Comments on: Get What You Paid For http://www.blogaboutcrafts.com/get-what-you-paid-for.html Conversations about selling crafts on the web. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:29:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Michele http://www.blogaboutcrafts.com/get-what-you-paid-for.html#comment-104 Michele Wed, 16 Jan 2008 04:36:43 +0000 http://flashgallerytemplate.com/?p=81#comment-104 You are quite right that it works both ways. I suspect many service providers in their efforts to provide a quality service quite often leave themselves open to being taken advantage of. I know I've done it. It's so very hard when customer and client come together cold and try to decide if they can work together and trust each other. Decisions often have to be made based on emails or phone calls without the benefit of eye contact or the shaking of hands - Daddy always said to never trust a man who won't give a firm handshake to a woman - more often than not, that advice has been spot on. I tend to ask tons of questions and verify everything in writing. I would rather spend more time up front making sure the task list is correct then having to redo work or have an unhappy client. While that does have me 'working' on a project before I'm on the 'clock', it also helps to prevent misunderstandings later. Perhaps it's simply my background, but I tend to over-explain and pick all the nits to death; which in this business appears to be quite a good thing. :) Thanks for the comments and best wishes for a happy and productive 2008. You are quite right that it works both ways. I suspect many service providers in their efforts to provide a quality service quite often leave themselves open to being taken advantage of. I know I’ve done it.

It’s so very hard when customer and client come together cold and try to decide if they can work together and trust each other. Decisions often have to be made based on emails or phone calls without the benefit of eye contact or the shaking of hands – Daddy always said to never trust a man who won’t give a firm handshake to a woman – more often than not, that advice has been spot on.

I tend to ask tons of questions and verify everything in writing. I would rather spend more time up front making sure the task list is correct then having to redo work or have an unhappy client. While that does have me ‘working’ on a project before I’m on the ‘clock’, it also helps to prevent misunderstandings later.

Perhaps it’s simply my background, but I tend to over-explain and pick all the nits to death; which in this business appears to be quite a good thing. :)

Thanks for the comments and best wishes for a happy and productive 2008.

]]> By: wumanx http://www.blogaboutcrafts.com/get-what-you-paid-for.html#comment-15 wumanx Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:42:47 +0000 http://flashgallerytemplate.com/?p=81#comment-15 Hi Michele! I think it works both ways - a service provider could get taken advantage of by a customer. But I see where you're coming from though. I usually think misunderstanding comes from miscommunication and ready-made assumptions. I think the responsibility may lie with both parties to make sure they're both on the same page. It unfortunately doesn't happen in the real world more times than it should. Unfortunate as it may seem, the good thing is lessons are learnt and it gives you a better and wiser nose for sniffing out and ironing out potential mishaps in the future. take care and here's to a great (and safe) 2008! Hi Michele!

I think it works both ways – a service provider could get taken advantage of by a customer.

But I see where you’re coming from though. I usually think misunderstanding comes from miscommunication and ready-made assumptions. I think the responsibility may lie with both parties to make sure they’re both on the same page. It unfortunately doesn’t happen in the real world more times than it should.

Unfortunate as it may seem, the good thing is lessons are learnt and it gives you a better and wiser nose for sniffing out and ironing out potential mishaps in the future.

take care and here’s to a great (and safe) 2008!

]]> By: Michele http://www.blogaboutcrafts.com/get-what-you-paid-for.html#comment-93 Michele Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:02:15 +0000 http://flashgallerytemplate.com/?p=81#comment-93 I hear this complaint quite frequently about writers. From what a number of my writing clients have told me, many of the other content writers do not know the difference between generic essay type content and informative sales copy type content. I also suspect that I've lost more than a few bids to these folks as they can afford to charge less as it's much easier to write a generic article about a product than it is to write an About Us page that explains why the client's product is superior. I've had at least one client admit they came to me after getting essay content from someone else. My best advice is to ask to talk to the writer on the phone prior to making any substantial financial commitment with them - some will charge for this initial conversation, but better to pay for an hour of their time then for content you can't use. I hear this complaint quite frequently about writers. From what a number of my writing clients have told me, many of the other content writers do not know the difference between generic essay type content and informative sales copy type content.

I also suspect that I’ve lost more than a few bids to these folks as they can afford to charge less as it’s much easier to write a generic article about a product than it is to write an About Us page that explains why the client’s product is superior. I’ve had at least one client admit they came to me after getting essay content from someone else.

My best advice is to ask to talk to the writer on the phone prior to making any substantial financial commitment with them – some will charge for this initial conversation, but better to pay for an hour of their time then for content you can’t use.

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