We are all wired to look for the best in everything- so long we can afford to pay for it. We feel bad when we fail to find the best or when we are tricked to believe its best when it isn’t.

For instance, let’s say you are shopping on Ebay or Amazon for a good lapel microphone for your DSLR camera with some specific features and you find one within you price range. The packaging and pictures of the product looks good and you are convinced to buy it. The product is shipped to you.

When you un-box and try it out, the sound it captures is horrible and has some hissing and pops. Alternatively, it may be perfect but not compatible with your DSLR camera as seller claimed online. What do you do?

The only option you will have in this case is shipping the product back to the seller. While you are guaranteed to get your money back, you will have wasted your time and lost money in the process.

Such experiences are very common In the Freelancing world but in a different way. A huge percentage of the Freelancing business -is service driven- and relies much on communication. If one of the parties involved in a project fails to communicate, the whole process is delayed and may result in many inconveniences especially when you are working on a deadline.

In this blog-post, I share how to handle Freelancers with poor communication. If you are a freelancer and is dealing with a client with poor communication, please go and read this blog-post.

So, how do you deal with good freelancers with poor communication? Well it depends. If you have posted a job and haven’t already hired, here is what I suggest you do in order to hire someone who will not let you down at the middle of the project with poor communication;

Set your expectations

In your post, be very clear on what you expect from the freelancer. What will help you catch a freelancer with poor communication is their response to your expectations when bidding. Put the following as your most important expectations from applicants; timeline, cost, revisions and working hours. i.e You can say you are looking for someone who works in your time zone for easy flow of communication.

Remove applications which does not address the questions on your expectations

If your offer is good and resonates with most freelancers, you will receive many applications. You will realize that most applications are generic. Sift through them and remove/decline applications which does not address your request. This alone will leave you with 10% of the applicants.

Test their communication promptness

Send them a message and ask them simple questions. See how fast they respond. Also, if they only answer your questions but does not ask any questions or clarification on your project, it means that the freelancer is after money than your project.

Hire the freelancer who convinces you by show of their honest communication

Many freelancers will pretend to work on weekends if you ask them only to just to please you. But a honest freelancer will tell you they don’t work on weekends and it will be up to you to hire them or not.

Now, if you have already hired the best freelancer, and now you are finding it difficult to work with them because they are now responding late to your comments or request, here are the steps I recommend you follow to resolve it.

Give yourself sometime to analyze why they are not responding on time

Some freelancers will promptly communicate at the beginning of a project but relaxes after working with them for sometime. Their reasons maybe genuine while others are not. For example, a genuine reason maybe sickness or travelling. Them communicating upfront is professional.

Pressure them to deliver within a timeline

If the freelancer is swamped up with work, they will honestly tell you they will not. This means that their priority on your project is no longer their concern. This way, you can decide to hire someone else who will work on your terms.

Analyze how you feel when they delay to communicate

This is very important. The essence of starting any business endeavor is to get more work done and have freedom and happiness. If you are not feeling good, hire someone else immediately. Make sure you mutually end the contract with the freelancer and give them credit where they deserve.

Use the experience to hire your next freelancer

When scouting for your next freelancer, put in practice your experience while sifting through the many applicants. This way, you will be in a position to find the best freelancer.

And that’s it from me today. And as they say, experience is the best teacher. Use your experience to hire the best freelancer who meets your demand. Don’t forget be kind and reasonable to each other. Let’s make internet safe and reliable market place to do business.

And if you need help to create and produce professional screen-cast video tutorials for mobile apps, websites and software’s let me know here.

Until next time, bye and take care.

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