Actively attempting to be a good client can be beneficial for both the person you’ve hired and yourself. You can get a lot more out of a relationship if you respect the person you’re working with and the quality of work you receive will be exponentially better. If you’ve recently hired a freelancer or agency, here are ways for you to not suck as a client (and get more bang for your buck).

Reply to Emails in a Timely Manner

Email etiquette matters a lot these days and responding to emails promptly is of utmost importance. Not following up in a reasonable time period is a major pet peeve for some people and the last thing you want is to upset someone you’ve hired.

Instead, make the conscious effort to reply to work-related emails within two days of receiving them at the most. Respecting people’s time will go a long way!

Don’t Skip Out on the Details

It is in your best interest to give as many details as you can about your business to the agency or freelancer you're working with. You know much more about your business and what you want your brand to convey than they do.

Make sure you communicate things like your vision, business objectives, project stakeholders, and overall organizational structure to get the best results.

Be Clear, Be Very Clear

An essential component of good client behaviour is being very clear about what you want. The person you’ve hired isn’t a mind reader and doesn’t have the same knowledge of the business context as you do.

Be very clear about what you expect out of a project and provide past examples if they are available. You’ll be much more likely to receive quality work that way!

Don’t Shy Away From Constructive Criticism

When it's done in the right way, constructive criticism can be extremely helpful for the person you’ve hired. It is a valuable tool that will enable them to learn, grow, and do better next time.

Start by acknowledging what the person has done well, touch on what could have been done better, then restate the positive aspects of their work. This structure will soften the blow and keep the relationship going in a positive direction.

Say Thank You

If the person you’ve hired has done their job well and been just as good to you as you’ve been to them, don’t forget to say thank you. This tip is a super easy way to give them the recognition they deserve.

Whether you thank the person through email, phone call, or decide to send a small gift, there’s no better feeling than being appreciated!

By putting these behaviours into practice when contracting out work, you’ll build a solid network of people who will be happy to work with you again in the future. And if you’d like to make outsourcing work that much easier, book a tour at Project Spaces today. Our coworking space members include a plethora of talented freelancers that you don’t want to miss out on!