Dealing With Vague Complaints

When you're self employed, there will come a time where you deal with vague complaints. Now, sometimes these complaints are legitimate and the client simply doesn't understand how to fully express what they don't like about a project. Sometimes the complaints are not legitimate. It can be an excuse to get out of paying what is partially owed or the entire bill.

Quality Is Defined By Your Client

When you're in business for yourself, you have to understand one basic concept: your client defines quality. You may believe that you provide quality services, but what you think of as quality and what your client thinks of as quality are two different concepts. So, before you determine whether a vague complaint is legitimate, you must first understand your client's concept of quality. This includes understanding the purpose of the project, its scope, and how your client wants to be treated (among other factors).  This is something you should understand from the very first stage of communication. This involves you (as a service provider and human) really listening to your client and their needs. 

Is the Vague Complaint Legitimate?

It can be frustrating to get a vague complaint. It basically amounts to buying dinner and just saying, "I don't like it." Yet, you didn't really say what it is on the plate that you don't like. Is it one particular food? Is it the way something was prepared? Was it the way the meal was presented? Was it the service? (oooooohhhhh) So, you have the task of determining what it is that your client didn't like about what you provided. Now, sometimes they will give you little clues. So, you have to make sure that you pay attention to the initial contact to express their discontent. 

Then, it is on you as a professional to ask follow-up questions. Your questions will vary depending upon how much information you received. In extremely vague complaints, my return question is, "Can you tell me something specific in the project that makes you unhappy? I'd be glad to work with you and fix it."

Your idea of a legitimate complaint is often different from that of a client. Something may simply be a stylistic difference. Your job is to resolve it. You may be the professional, but your job is to make the client happy. This isn't necessarily about you being the most creative writer / artist / graphic designer. It's about a happy client who tells their friends about you. It's about you going that extra mile (without complaining about it). Now, with that said, if it turns out that the client doesn't like the sum total end result, you need to evaluate all of your written correspondence. Please, for the love of cheese, even if you have multiple phone conversations, always follow up with an email summary. This documents that you're on the same page. Read over your documentation of the process to determine if you've misunderstood something (because had you documented it in writing, you could have minimized the risk of misunderstanding). If you followed their directions to a T and it simply turned out differently than they anticipated, you have some decision making to do. There's really no right or wrong answer as to whether you should re-do the entire thing without charge or explain that you followed their requests and that if they are unhappy and have a different idea, you'll work with them on a new project amount. 

TL; DR

First, go back and read it. It's probably the best 5 minutes you'll invest in your business this week. 

If you get a vague complaint, follow up with respectful questions to determine the validity of the complaint. Some clients simply aren't good at expressing what they don't like and that makes them vague. 

WAHM Lesson #986 Dealing With Difficult Clients

This disclaimer will be part of every WAHM Lesson. While these are true things that I've experienced as a work at home mom, many are written to make you laugh. They may or may not have happened in the order that they are listed. So, why is there a disclaimer? Because I know certain people that read this blog simply looking for dirt. Good luck with that. You won't find any. Go away and worry about your own life. For everyone that's here to read, learn, and laugh...welcome. Feel free to comment.

I've been really, really lucky during the last couple of years that I've worked as a freelance writer and editor that I've not had a ton of difficult clients. Clients with different opinions? Yes. Clients with different communication styles? Yes. Truly difficult? I've been really lucky not to deal too much with that. At least until recently. 

The red flags were there from the first phone call. Client was scheduled to call at a certain hour my time and did not. I went on with my day. My phone rang two hours later and I was busy baking cinnamon rolls. They sent a message essentially stating that I had missed their designated call. I responded with the truth: I hadn't missed the call. They called two hours past the time they said they would. Then, an excuse was provided: power outage. They didn't realize the time. So, I told them to call me later in the evening. I took time away from my evening plans with my friends and family to talk to this person about their project. Their reason for missing the call changed: they had simply lost track of time. Alright, fine. 

We settled on my usual rate and I was asked to provide a paid sample. I used their presentation (provided by them) and their blog (provided by them). I sent it over and a day or so later received a response that they had to "edit" my work more than they've ever had to edit anything. I found that odd. They asked for another sample. I asked that they return my work with Track Changes so that I could correct any issues needed. I've worked with several companies in this fashion and never have I had an issue. 

I looked at it earlier today when I had time. It wasn't a problem with the writing. It was stylistic changes. There was one misspelled word. There was also one sentence the person didn't like and stated they couldn't find it on Google. I can't speak for Google...especially since I'm not in the business of plagiarism. The information came straight from their presentation. Past that? It was minor stylistic changes. 

