When building client relationships as a Catholic freelancer, as much as your endgame may be to make profits, you have to ask yourself if you’re delivering value to your clients. Freelancing, just like any other commercial venture, requires a level of engagement that focuses on client relationships. When you are communicating with your clients you need to dig deeper and find out some of their specific needs which will aid in creating better working client relationships. These few tips will help you foster healthy client relationships as a freelancing contractor.

1. Define the Scale and Scope of the Project

Before you start working on any project it is important to discuss the finer details of the undertaking which ultimately define the level of engagement. A meeting is recommended at this point so that you can understand what is required of you as a freelancer and also your expectations of your client relationships. Understanding each other’s objectives and standpoints on a project will make it easier to achieve all the expected objectives.

At this foundational stage, you should define the timeframe of the entire project and the expected date of completion. Making this clear will help iron out any issues and keep you and your client on the same page. After defining the terms of engagement you can decide to draw up a contract or agreement that will hold you both accountable.  

This initial stage will focus on the manner and method of engagement, with the main goal being client satisfaction.

2. Communication of Progress

Many clients seeking the services of freelancers are often afraid that their deadlines will not be adhered to. Sometimes freelancers, for one reason or another, become unresponsive or fail to report on the progress of assigned projects. This is very frustrating for the client. As a freelancer, you can alleviate a client’s worries by always keeping them in the loop. A simple email detailing the work you have done and the expected time of completion will give the client confidence that the project is progressing well.

Apart from issuing regular progress reports, it is also important to let your client know when you are available to discuss any issues regarding the ongoing work. Always provide your contact information and the specific hours when you are available. This is crucial especially when you are working with international clients who are in different time zones. Communication tools such as email, video calls, and instant messaging services make it easy to keep in touch, so use them wisely.

If you ever encounter a problem when working on a client’s project, keep them informed and mention all the steps you’re taking to correct the situation. Many issue end up being simple miscommunications and are cleared up with proper communication.

3. Be Cordial and Professional

The nature of client engagement has become less formal over time. Formal business communication has evolved to friendly, less business-like communication. However, as a freelancer, you should always strive to keep all your interactions respectful and professional. You can add some pleasantries in your emails but ensure that you still maintain a respectable professional distance. Getting too personal with your client is likely to setback any gains you’ve made at maintaining a business relationship.

4. Nurture Existing Clients

The gig economy is growing fast and there seems to be an obsession with growing your network. While this is true, it’s also just as important to nurture your ongoing client relationships. Always give your best to your existing clients and they will surely notice your dedication.

In business (and this includes freelancing too) it takes more effort and resources to seek new customers than maintaining your current clientele and keeping them happy. Statistics on customer retention show that approximately 65% of business income comes from repeat customers. This ‘Bird in Hand’ concept is valuable if you are looking to cultivate long term professional client relationships. So, even as you look for new opportunities elsewhere, make sure that your current clients are happy and well cared for.
And maybe it goes without saying, that it’s almost easier to network, by letting your happy clients share about the successes you’ve had together.

5. Add a Personal Touch

I know I mentioned earlier the importance of maintaining a professional demeanor when interacting with clients, but it is sometimes okay to build an interpersonal rapport. For instance, you can wish them a happy birthday or ask how their family is doing. If, for instance, the client hits a major milestone in their life, you can go ahead and congratulate them. Some of these thoughtful gestures help in creating a healthy professional relationship that is not only about work.

You can note down important dates or events in your calendar and reach out to them when it counts. You could also set Google alerts for any relevant info that will help in your future discussions.

Please note that this does not apply to all clients. It is important to follow the lead of the client. Take cues from your interactions to find out if your client is comfortable engaging in friendly banter from time-to-time. 

6. Give Back Whenever Possible

Show gratitude for your client’s loyalty by offering some tokens of appreciation. You could give some discounts to your long-term clients or those who always pay for your services promptly. You could also offer a referral discount if your services are recommended to new clients. By doing this, you are showing your appreciation and at the same time building brand loyalty. Everyone loves a discount, don’t you think?

7. Always Ask

Whenever you’re in doubt, never hesitate to ask questions. Never assume that your clients’ expectations will always align with your viewpoint, especially if you are not clear about a particular issue. Some clients may have some reservations about certain topics so before you use your initiative to complete a task, always ask for direction or consent.

