A number of my readers are freelancers. We are always trying to find ways to get more work in the door with the least amount of effort. Often for freelancers that means using email.
I would often much rather talk to a client via email than over the phone. It’s quick and I can fit it into my schedule when I have the time. Emails don’t have to interrupt you when you are in the middle of some ‘flow’ for a design.
Is email always the best for your clients though? I don’t really think so. I am sure we have all had a long email conversation over a few days that still really didn’t resolve a problem. Did just keeping the conversation to email really save you any time. Better yet did it make your customer happy?
Could that same conversation have been had in 10 or 15 minutes and then been done. Yes it make have taken you more time but would you have been able to finish the project faster therefore get money into your pocket faster. If the answer was yes then why didn’t you just pick up the phone?
I think that freelancers today rely too much on email and online forms of communication that are ineffective for our clients. That’s not to say that there aren’t some good ways to use online communication more effectively.
Right now, really as I write this post, I am using google chat in ‘guest’ mode with another freelancer for some development work. I don’t have this set up he does. I didn’t even know you could do this but is it effective? Hell yes. I am able to send links and respond in near real time to his questions while I do other things. This is way more effective for us than emailing back and forth a number of times. Think there is usually a dely in replying to emails (or we’d never get any work done) but if you blocked out time each day and told clients that you are online for chat if they need anything then you may server your clients better.