Do you sometimes hire freelancers and get back work that isn’t quite what you need—or bills that include more research time than you anticipated? Maybe you’re not defining the project quite well enough at the start. Here’s what highly experienced freelancer Ken Norkin has to say about what he believes makes for a successful project.
The client should give a freelancer all the information they need. It’s the client’s responsibility to know and be able say what the product does and why anyone should buy it. The client should know what problem the customer is facing and how the product solves it. They should know who the customer is by job title and responsibility within what type of organization. They should know how the product stacks up against the competition.
All this information should already exist in some form that can be handed over. If not, it should take no more than an hour for to tell everything the freelancer needs to know in a meeting or phone call. Maybe more if there are a lot of products.
The point is, it’s the client’s job to know about his or her market and product. It’s the writer’s job to convey the message that encourages someone to buy. The client wants the freelancer’s technical background because it gives them assurance that the writer or editor understands the product or service and will understand the technical material well enough to find the marketing message in it. What the client needs is the freelancer’s ability to write words that sell.