It dawned on me at that very moment that I am not the writer they need. I prefer honesty. Stylistic changes do not constitute editing. Changing excuses about missing a phone call just isn't honesty. Instead of putting my business or their time in jeopardy, I chose to end the contract. I included a note that stated we had different communication styles and I did not feel that I was the writer they needed. I gave them positive feedback. Why? Because sometimes it really just is the fact that you have conflicting work styles and personalities. It's not a huge problem. They left a little better than average feedback and included a note that "apparently" did not take criticism well and had ended the contract "abruptly."

Am I worried about how it well affect my ability to get more work? No. Here's why: I did and said the right thing. I knew that we would not work well together. Instead of making them or myself miserable, I chose to move on. I wished them well. I had nothing negative to say (although I probably could have). Also, the majority of my clients (including ghostwriting clients) are long term. I don't end contracts abruptly unless there is a reason for it. Anyone can see when they look at the feedback I provided (and the clear reason) and their response (which is essentially a decent rating and a complaint) that I wasn't the issue. 

So, how do you deal with a difficult client? Well, it depends on the difficulty. I've had difficult clients in the past. Generally, I finish the job and just don't work with them again. That's essentially what I did here. Then, it's just a bless and release. To deal with a difficult client, you find a nice way to just break it off. Even when it's not your fault as a freelancer it is generally easiest to give them the "It's not you, it's me" virtual speech. Other options, that you should only use if they are true, include offers for full time contract work and no longer freelancing. 

You can avoid this altogether by watching for the same red flags that I ignored. It's true that in the beginning that you sometimes just have to take what you can get. Most potential clients really don't act like this. Understand the difference between demanding excellence and nitpicking. I'm sought after for a reason, and the opinion of a nitpicking client really won't make or break my day or my business. 

Seriously, though, watch for those red flags. Also, trust your gut. I knew I should have said no and I didn't...partially because (as Bull says) I try to see the good in everyone. 

How to Pick Blog Topics

Even as a professional writer, it can be hard to determine what I want to write about here. Part of that is because I spend a lot of time editing online content, writing blog posts for others, and ghostwriting ebooks. So, sometimes I just don't have the time to mess with my own blog. One thing I am asked on a fairly frequent basis via Facebook is how to pick blog topics. So, I thought that I would walk you through my personal process for my own blog. I'll also be writing a business take on this (although many of the tips here will work for a business). Yes, there will eventually be a video and podcast discussing the topics. Since I've only had two hours of sleep, I figured blogging is the best place to start...because it's a hell of a lot easier to edit than a video or podcast. Let's get started.

For the sake of simplicity, I'm going to presume that you've already chosen your blogging platform, and that you have it set up. Oh, and one more thing...this isn't about how to get visitors to your blog. This is literally what it says - how to pick blog topics for your blog.

Take Time to Think About What You Want to Blog About

Taking the time to think about what you want to blog about is probably the best thing you can do to develop blog topics. One thing I will tell you about this is that you will come up with great ideas and some not so great ideas. Don't discard ideas because you think they've been done over and over again. If I took that approach, there are some topics (such as this one) that I would never discuss despite the fact that people still want to read about it. So, think about those ideas as more along the lines of you taking the time to explain to someone your process or your experience with something. Think about it in the terms of a hard school subject. Let's take math, for instance. It took a lot for me to understand math. In high school, I had some good teachers and some not so good teachers. By not so good, that doesn't mean that they were just bad teachers. It's more that the way they taught the concepts didn't quite make sense for me. My Uncle Gary...he was a tough man. Yet, he could teach me hard math concepts that I couldn't understand at school. It's not because he had a sparkling personality (although he was a brilliant business man). He just knew how to take concepts and relate them to the individual who needed that information. So, when (not if) you think that a blog topic has been done too often by others, do it anyway. You may say it in a way that helps someone understand an idea that they couldn't previously grasp.

As I stated in the last overly long paragraph (sorry - two hours sleep)...when you're brainstorming, you will also have some ideas that are less than stellar. You have a couple of options with these blog topics. First, you could just decide not to tackle that topic. I mean, sure this is my personal blog and maybe sometimes I talk about personal things, but I don't know crap about engineering...so why would I blog about engineering? That would be a bad topic for me...right?

Well, maybe not. Before you totally trash a topic I want you to do one thing...figure out how that subject ties in with the main theme of your blog. What is it about that topic that makes you want to write about it? How do those things relate to your overall theme? So, if we look back at engineering...and if you've ever read this blog before...it may seem like a mismatch. I have a Bachelor's in Paralegal Studies. My Master's is in Forensic Psychology. Clearly, I don't know squat about engineering. However, what I could write about is how someone who is an engineer or an engineering student can benefit from learning how to write in a clear way.

