FreelanceSwitch

5 Ways to Get Better Customer Service

FreelanceSwitch.com — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:00:57 +0000

There have been many blog posts here about how you, as a freelancer, can give your clients great customer service and why it’s important. Let’s turn the tables for a minute and focus on how you, as a freelancer, can get better customer service.

When you are a freelancer, you don’t have a boss you can go complain to when something has happened to you. Maybe you were double charged when ordering something online or you had a terrible experience flying business class. As a freelancer, you run your own business, which means dealing with your own vendors.

As someone who owns a company, I have a lot of people I have to pay and deal with on a regular basis, including: my internet service provider, phone company, the lenders who let me borrow money for my small business, my credit and debit card companies, the web design team, and the woman hired to manage the distribution of our magazine.

Other people I deal with on a less frequent basis include the tech dude who helps with computer problems and issues with our printer/copier/fax machine. I also have a bookkeeper who manages the books and helps with the taxes. There’s also a lawyer thrown in there for good measure.

When you think about it—that’s a lot of people! And I’m not even mentioning the car repair guy (I drive a lot), the United States Postal Service (I mail a lot of stuff), and the stores where I buy supplies.

A freelancer’s life is stressful (look at all these bills!) and we have to deal with lots and lots of people. So what can you do when you feel like you aren’t getting the customer service you deserve and expect? Below are some tips on how you, as a customer, can get better customer service to make running your business a little easier.

Be Polite

While it’s many people’s job to give customers (like you) great customer service, your anger and insults can impact their mood, resulting in possibly not so great customer service. If there is a problem, try to stay calm and rational. Most mistakes are not personal, so try not to take it that way. I have a Keep Calm And Carry On poster in my office to remind me of this very point.

If dealing with someone in person—at a store or airport terminal—don’t break down and resort to shouting. Many times, the person you are face to face with can’t do much to remedy the situation. Remember the saying, “you attract more flies with honey than vinegar” before you fly off the handle.

Find Someone Who Can Help You

Calling the customer service department at a huge company (like a credit card company or Internet/cable service provider) can be a crapshoot. There are literally thousands of people answering phones across the globe—so if you don’t find satisfaction with the person who picked up your call, try someone else.

This might mean you have to literally hang up the phone and call back, as some customer service reps aren’t willing to just pass you off to the next person. Insist on talking to their supervisor if you aren’t getting anywhere, and don’t back down.

Take Your Complaints to Social Media

I had a friend who had a terrible experience at a big box electronics store. She got nowhere when dealing with the manager of the local store, and complained about it in a blog post, as well as on her Facebook page. In less than a day, someone from customer service gave her a call.

Many conglomerates have departments to monitor complaints on social media—so feel free to tweet about it. Be sure to focus on the specific complaint instead of something vague, and tag the company on Facebook and Twitter.

Want to complain about service at a Holiday Inn? Add @HolidayInn to your tweet. If you’re disputing a fee on your American Express rewards card, tagging @AskAmEx will get your complaint spotted faster and channeled appropriately.—Fodors

And when your problem gets solved, be sure to publicly appreciate the effort of the company in the same way you complained about them. It’s the right thing to do.

Post a review on a blog or praise them through Twitter or other social networking sites. It instills customer loyalty and chances are they will treat you better next time you have a problem.—Boston.com

Be Prepared and Communicate

Be sure to have all of the documentation ready when you speak to someone in customer service, but ask them how they would like to receive it. Opening the lines of communication and giving the person you are dealing with the information in the easiest way for them lets them know you are willing to help them help you.

When All Else Fails, Get Angry

So you’ve tried being polite, you’ve called back and talked to several different people, you’ve got all the documents at hand and still you aren’t getting your issue resolved? Get mad.

But get mad with proof. Write down the date and time of each time you have talked to someone, and their name. Take notes on your conversations and how you were told your issue would be resolved. Having a paper trail is proof that you have done your due diligence, and that your anger and frustration is warranted.

Do you have any tips to share that have worked well for you? We’d love to hear them!

What Does Your Brand (or Lack Thereof) Say About You?

FreelanceSwitch.com — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:00:23 +0000

As a freelancer, you have a lot of issues to juggle – branding yourself being one of the least of your concerns most days. But your brand is a critical piece to your long-term success. You don’t have to engage in a massive marketing overhaul or develop a full-tilt brand management plan to take advantage of the power of branding.

