This guy I know…
Seriously, though… I once read about a technique used by veteran prostitutes to ensure they always get paid. (And before you fire off your angry email, I’m not commenting AT ALL on the industry, either way. Frankly, people can do what they want, in my opinion… but whatever.)
It’s quite simple really.
They demand payment upfront.
Sounds simple enough, but apparently, it was a lesson that had to be learned — and patrons were far less likely to pay after the service than before. Makes sense, but I find a lot of freelancers ignore these words of wisdom.
Chalk it up to neediness…
Or wishful thinking.
But, I know this… I learned this early on in my career… trust… but verify!
That said, a lot of freelance services aren’t conducive to getting paid in full upfront. Clients can get a bit squeamish and it WILL hurt your sales.
So, what to do?
Well, through some painful trial and error, I figured out a little system for managing payments that’s led to me not having a single client fail (I mean “forget”) to pay… in the 15 years since I started using it.
In fact, most remark that they appreciate the way I do it.
It keeps them honest, but also comfortable.
So, both sides win.
And, it’s not just “having a contract”. You should, but having to go to court isn’t exactly the ideal solution. This keeps you from having to hassle with all that and instead just get clients to pay like they should.
Anyway, I share this method in Lesson 11 of my Beginner’s Guide to Freelance course on Skillshare. And, you can get free access to it with a little finagling. It’s real, but there are a few hoops to jump through.
But, for one of my most popular courses… totally worth it.
Anyway, I created a video explaining how to get free access to the course (and close to 20 of my other courses) here:
https://getskillshare.com
Kind of a no-brainer, but up to you.
Later,
John
Idea Engine LLC
P.O. Box 245
Winona, MO 65588
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