About two years ago, I landed what I would consider an ideal client: A burgeoning tech startup that not only sold a service I believed in, but exhibited a culture and image that I could relate to. (And yes, they had the budget to pay my rates.)
I remember the giddy feeling I got when I saw their response to my LOI. The founder liked what I had done so far and wanted to jump on a quick call to talk about how we could work together.
So I got on the phone the next day and we talked about his company’s content needs. He then agreed to hire me to revise their website’s “Careers” page and we would move on to bigger projects if they liked my work.
So we go about the usual process. I asked him all the necessary questions, then proceeded to write content for the page. I then sent him my first draft later that week.
The founder responded a couple of days later with a quick “Great, thanks!” and promptly paid my invoice.
I was psyched (at first, anyway) because I thought that I really nailed it on the first try, and that would be just one of many projects that we would be working on together.
I was wrong.
Because after that email, I never heard from him again. I followed up a few times, but didn’t get a single response.
And then a few weeks later, I swung by their Careers page and saw that they did update the page’s content… only they didn’t use a single word that I wrote.
Suffice it to say, I was pretty disappointed. But I did pick up a number of lessons from the experience.
Here are a few takeaways:
1. Resist the urge to feel butt hurt or blame yourself
Oftentimes when people get rejected, their first instinct is to blame themselves. Don’t fall into this trap. Instead, deal with the situation with a business mindset and don’t take things personally.
Just because a client isn’t a fan of your work, it doesn’t always mean that there’s anything wrong with it (or with you, for that matter). It could simply be because your style isn’t a good fit for their business.
Think of it this way: You walk into a clothing store and you try on a T-shirt. The product looked good on the shelf, but it just wasn’t right for your body type, so you put it back. Does this mean that there was something inherently wrong with the shirt or the store? Nope. The product just wasn’t right for you.
The same thing can be said about freelance writers.
Of course, if you’re always getting rejected or if you’re getting the same negative feedback over and over again, then it might be time to evaluate your work and take the steps to improve your skills or processes. (But this is a topic for another post.)
2. Try your best to find out why they didn’t like your work
Do what you can to find out why the client passed on your work. Get in touch and ask what they didn’t like and what you can do to improve.
One thing you need to remember when sending this type of message is to take on a non-confrontational approach. Sure, you might be disappointed, but keep your cool and write an email that conveys you’re open to feedback and you’re willing to learn.
If you’re fortunate, you’ll get some constructive criticism from the client. Other times (like the client in the story above) you won’t hear back. In any case, the important thing is you make an effort to get to the bottom of things and work on improving yourself.
3. Move on as quickly as possible
There’s no use wallowing in the situation or sitting by the computer waiting for the (former) client’s email to hit your inbox. If you found out that you got dumped, move on. Work on your marketing or take on other projects. In other words, keep yourself busy.
4 Always have something in the pipeline
This is where the good ‘ol ABM (Always Be Marketing) tip comes in handy. Don’t let the fact that you have clients now lure you into complacency. Your plate may be full at the moment, that doesn’t mean you should take off your marketing cap completely.
At the very least, you should constantly implement “soft” marketing tactics such as updating your blog, building relationships on social media, or collecting clips.
Weigh in
Have you ever been dumped before? What did you do about it? Tell us about your experience in the comments.
Download this free ebook and discover the steps you need to take to land new clients in a week and a half. Enter your email address and you'll get:
- Step-by-step instructions on how to find prospects and get them to hire you
- Detailed advice and action steps to boost your client-hunting efficiency
- Insights from other freelance writers on the best ways to land clients
I love these tips. I particular like #3.
P.S. I love your new headshot!
Glad you love the tips and the new headshot Alicia!
(…If only I looked like that every day. Haha.)
Solid advice. Freelance long enough and you’ll experience rejection. How you respond makes the difference between a writer who survives and one that thrives.
Thanks, Paul! 🙂
Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this post. I was head over heels when I landed a contract with a PR agency. I thought regular work was going to come in. But after sending me three assignments, I never heard from them again. I was soooo disappointed. And I questioned whether I was any good at this. After many months, I finally worked up the courage to send a ‘touching base’ email and politely enquired whether there was anything they were not happy with as I had not had any further work from them. She explained that service was good but press releases were too long, softening it by saying that was due to them not giving clear briefs and that they were also trying to do more in-house writing. I thanked her for her feedback and said I would take that into account should they send work in the future. To be honest, I didn’t really believe her explanation. I think she just didn’t want to hurt my feelings too much! I don’t know what the real reason was. But reading this article, reassured me that almost every freelance writer probably experiences this at some point. And it doesn’t necessarily mean you suck at writing!
