clients, which is going to result in you failing at freelancing.

Ask yourself: what can you do to help your client? Can you save them time or money? If not, take fifteen minutes to think about how you can do so. Go out of your way just a bit, and you will increase the likelihood of that one-time job turning into a long-term relationship. If you DO NOT think outside the box, you will soon find yourself among millions of other freelancers who wonder why they cant attract any long-term clients.