Stand Your Ground: Setting Boundaries as a Seller

[thatwordchick]

I see a lot of advice that encourages the freelance tropes - the idea that we’re all workaholic night owls, perpetually hunched over keyboards, waiting at the beck and call of potential clients.

Never log out…
Always be agreeable to clients…
Give free samples or mock ups…
Answer right away…

If you needed an experienced professional to give you permission, in plain words, here it is: it’s okay to be a human being.

Never give out free work. No samples. No mockups. Period. That’s what your portfolio is for! If they can’t judge the quality and capability of your work from your portfolio, they’re likely going to be a pain anyway. (Editing to add: make sure your portfolio DOES reflect your capability, though - if it’s just an image with some text like “I do X, Y, and Z!” and there are no pictures of your actual work, change that. If a client can’t see your work within a few seconds, statistically you’ve probably already lost them!)

Do not offer discounts or give in to buyers begging for one because they’re a “start up.” You were a start up too, and no one paid you more because you were new, right? Don’t give them something they’d never extend to you.

No arbitrary discounts, especially for new clients asking “can you just…” or promising future work. Spoiler alert: that future work, if it even manifests, is going to be expected at the lower rate. You wouldn’t let your boss at a conventional job just randomly pay you less per hour because they felt like it, right? So don’t do it here.

Do not feel bad about taking days where you don’t schedule work or respond to messages. In conventional jobs, people don’t “swing by the office” to see if they can work on something - they enjoy their days off and use them to get personal things accomplished. Do that. Your sanity will thank you.

Some clients are going to be in different time zones. Answer when it’s appropriate for your time zone. Otherwise, you’re setting up a precedent of answering questions at 3am in your time and the client’s going to get testy when that’s not the norm.

Value yourself, your time, and your work - a freelancer is no different than any other worker, and we deserve the same dignity and consideration as those “protected” under a conventional job. It may mean we have to be a little more firm about boundaries with clients, but you can do so while remaining polite and businesslike.

I reject at least 2 or 3 jobs every day because I know in my heart they’re a poor fit, either price-wise, effort-wise, or expectation-wise. I just steer those clients back to the Fiverr marketplace and explain there’s a ton of talent that would suit their needs better than me, and they’re all ready to work.

[imagination7413]

If you don’t mind me throwing in my favorite visual aid to help support your argument:

(If you do mind, I’ll delete.)

[thatwordchick]

If you don’t mind me throwing in my favorite visual aid to help support your argument:

(If you do mind, I’ll delete.)

Aw man, what a GREAT video! No, this is fantastic and I’m so glad you added it here. Everyone should see this!

[creativeartgirl]

Useful information thanks

[imagination7413]

If you liked that, then here is another Fiverr thread that agrees with you and another video (though not as entertaining)
. The power of saying, "NO!"
.

You are not alone in your frustration.

[celebmarketing]

I needed to read this today. Thank you!

[english_voice]

Hoorah! Someone else who buys into a common sense view of freelancing.

I can’t fault anything you say.

Sadly, I suspect the next post I read on the forum will be from someone asking how to show online 24/7 or asking why their gig doesn’t rank. :man_facepalming:

[sonjit_perfect]

No one gives me any message for order or message for work. I am upset but i hope I will get a job one day. anyway thanks for sharing important topic.

[catwriter]

Hoorah! Someone else who buys into a common sense view of freelancing.

I can’t fault anything you say.

Sadly, I suspect the next post I read on the forum will be from someone asking how to show online 24/7 or asking why their gig doesn’t rank. :man_facepalming:

Sadly, I suspect the next post I read on the forum will be from someone asking how to show online 24/7 or asking why their gig doesn’t rank. :man_facepalming:

Close enough, unfortunately.