The key is to approach your personal brand from the perspective of your clients and customers. How do you want them to perceive you? This article focuses on techniques and concepts to consider as you develop your own brand that you can leverage for long-term success.

Know Your Services

You do not want to be misleading in your branding process, so being honest up front about the true value of your services is important.

Honesty is the best policy. Knowing how your services benefit the consumer is key. This may sound logical, but there are many companies that do not take an honest look at this and then wonder why they aren’t making sales. Really understanding the reason clients need your services will direct your freelance business more efficiently in developing your brand.

What is at the core of your freelance business? You do not want to be misleading in your branding process, so being honest up front about the true value of your services is important.

As a freelancer, your products and services have a specific market and value for your clients. Your brand should be focused on the specific value you bring to the table. Avoid overly broad branding or over-selling what you do.

Longevity…

One of the freelance brand rules is that a timeless brand look is an important part of making sure that your brand can last through the ages. While you can incorporate some latest trends, you will need to make sure you can keep key brand recognizers when you have to update your look. You may want to check out some big brand redesigns to see how they were able to develop key brand elements that remained throughout the years.

Another important aspect of longevity to consider is that when developing a great brand, it is important to look frankly at the demographic that you will be selling to. Good brands last for decades. Why? Because they remind the consumer why they bought the product in the first place.

Even if a product is a necessity, most likely it was originally purchased and repurchased because the product name stuck out in the consumer’s mind. You need to be able to connect a name to a moment that is memorable. A name that is memorable is recalled and re-bought.

Get Personal!

People love brands that they feel personally attached to. If a cup of coffee brings a smile to their face, they will want to repeat that good feeling and will likely attempt this by purchasing more coffee. This idea may seem ridiculous, but it is true with almost any type of product or service.

Think of the products that you buy and you will realize it is often because of certain positive feelings that they generate in you.

Think of the products that you buy and you will realize it is often because of certain positive feelings that they generate in you. Despite not knowing any person who plays a role in producing a product, a person will feel like the company is family because it has played an intricate part in some positive moment in their life.

Come up with a story with which clients can connect and make sure your entire brand design reflects this "story." Of course, it doesn’t have to be a literal story, but it does need to be a vision of what you want customers to feel when they purchase your services.

The most successful brands are those that have been able to convince consumers that their product or services will enable them to live the lifestyle they dream of having. Therefore, think about what lifestyle your ideal customers desire and create your story/experience around this concept.

How Quality is Your Brand?

One of the most common mistakes that freelancers make when developing their logo and other branding features is to go with what is cheapest. While you do need to take into consideration your budget, keep in mind that your brand look says a lot about you.

If you pay for a cheap logo design, more than likely you will get a logo that looks, well, cheap. If you need to stay on budget, your safest bet may be to hire a middle-of-the-road brand developer – one who’s prices fall somewhere between the least and most expensive options. Just keep in mind that the quality of your brand reflects on the quality of your freelance business, so always go with the best that you can afford.

Connect

Yes, your freelance business might be your baby, but you want the consumer to feel the same way. Get your target audience excited about your freelance business brand by going to them, by finding out the locations they spend most of their time. Connections can come from many different places.

You can use social media, email marketing, forums, and comments on popular blogs in your industry…or start your own blog. Host events or contests online. Get your brand out in the public for your prospective clients to see and recognize. Just be sure that every interaction relates to your brand look and feel so that your target audience has a consistent memory of your business branding.

Consumer’s Mind

At first glance, a brand name or color scheme may seem insignificant; however, that small concept is sending a very big message. The consumer’s mind is processing more than they realize. A catchy brand design will be recalled with little effort.

Whatever brand design you choose, make sure that it encompasses the company’s idea and the consumer’s contribution to the big picture. If a customer feels that they have a relationship with your freelance business, they are more likely to work with you well into the future.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by olechowski.

The Freelance Wisdom of Dr. Seuss

FreelanceSwitch.com — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:00:28 +0000

Did you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book growing up? I sure did. It was Green Eggs and Ham. I could read that book over and over and never get tired of it.

But beyond the “Whos” and “Thing-a-ma-Jiggers” is an author with more advice relevant to freelancing than most.