Use OneNote, Evernote, a Word document, or even just an old fashioned notebook to write down every single idea...ideas...not blog titles. We will talk about how to write a blog title in a few minutes. Let's move on and choose the best keywords.

Choosing the Right Keywords for Your Blog

You may or may not know what SEO is...and that's okay. I'll talk about the ins and outs on another day. What you need to know is that SEO stands for search engine optimization. If some jackass ever offers to submit your blog to all the search engines for a $50 or more fee, tell them to kick rocks. You can do that yourself and you can do it for free. I understand paying someone to do it for you out of the convenience category, but don't get screwed. SEO changes a lot. The two things you should know (for now): quality content will always be Internet royalty and keywords are your friends unless you abuse them. The most common abuse is keyword stuffing. Don't do that. It will get you penalized by the search engines. Anyway...moving on...

There are two types of keywords. There are your regular keywords and long tail keyword. A long tail keyword is more like a series of keywords. For instance, I could write a series on "becoming a freelance writer." That would be a long tail keyword; "freelance writer" would be a regular keyword. See the difference?

So, the real question is how do you choose the right keywords for your topic? Well, there are a few ways. Actually, there are a lot of ways. What you see here will be my favorite ways.

Use Your Search Engine. It is your friend! Take your topic and open your favorite browser. Now, go to your favorite search engine. I use Google. Type your topic into the search bar. Don't hit enter. Just watch what pops up next to it (Google loves to finish my sentences) and under it. There. Now you have at least a few more refined ideas for your topic. When I do the videos for YouTube, I'll show you exactly how to do it via screenshare.

Use AdWords Keyword Generator. Make sure that you sign up for an AdWords account even if you never plan to use it. You'll have to still set up a mock campaign. I listed $1 as my daily budget. It doesn't ask for any payment info. Scroll down to where you can type in keywords. Put in your first idea. The number that pops up next to it when you hit enter is how many searches the topic receives (I think in a day, but I might be wrong). The higher the number, the more competition there is for that phrase...meaning it could be a little more difficult for you to rank organically in the first few pages (but that's okay - you can still do it). Now, when you place your mouse near the number, you'll see a little button that says "More like this." So, click that. You'll get some other related topics. Many of those topics will not have the same amount of competition. :) I'll show you how to do this when I record the YouTube video. This post is getting so long that it might end up being a series of videos!

Use Other Keyword Tools. There are other great (free!) keyword tools that you can use online. This is one of my favorites. The one by Wordstream isn't bad, either! I'll tell you this much...I love keyword research. Yes, I know I'm a freak...and I can lose a lot of time in the research process. So, if you love research, be careful.

Google Alerts! For certain clients, I use Google Alerts to determine what topics I should use in a blog. You don't have to save the alerts. You can just go to the Google Alerts page and then just type in the subject. You'll get an idea of other content that's out there. That can help you figure out what to write about.

When you write, you need to do it in such a way that you're not forcing the keywords to fit. I chose a couple of keywords for this piece, but frankly...content quality is more important. Quality content gets attention. It's more than keywords that raise your ranking in the search engines (organically).

How to Word Your Blog Title

Okay, so with any luck you know by now exactly what you want to blog about and the keywords you plan to use. So, now you have to develop a title. You, again, have three options. Your first option is to write your draft first and then settle on a title. I do this sometimes. I might have two good title ideas, but not know which one to use. Writing the piece usually solidifies which headline is more fitting.

Your next option is to look at the current trends in titles. "How to..." and "______ Hacks" are easy ways to get readers right now. Oh, and remember the listicles of 2014? And who could forget the "infograph" trend? That was one trend I was glad to see die out. So, think about the types of things that your target audience would want to read. Why do you think I chose "How to" for this blog title? I could have just called it "Choosing Blog Topics." I used "How to" because that's what people use in the search engine and that's what people want to click on through social media. So, I give you guys what you want.

The third (and yet a really good) way to word your blog title is to use a blog title generator. There are several out there that are very good. I'll show you some of my favorites when I do the video(s) for YouTube. Just search "blog topic generator" in your favorite search engine. Specifically, there's an article that comes up by Wordstream that is excellent and lists eight really good content title generators.

Ta-da. There you go. That's how you can pick blog topics, refine your keywords, and word your title. Please do me a favor and leave me a comment below if you have questions or if you found this helpful. Also, please share through social media!