[venivenikr]

Thank You for sharing this valuable suggestions…

[point_squad]

thanks for your useful information

[abm_abdullah]

great, huge informative topics here, thank you 💯

[uniquedesign95]

@thatwordchick
Huge informative topics
Best of luck

[maanza_55]

I see a lot of advice that encourages the freelance tropes - the idea that we’re all workaholic night owls, perpetually hunched over keyboards, waiting at the beck and call of potential clients.

Never log out…

Always be agreeable to clients…

Give free samples or mock ups…

Answer right away…

If you needed an experienced professional to give you permission, in plain words, here it is: it’s okay to be a human being.

Never give out free work. No samples. No mockups. Period. That’s what your portfolio is for! If they can’t judge the quality and capability of your work from your portfolio, they’re likely going to be a pain anyway. (Editing to add: make sure your portfolio DOES reflect your capability, though - if it’s just an image with some text like “I do X, Y, and Z!” and there are no pictures of your actual work, change that. If a client can’t see your work within a few seconds, statistically you’ve probably already lost them!)

Do not offer discounts or give in to buyers begging for one because they’re a “start up.” You were a start up too, and no one paid you more because you were new, right? Don’t give them something they’d never extend to you.

No arbitrary discounts, especially for new clients asking “can you just…” or promising future work. Spoiler alert: that future work, if it even manifests, is going to be expected at the lower rate. You wouldn’t let your boss at a conventional job just randomly pay you less per hour because they felt like it, right? So don’t do it here.

Do not feel bad about taking days where you don’t schedule work or respond to messages. In conventional jobs, people don’t “swing by the office” to see if they can work on something - they enjoy their days off and use them to get personal things accomplished. Do that. Your sanity will thank you.

Some clients are going to be in different time zones. Answer when it’s appropriate for your time zone. Otherwise, you’re setting up a precedent of answering questions at 3am in your time and the client’s going to get testy when that’s not the norm.

Value yourself, your time, and your work - a freelancer is no different than any other worker, and we deserve the same dignity and consideration as those “protected” under a conventional job. It may mean we have to be a little more firm about boundaries with clients, but you can do so while remaining polite and businesslike.

I reject at least 2 or 3 jobs every day because I know in my heart they’re a poor fit, either price-wise, effort-wise, or expectation-wise. I just steer those clients back to the Fiverr marketplace and explain there’s a ton of talent that would suit their needs better than me, and they’re all ready to work.

An extremely relevant set of points @thatwordchick. Nicely done!

Do not feel bad about taking days where you don’t schedule work or respond to messages. In conventional jobs, people don’t “swing by the office” to see if they can work on something - they enjoy their days off and use them to get personal things accomplished. Do that. Your sanity will thank you.

Cannot agree with this more. My sanity has been doing several cartwheels out of sheer joy ever since I consciously started putting down more work-life boundaries.

[creativity18]

Thanks for your valuable inputs

[urdeke]

Just ‘liking’ your post won’t do so I’ll drop a comment too: Great text!

I always say that the best way of not getting a discount from me is by asking for it. I’ll give away discounts when it’s in my best interest not the other way around.

[syead_riad]

Very informative and helpful. Thank you.

[ahsannahid]

Thank You Soo Much for Sharing this Informative topic 👍

[riazahsan_77]

Useful information specially me as a new comer

[vilaskoratty]

good information…grateful to you

[lenasemenkova]

I’d like this post a hundred times if I could.

[rabbi_chan]

Thank you very much.

[sonjit_perfect]

Thanks for sharing your valuable experience with us.

[imagination7413]

Found another old-but-very-good thread on the topic!

We all get them: Buyer wants a discountBuyer wants a free sampleBuyer wants more than he has paid forBuyer asks for a revision which is actually completely different to what was orderedBuyer wants to discuss something at length before/after an orderBuyer wants to cancel after deliveryVery often, people on the forum complain about this type of buyer and label them as “bad buyers”. However, that is not always the case and I would suggest that the number of actual “bad buyers” is signific…

[nazmulhbd]

Informative and effective for my seller account.