Known by Dr. Seuss for his delightful and whimsical children’s books, Theodor Seuss Geisel was also an advertising ace – spending his early career in the advertising industry.

Urging us to keep moving forward, to learn a lot, and not to worry – here are just a few of the fun and insightful quotes from the poet behind classics like, The Cat in the Hat and Horton Hears a Who.

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.

You know this already. After all, you’re here at Freelance Switch! So first of all…good job. You are on the right track. The more you read about how to be a successful freelancer, the more you will become one.

For example, when I decided to take the leap into freelance writing, I was reading more than I was actually writing! I had no clue how to work from home, work as my own boss, or even where to start getting clients. But the more I leaned, the more I applied this knowledge. I started actually doing the things other freelancers were guiding me to do. More refined services and better queries were the start for me.

But this tip doesn’t just go for new freelancers. No matter what stage of your career you’re in, there are always new things to learn. From learning new CSS techniques to researching a particular subject for a writing assignment, reading is an integral part of our work.

The more you know, the more you can be a leader in your niche.

So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.

Freelancer writers, listen.

It’s probably not going to be that long novel you wrote that’s going to get you that copywriting job. Instead, it will be a punchy article written simply. Stick with the information your audience is looking for. Present it in the most digestible form.

If you read the blogs of successful freelancers and entrepreneurs, you’ll see that their writing is simple and direct.

People scan when they read. So it’s best to use short sentences, to write informally, and erase flowery language. Clients like to know right away what they’re reading.

There’s a reason why Dr. Seuss’s books are so timeless. The words and structure he chooses are the building blocks of communication.

Just take this passage from The Cat in the Hat as an example:

Have no fear, little fish,’ Said the Cat in the Hat. ‘These Things are good Things.’
And he gave them a pat.

The story is told. Can’t you visualize the scene? There’s no need for additional words. For that would just be mean.

No matter what kind of freelance work you do, we are all communicators. For this reason, keep your emails, blog posts, projects, etc. as simple and direct as possible. An overflow of information will only weigh your clients and their audience down.

If things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew, just go right along and you’ll start happening too.

You sent out queries. You cold-called prospects. You were referred by your cousin’s friend’s uncle’s great niece. Starting out as a new freelancer you were scavenging. And then all at once you have three substantial projects under your belt! It’s like you’re saying “help!” and “whoo-yoo!” at the same time.

Getting your first job is a terrific feeling. But it can also be overwhelming. Even though you’ve read all the blogs and you’re skills are top-notch, you can’t help but feel a little nervous.

So what can you do to calm your nerves and deliver the best for your client? As Dr. Seuss says, you have to just go right along. See each project as a stepping stone because that’s how it is for every freelancer – regardless of experience.

Working on projects is an excellent way to realize your weak points. That way, you’ll know what to do better next time. Clients like to work with freelancers who search for improvement.

Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

As freelancers, we have a lot of questions: from taxes, to clients, to feedback requests about our work. We have more hats to wear than most. But you know what I’ve found? It’s not as hard as it seems. Really! In fact, the answers to our most complicated questions are indeed clear. They’re right at our fingertips.

Blogs and forums are a great place to start. Fellow freelancers share the hard-knock lessons they’ve already learned so you don’t make the same mistakes. You can also ask your clients. Don’t wait until the project is finished though. Ask them throughout the project what you can do to make the process of working with you better.

You may get stumped when you don’t know the answer to something. But it doesn’t mean someone with the answer will be stumped too. Often, people are happy to share answers with you. It gives them a warm feeling and it helps you.

You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room.

Isn’t this so true? In fact, most of us are doing that right now. As a writer, I read a lot. I also learn a lot from the things I read. But the time I learn the most is when I just sit down and write.

You may be thinking there’s a lot for you to learn. It may seem intimidating. But the trick is to make a habit of learning something new every day. If you are a designer, try different techniques in Photoshop. If you are a programmer, learn new snippets of code. Writers – write every day. Even if it’s a few paragraphs of a blog post, just get words flowing.

Since a lot of us are “sitting alone in a room” producing exceptional work, make sure you make your devoted space personable and pleasant. Decorate it with art or photos. Paint it an inspiring color. Get a big, comfy chair. Whatever it is that makes your home office the space you can focus, learn, and grow.

