The Client Is Always Right
By: Osueke Henry
Tags: Blockchain, Freelancing, Freelance Writing, Content Marketing, Writer

The Client Is Always Right

The client is always right.

That’s a phrase I hear time and time again–and most people think it applies to freelancing, too.

But, truth is: I don’t always agree.

That’s because a client (Marketing Director) hires you because you’re an expert in your field. They’re paying you to do something because they can’t do it themselves–either in a time or skill capacity.

Going above and beyond to satisfy a customer has long-term benefits that sometimes makes it worth it. However, in some cases caving into client demands (or behaviour) can be detrimental to the project as a whole.

I’ll be the first to admit: I’m outspoken.

No one ever has to ask my opinion because they know they’re getting it, whether they like it or not.

Am I nice?

Usually.

But am I opinionated?

Always.

For example, let’s say they want to change the headline of your press release. But you wrote the initial headline based on your A/B tests.

They made the changes to that high-converting headline, and you didn’t push back to explain why you did what you did.

They think you’re to blame for poor results. When in reality, they changed a proven headline template to something previously untested (and subsequently didn’t work.)

The same goes for any other type of content you create.

For example:

You use slang because their audience does. You include external links because they’re good for SEO. Every decision you’ve made with your content was based on an actual reason. Changes to that can affect its performance without your client realizing it.

There are times where pushing back might not be sensible. Your client is the product expert. Anything relating to their brand or product features and capabilities should be taken into consideration.

Case in point:

A client wanted a couple of Blockchain articles to rank for a specific keyword. I sent a draft that hit secondary keywords, but they replied to the draft with, “why isn’t the main keyword in here more often?”

Replying with “that’s not how I work” (or even worse, “you’re wrong”) gets your clients’ back up.

The key is to explain why you’ve done what you’ve done–and why their suggestion isn’t the best idea.

“I didn’t include the primary keyword too many times because the density was too high. Yes, the keyword is important, but search engines prefer content written for humans. The secondary keywords, which I found using Google autosuggest, prove the content is in-line with search intent.”

That’s a much better way to push back on revisions you disagree with than just screaming YOU’RE WRONG.

Regardless of how you’re pushing back, don’t be afraid to do it.

Pushing back means you educate your client. They’ll reinforce the idea of you being the expert.

Key Takeaways

· Edits or revisions are not necessarily a sign that your copy is crap.

· Often, it’s a sign the client needs to be better educated on why you chose to write that way

· Explain to them why you did what you did before doing anything else

Do you emphasize educating your clients? How do you push back on client’s edits while communicating value?