Very true – every client is completely different. I have some clients I barely hear from – and others who email me a few times a day.

Thanks for your comment! ;)

Great article and advice.

I’m guilty of always checking my email. It seems to work so far because when I get an email I try to answer it before the end of the day. I have also started using Skype. I believe I lost a client because I wasn’t using it at firest. I figured, “this is something I better jump on!” Now I love it and try to get my other clients to use it. Some do; others rather take up time sending email after email.

Email or Skype – it really doesn’t matter with me. As long as I can communicate with them to get their project done right.

I totally hear you about the phone stuff. I do chat with folks on the phone, but I’ve also learned to limit the amount of time I spend. Otherwise, I can spend 6 hours a day on calls – and poof – the day disappears. And I haven’t done any “real” work.

Isn’t it nice when you’re fired – and then you realize, “Yeah, that was a blessing.” Love it when it works out like that. :)

Thanks for your comment!

Lately I’ve been “fired” by two prospective clients I effectively filtered out by not jumping on the phone with them – and in both cases it became clear I made a good decision.

Yeah, I hear you about responding to email *right away.* I used to think that I was being really proactive by doing that. But really, all it was doing was burning me out and making me feel like I wasn’t accomplishing as much as I’d like. It’s taken me YEARS to get out of the “checking email every 10 seconds” habit. :)

Being busy is a good thing when you’re a freelancer/solopreneur. However, without the good customer service, you won’t be busy for long.

I love your point about you don’t have to return an email in five minutes, but within the same day (or next morning). I used to respond to every email that I received as soon as it came in (email alert on Blackberry), but that became counterproductive and I could never get anything done. Trying to find that balance.

Personally, I know I need to get better at touching base when I am in the middle of a project. Sometimes you get so caught up in various projects that you don’t think to take a second to say, “Hey, this is where I’m at – in case you were wondering.” Of course, you don’t want to overdo it either. Set expectations of updates (weekly, biweekly, etc.).

Don’t forget about voice mails! Many writers would rather email someone than talk to them on the phone. That doesn’t mean you can ignore the phone. On my voice mail message, I state that I will return a call within 24 hours (barring weekends and holidays). That sets up an expectation for a client or prospective client.

Also don’t forget, sometimes a two-minute phone call can accomplish more than several emails trying to explain something.

I am currently looking into a CRM (customer relationship management) system, so I can better track not only my projects, but my communications with clients.

Thanks again for the post. Now I need to go follow up with some clients. :-)