So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.

Balance is key to freelancing. Don’t spend too much time on one task if it doesn’t get you the overall benefits you’re after.

Keep moving forward. Keep getting better at what you do. Read a lot and don’t write too much. Learn from others but teach yourself. Remember – it’s okay to take a break too. When you do, pick up a copy of your favorite Dr. Seuss book and discover more serious knowledge found in his fun writing.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by ivonnewierink.

What Does Your Freelance Office Look Like?

FreelanceSwitch.com — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:00:40 +0000

We’re looking for images of your freelance offices to be submitted to our FreelanceSwitch Facebook Group. This is for a post to run on FreelanceSwitch about Real Freelance Offices of FreelanceSwitch Readers in 2012. We’d love to see how your office looks.

Here are a few home office images we’ve received so far:

When submitting your freelance office photos be sure to include your name and what freelance work you do. We’re looking for 550px wide jpg images for the format.

Upload (or tag) your photo to the FreelanceSwitch Facebook group to participate.

8 Ways to Network Like a Pro

FreelanceSwitch.com — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:00:08 +0000

Networking events can be nerve-wracking.

You’re in a room with a bunch of people you don’t know and you have to make conversation or risk looking like a wallflower. But just because networking events can make you uncomfortable or nervous doesn’t mean you shouldn’t attend. On the contrary—it can be great practice!

Here are some tips on how to make your next networking event a success:

Mingle

The worst networkers are those who attend events with their friends and then talk to only their friends all night. It’s one of my pet peeves—you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. So If I see a group of people off to the side of the room talking only to themselves for an hour, I get turned off. I want to talk to people who are open to making new connections, not people who are using the networking event as their own private social gathering.

Dress the Part

You want to look like you belong there, so leave the hoodie and sneakers at home.

You won’t make an impression (at least, not a good one) if you look dishevelled, disorganized, or overly casual. But also pick something that makes you feel good—a great dress or those new shoes you’ve been wanting to wear will help you exude confidence in what can be an uncomfortable setting.—TheDailyMuse

You don’t have to go out and buy a business suit, but be mindful of looking presentable. Dirty fingernails and smelly jeans are a turn off. You want to put your best foot forward, and the first thing people judge you on is your appearance.

Bring Business Cards

I always feel like a real loser when people ask me for my business card and I forgot to bring them or I ran out. Get yourself a nifty little business card carrying case and keep it stocked—something that’s easy to slip into your purse or your pocket.

Know How to Explain What You Do

“What do you do?” is the most frequently asked question at a networking event. Have your spiel down pat and keep it short. If people are interested, they’ll ask you to elaborate.

Be a Good Listener

Does striking up a conversation with a complete stranger fill you with dread? The solution is simple – just ask them something about themselves. People love to talk about themselves, so questions like “what do you do?” and “where do you work?” are simple and effective ways to get a conversation started at a networking event. —NetworkingStrategyGuide

The most annoying thing I can think of when talking to a stranger (well, anyone in fact) is one-upmanship. While it’s tempting to make connections with a complete stranger, try to avoid taking over the conversation and making it all about you. Instead, really listen to what the person is saying and ask questions. You will learn a lot more about someone with your mouth shut and your ears open than the other way around.

Get Around the Small Talk

Ask open-ended questions to get beyond small talk.

The goal here is to always ask people questions that can’t be answered with a simple yes or no. Pick questions that demand a real answer, like, “How has your industry changed in the past 10 years?” “What are your customers asking for the most?” and “Why do you think that is?”—Mashable

Make Eye Contact

It’s always uncomfortable when you are talking to someone, especially someone you just met, and they’re constantly looking around and over your shoulder. That’s when I can tell the conversation is over. And I walk away from the person offended.

Follow Up

Don’t put all of those business cards you collected in a drawer and forget about them. Follow up! Did you meet someone you really connected with? Remind them that you exist and see if you can make the relationship more meaningful.

Send your new contact an email telling him or her it was pleasure to meet them at the event, what you learned from the conversation, and why you think it would be good to keep in touch.—MediaBistro

Perhaps you could meet for lunch or a coffee sometime during the week. Don’t let a potentially great new contact fall by the wayside just because you are too lazy to follow up.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by xilius.