8. Clear Payment Procedures

Make it a point to specify all the payment methods from the start to avoid future disagreements. This should include issues such as up-front payments, payment deadlines, extra fees or surcharges, invoices, and how to deal with late payments. Ensure the invoicing process is consistent as well to ensure that your business processes are as reliable as possible.

Some payment gateways have invoicing features as well as automated payment requests to make funds disbursement easier.

9. Go Above and Beyond

It’s not enough to give minimal effort to your client’s work. Always strive to add value to everything you do. For instance, if you’re a freelance writer you can increase your word count, add infographics, and even search for appropriate images even if the client had not requested this. It will prove your dedication to your work and endear you to the client.  

Try as much as possible to make suggestions that will improve the client’s work and make it stand out from the rest. 

For example, if you’re a web designer, always make it a point to highlight some of the new trends and improvements that would enhance your client’s website. Remember, it doesn’t cost much to over-deliver and the returns are likely to be much greater than you can imagine. 

10. The Bottom-line

As your freelancing career grows, you’ll get better at implementing these strategies and you will execute some better than others. These concepts may take you out of your comfort zone and it’s a good thing because this is the only way to improve your craft and grow your business.

Be mindful of your client’s needs. Always keep this in mind; the more challenging the task, the greater the reward. It doesn’t matter what the business is, people will always matter most. Seek to provide value first and the benefits will always follow.

Submitted by the Editor

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Upon reflection, however, I’ve realized that many of my skills have actually developed from secular or seemingly unrelated experiences that I’ve been able to repurpose for ministry use.

If you have the opportunity to participate in professional development specifically for Catholics in your field, I highly recommend it! However, potential Catholic employers are also often interested to see the skills and professional development you bring from your previous experiences, even in secular fields, and how that outside perspective could benefit their ministry.  These will be hugely helpful when it comes time to write your resume.

Professional development opportunities also give you tangible experiences to discuss at a job interview. Many common interview questions invite an applicant to illustrate ways that they have used particular skills or reacted in past situations, and professional development not only proves dedication to your work, but also provides these concrete examples you can use in an interview.

So what professional development opportunities should Catholic professionals be on the lookout for? Here are some unique ways to gain Catholic professional development.

1. Brush up on your marketing skills

It’s no secret that communication skills are one of the top factors that recruiters consider when screening candidates for a position – in fact, it’s one of Forbes’ seven most universal job skills.

One of the reasons communication is so valuable is because it is the root of marketing, the work that convinces someone to take an action on a product or service. Employees who can communicate well help forward this mission, even if they aren’t part of the marketing or communications team.

So why is marketing a helpful skill for Catholic professionals? Just replace that product or service with Jesus, and you’ve got yourself evangelization.

I would argue that every Catholic organization can find its root in evangelization. Thus, as a Catholic professional, marketing skills prove you can use evangelize not only about the prospective ministry, but also about Christ. That alone can set you ahead of the rest of the pack.

Unique marketing professional development opportunities:

• Volunteer to run the social media account for your parish or a favorite company.
• Subscribe to newsletters or podcasts about email marketing that will help you keep up on the latest spam laws.
• Try to convince a friend to take action about a product or service, even if you receive no financial gain from it.

2. Plan an event for Catholic Professional Development

I have yet to be part of a Catholic ministry that has not required some level of event planning prowess.

Luckily, it is a widely versatile skill that is easy to learn and put into practice. That’s probably why it was one of the top 10 skills hiring managers appreciated in new hires in 2018, according to LinkedIn’s 2018 guide for getting hired.

Being able to discuss your past experiences in event planning allows you to practically and succinctly illustrate many of your “soft skills”: time management, organization, teamwork, ability to conceptualize ideas and plan for the long term, and creativity.

Don’t worry if you only have secular event planning skills: you can still use that experience to leverage a Catholic job opportunity. Attention to detail, keeping calm under pressure, and remembering to plug in the microphone are skills relevant across fields.

Unique event planning professional development opportunities:

• Present a parish event idea to your pastor and volunteer to organize it.
• Become a speaker or presenter at an upcoming conference, and keep a record of how you prepared for it.
• Coordinate a networking event in your area to meet fellow Catholic professionals (and potential employers).

3. Build your business acumen

Oftentimes, churches and Catholic organizations will shy away from business practices. It seems to contradict serving others, but that method simply isn’t sustainable.