How Working From Home Helps My PTSD

Disclaimer: I don't recommend that everyone that has PTSD suddenly start working from home. Working from home is not for everyone. It's really, really not. However, if you believe that more time alone or in the safety of your own home (if your home is a safe place for you) is in your best interest, I think you should look into it (although people will tell you that you shouldn't spend so much time alone...and most of those people do not have PTSD or degrees in mental health).

I was diagnosed with PTSD as a teenager. Just suffice it to say that I had a really, really, really bad childhood. Being married to the father of my children damn sure didn't help matters. In fact, it took me getting a protective order to get him to leave me alone after he left me for someone else. As of 2012, I was very, very damaged. I was teaching college. I was exhausted. I constantly looked over my shoulder. I always carried police grade pepper spray. I kept an emergency response silent alarm pulled up on my phone. I rarely took the same way home. I had safe calls any time I left my home and arrived somewhere (and then when I left and made it to the next location or home).

I always looked over my shoulder. Always. So, due to some health issues and the fact that I felt like I was always being watched the decision was made that I would make the leap and work as a writer full time from home. It hasn't been perfect. It hasn't been stress free. However, it has removed a lot of the crushing and often debilitating belief that I was being watched. Oh, and for the record - it wasn't paranoia. I was being watched and I still have the private messages, old text messages, and old blog posts (from another person's blog) to prove it. So, no...I wasn't and am not crazy (although sometimes he convinced me that I might be crazy).

Anyway...this is what working at home has done for me:

Control of the Environment

I have total control of my environment...from the noise level to the people...nothing changes while I am working from home unless I'm the one to change it. I've been remarried for almost two years now and my husband works out of the home during the day. So, if I am having a day where loud noises freak me out...I can minimize or eliminate that all together. I don't have to turn on the television. I can turn off the ringer on my phone. I can totally control my environment.

Feelings of Safety

Working from home has increased my feelings of safety. Yes, I still have days when I feel like a sitting duck. I have a choice: I can leave the house or I can just take the time to be mindful that I am not in immediate danger. I don't have to answer my door if someone comes by. I have a very large, very protective dog that will not let people near me if she does not know them. I know my home. I know what noises are natural. I know what noises are not natural. I can leave and run errands at odd hours. I don't worry nearly as much about being followed as I did in the past.

When I Feel Overwhelmed, I Can Take a Break

People who work from home are often big proponents of taking naps during the day and participating in other things that traditional workers don't get to do. Personally, I feel like unless you're making up that work time after you wake up that making a habit out of napping is probably a bad idea in terms of productivity. However, with that said - I think it's a great benefit that people who get overwhelmed or who deal with a chronic illness have the option to take a break. Good luck not feeling guilty about it. I take an occasional nap during the day...or at least I try to (the guilt of trying to sneak in a nap keeps me awake - which is weird since I go days at a time without sleeping. In fact, I'm on day 5 of no sleep. Yay chronic insomnia).

I Don't Have to Worry About What Others in My Work Environment Might Say About Me

One of the biggest issues when you come out of an abusive relationship is that even if you don't make it a habit of telling people what happened (and many of us don't like to talk about it), there are still people who, once they find out, defend the other person or somehow know the other person and tell that person everything they find out about you. I went through it. Now that I work from home, that's not something that obviously happens. The dbag generally isn't a topic of conversation in our home, but if something does come up then I don't have to worry about my husband blabbing to anyone.

It's had other benefits, too. The benefits I get won't necessarily be the same as what others get from working from home. Like I said, though, if you think that being able to create your own environment would help you get even just a little relief from your PTSD, then it might be something that you begin to look at to figure out how you can make it a reality.

Monday Motivational: You Can Be Different

On Mondays when a lot of corporate employees wake up, they wish that they wouldn't have to go in. Maybe they dream of another job. Maybe they dream of working from home. Maybe they just dream of being on the beach with a drink in hand.

It doesn't really matter what the dream is that they have. They all have the same theme. They want something different. If you want something different, can you continue to do the exact same thing over and over again? No. If you want something different then you must do things differently.

Being different and doing things in a different way is okay. Of course, there are plenty of people ready to ostracize you. So,  it does take a thick skin.

You're different. If you find that living life just like everyone else is akin to wearing clothes that are five sizes too small, then it's time to find ways to be different. That doesn't necessarily mean that you quit your job today. However, it does mean that you make a plan with actionable goals and begin to take steps to achieving your goals.

You can do it.