10 Ways to Make More Money as a Freelance Writer — Fast

FreelanceSwitch.com — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Are you unhappy with the amount of freelance writing income you’re bringing in? The check account is looking bare, and the bills are piling up.

You need more gigs — and you need them now.

Fortunately, there are many basic steps you can take quickly to help you land new assignments at better rates. Here are 10 strategies for growing your writing income fast:

Ask for referrals from existing clients. Do all your current clients know you’re looking to add another client or two? If not, be sure to let them know you would appreciate their referrals. They won’t be offended — I promise.
Find former clients on LinkedIn. Do you know where every former editor of yours is now? If not, reconnect, catch up…and let them know you’d be interested to work with them again, or to receive their referrals if they hear of anything. Another great way to reconnect — ask for a testimonial. You’ll be surprised how often that leads to a new assignment.

Upsell existing clients — and create urgency. Once you have a relationship, you want to suggest additional projects to them. Let them know you find yourself with a week or two open just now — is there a small project they’d like to get started while you’re available? If you’re blogging for them, maybe they need a white paper, case studies, or a refresh on their web pages, for instance.
Learn specialized writing types that pay more. For instance, if you can write product manuals, direct-mail copy, or white papers, the pay is better. You can snap out of low pay by acquiring new specialties in better-paying niches. If you’ve got downtime, maybe now’s the time to take a quick class and add to your skills.
Target bigger markets. There’s a basic fact of freelance life: Bigger businesses usually pay better project rates. Bigger-circulation magazines have better article rates. If you’ve been slogging along in the solopreneur or local-magazine client ghetto for a while, start identifying larger businesses and publications. Then, pitch them instead. There is no secret freelance law that you have to pay dues for years writing for tiny clients. Feel free to move on up.
Get a raise from current clients. My favorite time for this is mid-November, for raises in the New Year, but you can also use a 1-year anniversary as an opportunity to reveal that you are fully booked now at a higher rate, so they must come up to your new base rate starting in 60 days. (Note: Don’t use this strategy unless you’re ready to kiss the client goodbye if they turn you down. If you ask for a raise and they refuse and then you stay, you’re their doormat forever.)
Negotiate. Many writers tend to jump at the first money offer that’s made to them. That’s not how to end up getting paid top rates. Begin by asking prospects, “What’s your budget?” Often, they’ll name a bigger number than you had in your head. Then, consider a first offer the opening of a negotiation rather than the last word. Ask for more and explain why — the deadline is short, the work or subject matter is complex, for instance — and you’ll often find there’s wiggle room in the budget. (If it’s the kind of market where it’s a flat, non-negotiable, very low rate, that’s not the kind of client you want.)
Raise your rates for new clients. Remember, they don’t know what you’re getting from your existing clients. Simply set the bar higher as you take on new clients.
Sign short contracts. When I get a new client, I like to sign them to an initial contract that expires in 60-90 days. That provides an automatic opportunity to renegotiate, which you’ll often want once you see what the job really entails.
Do more networking. Many freelance writers think of other writers as their enemy. Instead, think of them as your referral network. The more writers in your market and niche specialty you befriend, the more likely you are to be referred a nice gig when they are overloaded or get a nibble that’s not for them. If you don’t believe other writers will help you, I’ll just say I referred one writer in my network a $6,000 government contract last year, and I have a friend who was referred his first book contract. Go out and make more writer friends.

How are you growing your freelance writing income? Leave a comment and tell us your strategy.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by bbbar.

Freelance Freedom 259: Sleep Deprivation

FreelanceSwitch.com — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:58 +0000

Once a week, we feature a fantastic freelance-themed comic from the talented N.C. Winters. Why not also take a look at our comic archive?

Top Freelance Jobs from Job Board – Week 3, May

FreelanceSwitch.com — Sun, 20 May 2012 13:00:56 +0000

Looking for a new client? The FreelanceSwitch job board is a great resource of freelance gigs and opportunities. These opportunities are in various fields, from development to writing to design, and come from a wide range of potential clients. The job board is hand-moderated by dedicated staff and volunteers from the freelance community.

Each week, we’ll feature a selection of the best job opportunities posted for the week. This week, we’re featuring jobs in Motion Design, UX/UI Design, Flash Design and more!