Whether you have a background in finance, office management, entrepreneurship, or even design, bring those skills up at an interview! Many churches and Catholic organizations are beginning to realize how essential business management skills are to successfully fulfill their mission. Thus, Catholic hiring managers are specifically seeking candidates who can bring those skills, while keeping in mind that personal gain is not the goal.

If business hasn’t been your forte in the past, but you’re looking to grow in this area, there are so many opportunities for you to grow your skills!

Unique business professional development opportunities:

• Shadow a small business owner for a day and see what it is like to be an entrepreneur.
• Check out your local Chamber of Commerce; they may have training for aspiring business professionals.
• Put your business skills to work for practical experience! Volunteer to prepare taxes for the elderly and disadvantaged.  Conduct a business plan for your local crisis pregnancy center, or organize a community fundraiser.

5. Join a professional organization

I cannot emphasize enough how valuable professional groups have been to my development as a Catholic professional.

Joining Catholic professional groups, particularly online Facebook groups, have helped me stay on top of current trends, learn new skills, and constantly challenge me to keep growing in my field.

More importantly, however, it has allowed me to be inspired by so many wonderful people doing great things for Christ.

Being part of a professional organization, either in person or online, tells a Catholic hiring manager that you take your continued education seriously. It also illustrates that you know other experts in your field who you can bounce ideas off of.

Unique professional development groups for Catholics

• Young Catholic Professionals
• Catholics Online
• Legatus
• Catholic Creatives
• Catholic Writers Guild

6. Educate yourself on Catholicism

Working for a Catholic organization does not mean you have to know everything about the Catholic faith. However, understanding the essential theology around Jesus Christ and the Church’s teachings is important to obtain a position in religious ministries.

You don’t have to have a master’s degree in Theology to be qualified for every Catholic job, however. Thankfully, there are so many free, popular theological courses and offerings for laity.

Plus, mentioning these Catholic organizations during an interview is like a secret code that you actually know your stuff. Being able to discuss your favorite Scott Hahn book or Fr. Mike Schmitz video will prove to the interviewer that you are serious about this position and upholding the culture of the organization.

Unique theological (and free!) development resources:

• Alpha or Discovering Christ series
• Ascension Presents
• Formed.org
• Word on Fire

7. Don’t neglect your faith

Soon after I started my career in Church work, I noticed myself begin to burn out. My faith was now associated with work. Mass attendance became just an extension of the work week, and prayer was like taking work home.

That’s when I realized the importance of feeding myself spiritually before I spent my day trying to do the same for others.

A job candidate who places a large emphasis on prayer understands the importance of continually developing his or her faith life and is less likely to burn out.

Even attending a retreat could be considered Catholic professional development for your soul!

So when a person demonstrates they take time to feed themselves spiritually, it indicates to a hiring manager that he or she is dedicated to faith and takes steps to prevent burn-out.

Unique soulful professional development opportunities:

• Attend a silent retreat or a Catholic conference aimed at professionals.
• Sign up for a weekly slot at your Adoration chapel. Bring some of your faith-based work to allow Christ to be a part of it.
• Write a prayer to say before you begin work each day.

8. Catholic-specific professional development opportunities

Want to really wow your Catholic employer? While Catholic-specific professional development opportunities can be rare, participating in one shows you are really dedicated to your new position and already have the training that comes along with it!

Unique Catholic professional development opportunities:

• Rebuilt book/conferences or Divine Renovation podcast
• Amazing Parish conference
• International Catholic Stewardship Conference
• Young Catholic Professionals Conference
• Legatus Summit

If you’re hoping to enter the Catholic job market soon, don’t stress if you’re lacking Catholic professional development opportunities to include on your resume. There are plenty of unique ways to show off or develop your skills to help grow the Church.  What’s important is having experience and proven passion!

About the Author:

Emily Ricci is the president of Gloriam Marketing, and works as a marketing content and social media specialist at a Catholic college and previously worked at a church for over 7 years. Her past church titles and responsibilities have included working as a Parish Office secretary, sacristan, Weekend Coordinator (ministry supervisor and event coordinator), youth minister, bulletin writer, coordinator of the baptism program, and Faith Formation teacher and assistant. After years in church work, Emily recognized the need for solid Catholic marketing and promotion, but realized that there were no marketing firms in the area that specialized in faith-based marketing.

Search here for Catholic job postings, or Catholic Professionals you can hire.

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