You’re very, very welcome Deevra!
Your experience with the PR agency was pretty unfortunate, but I’m glad they offered some sort of explanation. And kudos to you for reaching out to get the client’s feedback. (So many writers skip this step, not knowing that feedback (especially negative feedback) is GOLD.
And I’m so happy that I was able to reassure you that getting dumped doesn’t necessarily mean you suck at writing. That was one of main goals when I wrote this, so mission accomplished. 🙂
I totally agree with all your tips. I particularly love #2 because I do that all the time, even when I’m still working with the client. I think its a great way to show to the client that you’re not just interested in getting paid, but also bent on improving yourself. And even if I got dumpred by clients in the past, I like to think that I’m better off now with clients who like my style. 🙂
Oooh great insight, Mai! You’re right. Asking for feedback even when you’re in the middle of a project can earn you extra points with the client. Like you said, it shows that you’re willing to learn and improve.
Couldn’t agree more, Francesca. Rejection is part of the game, and developing a thick skin early in your career is a lifesaver.
“Developing a thick skin early in your career is a lifesaver.” –Right on.
Thanks for weighing in, Maricel!
I’ve had a couple different “dumped” scenerios. When I first started freelancing, I wrote for peanuts. But as my portfolio grew and my time became more precious, I realized a regular client that I loved working for wasn’t paying enough to cover my time on each article. When I professionally emailed them, I expected at least a response. But I got nothing and my contract was silently ended.
Another situation was a little more like yours described at the beginning of this post. I did some sample writing and they never responded with more assignments or work critique. I was early in my writing career at this point and it stung, but I learned quickly to pursue clients that respect and appreciate my work. It’s those jobs that seem to put the ones like in your post in the background.
Thanks for your post!
“it stung, but I learned quickly to pursue clients that respect and appreciate my work” –Love this. This kind of mindset can make all the difference between landing that next great gig. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experiences, E.G. I’m happy you were able to relate to my experiences.
Hi Francesca,
WOW! What an interesting turn of events.
I am sorry to hear about you being dumped. I can’t say that that has happened to me yet, but I don’t expect it to never happen at all. However, I appreciate your tips on how to prepare myself mentally for when ever this “dumping” may occur in my writing business.
I am curious, though, to hear more about this case that you have had. So, let me get this straight, they paid you the fee that you charged them in your invoice for their single page, but then left you high and dry? Is this correct?
Hey William!
That’s right. He paid me (which was good) but I never heard from him after that. On the positive side, the client had the decency to honor the terms, but I guess (and this is just my theory) he didn’t feel like explaining why he didn’t like my work. So he just paid the bill and got it over with. (Again, just my theory.)
Very interesting Francesca.
I heard a similar story from another freelance writer that I follow, and what she said was she went to a networking event and found someone that wanted her writing services but she made a big booboo and failed to make a written contract.
All she had was a handshake agreement of $500 and once the job was done the person never paid the amount that they agreed upon, so it’s cool that you got paid but not so cool that this other freelance writer did not.
So I guess a word of advice to your blog followers is this: always have a written contract or invoice so that you don’t get taken advantage of.
Great tips, Francesa. I was recently dumped by a client who just stopped contacting me. Instead of moping about it, I just moved on to bigger and better projects. It’s going to happen, and I agree, you just have to move on.
Thanks for the comment, Peggy!
It can be frustrating when a client just drops off the grid without any explanation (not even a goodbye), but like you said, there’s no use moping about it. We just gotta move on to better (and more ethical) clients.
It is part of freelancing career. No matter whether you are new to the field or have been there from quite sometime it is difficult to avoid such situations.
Agreed. Getting dumped can happen even to experienced freelancers. Thanks for dropping by!
Aw. Sorry to hear about your sad story! You must have been really disappointed!
The good thing is that you learned to NOT let it get to you. Often rejection (as you see it) is not a personal thing, but a result of one or several other factors. Perhaps the person didn’t have the complete authority to “hire” you. Perhaps he/she ended up getting fired. There are too many “what ifs” to say for sure what happened.
What I do know is this: it’s the company’s loss that they didn’t hire you full-time. 😉
I like your new photo, too! 🙂
Awww thank you for your kind words, Lorraine!
I’m actually quite grateful that I got dumped. I’m working with a super awesome company right now, and if that other startup hired me, I probably wouldn’t have had the time to entertain other projects or do the things that led to where I am today. 🙂
Lol, getting “dumped” while copywriting is the same as being dumped for real. The quicker you can move on to bigger and better things, the better off you’ll be.