To apply for any of these jobs, simply pick up a FreelanceSwitch membership for an affordable $7 a month. See something you like? Join now!

Multi skilled Motion Designer

Budget: $1,000 to $2,500

Hi Freelancers!

Our motion graphic agency has recently been getting a lot of new projects and we are looking for freelancers or creative teams to help us out. We make motion graphic for all kinds of purposes, but the core of our work is based around:

Title sequences for TV
Info graphics
some VFX

We are looking for a confident designer with sufficient skills in both 2D and 3D animation to handle a project form pitch to finish. Hopefully you are somehow organized, know how to communicate and handle flexible deadlines too.

We appreciate creativity, wacky ideas and surprises. We want work to be fun and tend to take on projects that can be visually interesting rather than corporate streamlined ones (not always true, but we try to make the corporate ones look good too).

Learn more & apply!

UX / UI Designers

Budget: $5,000 to $10,000

Worry Free Labs is looking for a highly experienced UX and UI designers. Highly qualified remote candidates will be considered. Work with a leading team of User Experience and Interface Designers making our mark across devices with notable clients from across the country.

About You

You have 3+ years of experience in UI/UX design for iOS, Android and/or web.
You know yourself and the design process well enough to set and keep deadlines.
You’re interested in responsive design.
You’re eager to teach and learn.
You can think of the client, the user and the developer all at the same time.

Learn more & apply!

Interactive Family Tree Flash Application

Budget: $500 to $1,000

We would like to build something similar to this application for displaying an interactive family tree:
http://www.webexhibits.org/greekgods/

We want the same animation and general concept.
The system should allow us to :

Add Person details: First Name, Second Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, Date of Death (optional), Bio (brief info) and a field to add a link to his personal website or email.
An option to add photo but it should be optional and if a photo is not added a default thumb should appear instead.
A way to define the mother and father of the person and spouses. Maybe using a drop-down list. The selecting method should be easy and simple.
The person may have more than one spouse. 5. In the design we can use colors to identity the relationships (e.g. son, spouse, brother). So for example, the node of the son may have a blue color.
The animation and graphics will exactly be the same as the example above. But the colors need to be changed. We would like you to propose two color themes for the overall design.

Learn more & apply!

Freelance product demo video development

Budget: $500 to $1,000

I need a product demo developed for my startup mobile application. I have all the script ready for the video I just need someone who can do animation and illustration work for me. I am looking for high quality product demo videos. Please get in touch if you feel you have necessary skills to develop the video.

Learn more & apply!

Flash CS6 Tutorials – Design and Write

Budget: $1,000 to $2,500

I am looking for someone to assist in updating 6 tutorials, and designing and writing two new tutorials for Flash CS6. These forty or so-page tutorials are currently written for CS5 so this is a substantial upgrade since we have skipped CS5.5 and are going straight to CS6. I use the word tutorial, but in reality they are step by step projects, written for students who are new to the application, including screen shots along the way and explanations of the how and why each step is being completed. Students receive resource files that accompany this tutorial so that they can work on their own to create the finished project.

Learn more & apply!

10 Ways to Eliminate Distractions

FreelanceSwitch.com — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:00:34 +0000

One of the fundamental principles of productivity is that in order to get things done, you gotta focus. And that necessary focus requires that you eliminate as many distractions as possible — not always an easy task with the Internet, coworkers and busy phones calling to you from every direction.

Here’s how to block out the Siren’s call of distractions, in 10 steps.

First, let me say that there should be room in your life for distractions. Work should be fun, and without a few distractions, things can get boring. That being said, when it’s time to do a task, there’s no reason to do it while handling a million other things. You’ll never get things done that way. When you’re ready to work on a task, block out all else, and really focus on it. Do your best on that task, and get it done as quickly as possible. Then reward yourself with distractions.

That’s all easier said than done, I know. So here are 10 of the best ways I’ve found to eliminate distractions and really focus on a task.

Note: A few times a month we revisit some of our reader’s favorite posts from throughout the history of FreelanceSwitch. This article was first published in June of 2007, yet is just as relevant and full of useful information today.

