Okay
sorry, I’m not going to get into red flags in terms of relationship. But as a freelancer, I became quite good at spotting red flags when it comes to potential clients.
And just like with relationships, I sometimes ignore red flags and always ends up regretting it at some point!
These are things I consider as red flags (or yellow) when it comes to clients on freelancer platform, as it’s where I get the vast majority of my clients. Some are quite obvious, as it’s usually fake clients or scams, and some are simply filtered clients that wouldn’t be a good fit.
How to Spot Fake Clients and Scam
In the word of freelancing platforms, there are a fair number of fake clients, fake freelancers, and all sorts of scams. Some are so obvious that it’s laughable, while some might go under the radar. I personally always flag the ones that seems fishy but here are a few signs to look up for.
Message appeared more than once: You check up some invitation and can’t help but feel a deja vu. When you see the same message more than once, especially if it’s a new account, it’s probably a bot or something similar.
There’s a link or a doc: unless it’s a very active account and a personal message, I always wait until we have exchanged a few words before opening anything the potential client sends. When it’s an ad with few info and a link: watch out!
The client is new and the profile is empty or seems too generic: When a client in genuinely new, they’ll often say it in their profile, or at least take the time to write in a way that seems genuine.
My red flags
I mostly work as a copywriter and translator, so keep in mind that my red flags are regarding this specific line of work.
1. The job itself isn’t clear: I worked in the non-profit sector for way too long and eroded all the patience I had for people that simply don’t know what they want. I understand that one could have their reason to not be very clear in the first offer post, but if it’s not crystal clear within the first few messages, I’m generally out. And lets’ face it, a lot of people ask for freelancers as miracle workers. I had potential clients asking me for content writing for their website, while they had no plan, no structure, no idea what they wanted to put specifically in their website. When a client can’t picture what they want as a final result, the freelancer will most probably waste tons of times going back and forth to make adjustment, often for a pay that isn’t worth. It is at the end.
2. The client wants to have a call or interview very early in the process: the key word is “early in the process.” It’s worst if it’s for a short contract, for which I usually refuse any interview. And it’s also worst if the person won’t state what it is for. I have no problem having a quick call once the client is down to 1 or 2 persons, or if they practically chose me and want to know my vibe before signing. The problem for me with interview is that it’s an investment of time that I refuse to do if I don’t have all the information. I once spend 30–40 minutes in an interview with a potential client, only to learn that their budget wasn’t at all what they had written in the offer (picture $35/hour, but offers $40 for a 2,500-word article with a fair amount of research . . . which isn’t reasonable). I basically wasted time for a contract that I didn’t want to do anyway.
3. Expect a free test: From a start, this isn’t allowed on most of the freelancing platform, so it should be avoided. When I started and was looking for clients, or when it was a contract that truly interested me, I would do it. Now I simply state that I don’t do the test, but can offer a discount for a task that won’t be used outside of the interview process. I usually also offer to send samples or to refer to the reviews I have on my profile. Worst of case, the client could literally look to get free work done without actually having to pay someone. Even when it’s not the case, wanting a free test to me shows that the client doesn’t grasp the difference between a freelance contract and an actual job. It also shows me that this client probably isn’t my target market, as I prefer clients that are willing to pay for a quality job, rather than looking for cheap labour.
4. Irrational expectations: Some clients genuinely don’t know the necessary time it takes to complete a specific task, but these will usually state in the offer. However, you’ll often see clients looking for someone who can give a high-quality product, in very little time, for very little money. This is simply not possible! Between cheap, high quality and fast, you can only choose two. Clients that do not understand this will mostly always try to push your boundaries so you’d work faster or for less money.
As a freelancer, our time is our biggest assets. Since I’ve made the switch, I value my time like I never did before. Every hour you spend emailing back-and-forth with a client that doesn’t know what they want, is an hour lost that you could’ve spent on something lucrative, or on well deserve downtime. It’s also very important for your mental health, as well as your wallet, to give priority to clients that respect the value of your work.