Writing Leads

As an early Christmas present for all of you, I've dropped the price on Crash Course Freelance Writing. As a download on Gumroad and as a Kindle ebook, it is now just .99 cents. Don't wait - now is the time to prepare for your launch as a freelance writer in 2015!

Business and Legal Writing

1. Legal Copywriter and Blogger - The Rainmaker Institute
2. Researcher, Editor, & Writer - Legal Services Corporation
3. Business Plan
4. Freelance Writer - Maritz
5. Business Writer - Gap International
6. Staff Engagement Writing
7. Business Plan for Music Studio
8. Business Plan
9. Curriculum Vitae
10. Freelance Writers for Financial News Site
11. Business Ghostwriter
12. Freelance Business Plan Writer

Content Writing

1. Content Writer - Mindteck
2. Web Content Writer - Reputation.com
3. Web Content Writer and Editor - Realtruck.com
4. Content Writer for Business
5. Content Writer - Adap.tv
6. Writer - Working America
7. Content Writer - FX Firm
8. Cooking Articles
9. Content Writer - Pyramid
10. Nightlife Memphis Writer - Thrillist
11. Genealogy Writer

Copywriting

1. Freelance Copywriter - The Aspen Brands Company
2. Copywriter - SRVR LLC
3. Freelance Copywriter - Zocalo Group
4. Copywriter

Education Writing

1. English / Language Arts Item Writer - WestEd
2. Freelance Academic Writers - Acad Write

Medical Writing

1. Medical Writer - Covance
2. Medical Writer
3. Medical Writer - WebMD

Professional Blogging

1. Professional Blogger
2. Food Blogger
3. Food Blogging
4. Events and Entertainment Blogger
5. Education Blogger

Technical Writing

1. Technical Writer - Centrify
2. Technical Writer - CTG
3. Technical Writer - ProVenue

Miscellaneous Writing

1. Review Essay
2. Freelance News Writer
3. Morning Technology News Reporter
4. Guided Meditation Writer

How about some jobs?

I did another huge mass delete on my email. I had close to 1,000. It's been so busy around here that I just haven't had the time or the energy to post anything. You can learn my methods by clicking here. That would mean that you don't have to wait and hope that I've posted jobs. It's a great investment for your future. Once you follow my methods, you'll understand why I don't have time to do this every day. One day this coming week, I'll post about some great software you can use to manage your freelance writing business. Oh, and I'll be putting together a mailing list soon. It will probably deliver jobs as well as info on my upcoming video courses. Stay tuned, kids!


Business and Legal Writing

1. Proposal Writer - Castlight Health
2. Marketing Copy - Kabam
3. Writer / Copy Editor - The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. 
4. Website ToS
5. Executive CV Writer
6. Press Release

Content Writing

1. Content Coordinator
2. Digital Content Writer - TransAmerica
3. Writer - Squiz
4. Online Content Writer - RPI Consulting Group
5. Website Content Writer - Tennis Express
6. Associate Writer 
7. Copywriter and Content Writer - CarFax
8. Content Writer - FICO
9. Re-write Web Content

Copywriting

1. SEO Copywriter - CleverLight Media
2. Sr. Copywriter - The Creative Group ($30 - $35 / hr)
3. Copywriter
4. Freelance Copywriter - Creative Movers Recruiting
5. Copywriter
6. Creative Copywriter
7. Professional Copywriter

Educational Writing

1. Writer - University of Washington
2. Writer - BrainPOP.com
3. Education Blog Posts

Fashion and Beauty Writing

1. Fashion Blogger
2. Blogger / Stylist / Content Writer
3. Fashion Blogger
4. Fashion Blogger - Berricle
5. FabKids PR - JustFab
6. Fashion and Lifestyle Blogger - Esoteric Luxury
7. Fashion Career Blogger
8. Weekly Blogger

Professional Blogger

1. Freelance Blogger & Content Strategist
2. Freelance Bloggers
3. Blogger & Social Media Manager - Viki
4. Forex Blogger
5. Geek Blogger

Real Estate Writing

1. Freelance Writer - UrbanBound
2. Real Estate Copywriting

Technical Writing

1. Tech Writer & Instructional Designer - CEI
2. Technical Writer - DataStax
3. Technical Writer II - Amazon
4. Senior Technical Writer - Intel

Freelance Writers: Delusional....

I am an idiot

As I sat here for an hour writing a blog post for a client who is out of town,  I did it in the midst of three children and a dog. Of course my husband is here and yes he's been helping me. In fact he's making me a grilled cheese now.

I exhaled a huge sigh of relief after banging out close to 900 words in the last hour. Then I realized a horrific truth: time tracker wasn't even turned on.

Sigh.