Turn off email notifications. And IM and Twitter and phones and other ways people communicate. Instant communication is great, but when you’re working on a task, they are nothing but interruptions. And constant interruptions means you’ll never be able to really focus on what’s before you. Batch process your emails and phone calls, set a time to be on IM or Twitter. Other than the times you set for these communication tools, stay off them. It’s hard at first, but once you give it a try, you’ll realize you can live without them.
Turn off Internet. If you don’t absolutely need the Internet to do the task before you, disconnect. Literally pull the plug. This may sound drastic, but really, the Internet is the biggest time-waster ever invented (which is why I love it). It will suck you in and never let you go. It’s like crack, but with an educational value. Turn it off.
Utilities. If you absolutely need to use the Internet (for “research”), you don’t need to have access to every time-wasting site on the interwebs. Try a Greasemonkey Script (you’ll need Firefox and the Greasemonkey extension) such as Invisibility Cloak or Kiwi Cloak to block out predetermined time-wasting sites (and yes, you know which ones they are) until a predetermined time, or use Time To Go to only allow you to surf a site for a certain amount of time. Great choices for those of us who have no self control.

Headphones. Music is a great way to block out the cackling laughter of your co-worker in the next cubicle as she reads joke emails from her sister, or the loud bragging of your ultra-buff boss as he talks about how he bench pressed a bull this morning. Put on a pair of headphones, and crank up the Radiohead. Or, if music is a distraction in itself, just put on the headphones with no music. It will help block out the surrounding sound, while making people think you can’t hear them. When cackling cubicle neighbor comes over to ask if you got her forwarded email about why men are like monkeys only uglier, pretend you can’t hear her. Bob your head up and down like you’ve never heard Jimi jam like this before.
DND Sign. Make a Do Not Disturb sign to put on your desk when you need to concentrate. Let co-workers know that for those times when you have the sign up, you really need to focus and can’t be disturbed. Then be sure to take the sign down and be available when you’re not focusing on a task. Don’t be a smarty and leave it up the whole day.
Clear workspace clutter. For me, visual clutter is distracting. I like to clear my desk completely, along with all the piles that used to surround my desk and the papers tacked to the walls around me. Now I work in a Zen space (sans the sandy Zen garden). Here’s how to do it: take down everything from your walls except the photo of your kid with ice cream all over her face; put all your papers on your desk (and on the floor around you) in your inbox (if you don’t have one, get one, or create an “in pile”); now process through that pile of papers: trash, delegate, file, put it on your to-do list to do later (and in an “action folder”), or do it now if it takes 2 minutes or less. Process quickly through your inbox, and your desk is clear. Do this once a day to keep the desk clear. Also throw out those funny knick knacks on your desk. They’re just silly.
Clear computer clutter. Take all the icons on your desktop and put them in a folder in My Documents (or something similar). Sort them out later. Now close all unnecessary programs. Turn off any notifications and widgets and other distractions. Only have the program open that you need for this task. Be sure to come back later and sort through the files in your “to be filed” folder.
Handle interruptions. Even if you do all of these things, there will inevitably be interruptions from time to time. Learn how to handle them efficiently and get back to your task. If someone interrupts to make a request or give you information, quickly jot tasks and information in a notebook to be processed later. If others want to chat, stand up (to stop them from sitting down), politely tell your visitor that you are in the middle of an important task, and let them know you’ll get back to them when you’re done. If the interruption is unavoidable, write down where you were in your task, so you can come back to it with the least possible effort.
Use minimal programs. I’m a fan of minimal word processors, such as DarkRoom, JDarkRoom, WriteRoom, Writer, Google Docs or Abi Word. There’s something about these programs that force you to focus on your task. You can always format later. Use them in full screen mode, so everything else is blocked out. Then crank it out.
Distraction time. Have a time for distractions. You can either schedule times for your email processing, reading your feeds, and other distractions, or set aside 10 minutes at the top of every hour, or give yourself 10 minutes after every 30 minutes of focused work.

Video Pick: How To Find Good Clients

FreelanceSwitch.com — Sat, 19 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.

This week we look at How To Find Good Clients by FreelanceJam. Freelancers not only need to know how to find clients, they need to know how to find good clients. In this episode, the FreelanceJam duo Brian and Dave break down the strategies that have worked for them over their years of freelancing. From working the job boards when you’re starting out, to building a strong referral network, and marketing yourself so that great clients come to you.