How Much Do Freelancers and Clients Trust Each Other?
Trust is the most valuable currency in the freelance industry for a reason.
Freelancing is all about patience and trust.
First, you have to be patient to win a project. You have to bid and write proposals patiently. Then, you have to match your client's expectations with the quality of your work. Finally, you have to wait for a review period to get paid.
The mutual trust makes freelancing be a two-way street.
Your client trusts you that you'll give your very best. You trust your client that you'll be paid as agreed.
Trust is the most valuable currency in the freelance industry for a reason.
There are two possible scenarios in a working relationship between freelancers and clients.
The Worst Case Scenario
You end up in a disagreement. The next thing you know, you and your client are in a middle of the dispute. It happens.
The most important thing is for your freelance platform not to take a side. Unfortunately, the majority of freelance websites favor the clients in a dispute by default.
Even if you win a dispute and get the money for your work, you can still lose. How? Well, there's something called a "revenge review." Your client can still leave a bad review and hurt your reputation. That's why many freelancers are discouraged from initiating an arbitration even if they have every right to do so.
I asked myself, if this is the case with goLance too. It turns out that this relatively new and small platform can teach a fair-play lesson to much bigger players in the freelance industry.
There's a section in their Terms that guarantees a fair treatment to freelancers who have a dispute with their clients:
"Both parties revoke their rights to leave a review (feedback) for the project, which is under a dispute, regardless of the dispute’s outcome. You hereby accept and agree with our official policy to prevent any kind of revenge and intentionally damaging reviews on our website. Please note that the project will be still visible on your profile with the note “Disputed.” However, there will be no indication whether or not you won or lost the arbitration."
Let's cheer up and examine the second more pleasant scenario.
The Best Case Scenario
What's the opposite of a dispute? Well, that has to be a freelance paradise. Everything runs so smoothly that your client doesn't doubt your work even for a second. You know that you're going to be paid and rewarded accordingly.
Quite often, the clients feel so good about their freelancers' work and trust them completely that they want to pay them as quickly as possible. The trouble is that some freelance platforms aren't flexible when it comes to so-called early payment options.
On the contrary, you can get yourself in trouble if you ask your client to release a milestone before or in the middle of a review period. That's against the rules. Whatever that's supposed to mean.
I've been using a Payday Advance option from the day one on goLance. I consider it to be both useful and fair. A small additional fee to pay for a huge benefit of being able to get your money as soon as you deliver your work.
Yet, I couldn't help myself wondering, if there's a way to move a step further in this good direction? It turned out that goLance had the sixth sense when it comes to their freelancers' wishes.
Variable Review Period
This new option is reserved for the most trusted freelancers. That's the best of all the best scenarios. The ultimate trust between a client and his freelancer.
If your client really trusts you then he or she won't have a problem with turning off the review period completely. Meaning, you will get your money almost instantly.
You've been working with a client for months or even years. You have earned their trust. Your client doesn't have a reason to doubt that you'll deliver the same level of top quality work every single time. Then, why bother with a review period?
A shorter review or eliminated review period can mean the world to any freelancer. It won't hurt your client either. So, it's a clear win-win scenario for both parties.
The Letter "F" in Freelancing Stands For "Freedom" NOT "Fear"
The absolute freedom is something I love the most about goLance. The things that can easily get you suspended or banned permanently on other freelance platforms are not only allowed on goLance, but strongly encouraged.
Try to attach the third-party links to your profile, such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Quora or your own website on some other platforms for freelancers and see what happens. You will be banned in a blink of an eye, but not here. This is something called the digital credibility.
Try to get paid before or somewhere during a review period on some other platform and you can also suffer consequences, but not on goLance. That is something called Variable Review Period.
On goLance, you can hit two targets with one freelance arrow. You can work without any fear at all and get paid early, as well.
So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today and start building trust with your clients that will pay off big time.