If you've ever heard these words from your client long after you were given the "complete" download on a project, priced it out, gotten started, and maybe even made your first deliverable, raise your hand. No, of course, this isn't a WebEx, so we have no idea whether you raised your hand or not, but we bet you did.

Project add-ons are commonplace in our business because we don't make widgets--everything is written to order--and it's nearly impossible for clients to know everything at the beginning that will be needed by the end. We've discussed add-ons that affect the scope of work in previous Pencil Point articles about project pricing and managing project creep. Some add-ons are more logistical in nature, and that's what we're talking about here.

There was a recent discussion in the AMWA freelance forum concerning a client asking the freelance writer to Instant Message (IM) with them during teleconferences. The freelance was quite put off because IM is a mode of communication the freelance often uses for personal communications. Ergo, the perception was that the client was asking to invade the freelance's personal space. We agree that would be a definite no-no, but we didn't think that was what the client was asking to do. It turns out the client was simply looking for a way to "whisper," "pass notes," or "exchange glances" during teleconferences like most of us do when we're face to face in a live meeting. We often use text messaging for this purpose and have never felt it was an invasion of privacy or personal space. Once the freelance considered this alternate perspective, the concern soon dissipated.

We also have encountered many circumstances where, about an hour before a document-review teleconference is scheduled to start, the client sends an email with "one more thing..." Can we please download some software and log into their proprietary online screen-sharing program so we can follow along with them during the meeting? We hate downloading other people's software, particularly because we don't know what problems it may stir up with our own software and computers. But as we remind ourselves, we're in the service business--better yet, the satisfaction business--and if that's what it takes to do the job and please the client, that's what we need to do. WebEx, Microsoft® Office Live Meeting, GoToMeeting, Fuzebox®--  we've used a few of them, and we're pleased to report our computers haven't glitched or even hiccuped.

"One more thing..." is usually the start of a sentence you don't want to hear. But when it comes from a client asking you to do something that will make their process work more smoothly, or simply give them a warm, fuzzy feeling of cooperation, you better listen up. Add-ons may sometimes take you out of your comfort zone, but going with the flow is an easy way to fuse your business partnership. You might also learn something that can benefit you with other clients.

DOLLARS & SENSE

Late Fees AREN'T The Answer      

With pharma calling the shots on everything from how much they'll pay, to what you have to do to get paid, to how long you have to wait to get paid, it's no wonder freelances are frustrated. According to our accounts receivables, we're darn near rich. But according to our accountant, Mike, cash is king, so we know we're not really rich until our bank account says we're rich.

Just a few years ago, nobody started work without a contract in place and a purchase order in hand. Today it seems companies have found a way to get the work without the commitment. Medical communications companies (medcomms) in particular are eager to hold onto clients that make no bones about replacing them at the snap of a finger. So when the client calls with an urgent assignment (and really, when do they not wait until the last minute to get started?), the medcomm (our client) pulls out all the stops. Over the past year we've delivered a lot of projects to our clients while they're still waiting for the POs to arrive.

Yes, our client has agreed to our payment terms, blah, blah, blah. The unfortunate reality is that the longer pharma strings out their vendors, our clients, the likelier it is our clients will have to string us out as well. The whole ugly picture looks like this hypothetical example:

Friday, January 10: The client, BigPharma, calls your client, MedCommRUS, about an urgent project scheduled to kick off at 9 am Monday. They call you, and everyone's on board.

Monday, January 13: After a 2-hour teleconference download, you spend another 2 hours working up an estimate, which you send to your client for approval. The project is on fire so they glance at your estimate and pull the trigger to get you started. Meanwhile, your client is still working on their estimate to BigPharma, which will incorporate your estimate for content development.

Wednesday, January 15: Your client delivers a complete project estimate to their client. You're halfway through outline development.

Friday, January 17: You deliver the first-draft outline to your client as they receive voice confirmation that the estimate is approved.

Monday, January 20: Your outline is sent to the client for review and approval. The PO is in the works.

Wednesday, January 22: You receive the outline back with client comments and the instruction to move full speed ahead with the first draft. The PO is in the works.

Friday, January 24: You're making progress with the first draft. The PO is in the works.

Friday, January 31: You're nearing the finish line with the first draft. The PO is in the works.

Wednesday, February 5: You deliver the first draft to your client. The PO is in the works.

Friday, February 7: Your first draft is sent to the client for review. The PO is in the works (hey, it's only been 3 weeks, these wheels don't turn fast, you know).

Monday, February 10: You invoice for your work on the outline and the first draft, which comprises 80% of your estimated cost for the project. The PO is in the works.

Friday, February 14: You finally receive client feedback on the first draft, which was due 2 days ago. The revised draft is due end-of-day Monday. Your client finally receives the PO.

Monday, February 17: You deliver Draft 2 to your client. Your client sends an invoice to their client.

Thursday, February 20: You receive client feedback on Draft 2. Your client's invoice has not yet been acknowledged.

Friday, February 21: You deliver Draft 3 to your client along with a final invoice. Your client is waiting for accounts receivable at BigPharma to acknowledge receipt of their invoice (you'd be surprised how many people have to sign off).

Friday, February 28: Your client receives word their invoice was received and is being processed. Their payment cycle is 90 days.

Monday, March 10: Payment for your first invoice is due today. Your client will not be paid until at least May 28, at which time your first invoice will be more than 11 weeks overdue and your final invoice will be more than 9 weeks overdue.

This scenario isn't meant to provide sympathy for our late-paying clients. Rather, it's meant to provide insight into what's holding up the cash-flow pipeline. If we don't understand why our payments are late, we have no hope of overcoming the problem.

Can we overcome the problem? Not really. But we can compensate for it. We encounter many freelances who want to charge late fees to their clients. They're surprised when this tactic doesn't work, and even more surprised when their client doesn't give them more work. Medcomms have tried this tactic with their clients, too. The funny thing is, pharma clients will take discounts for early payments, but they'll never pay fees for late payments, so neither will the medcomms. With chronically late-paying clients, we've found it much more rewarding to build a late fee into our estimate (not as a separate line item, though) in anticipation of the ultimate payment delay.

We're now in the process of putting together our personal-appearance schedules for 2014. If you'd like us to come and speak at an event you're organizing, don't wait too long to contact us. Our schedule is filling fast!

We were happy to meet several of our readers at last year's AMWA Annual Conference. Thanks for stopping by and introducing yourselves. We're in the process of completing our Proposal for the 2014 AMWA Annual Conference. Deadlines for submission are February 28, 2014, for open session proposals and March 21, 2014, for roundtable discussions and posters. Is there something you'd like us to present on at the 2014 Annual Conference? Send us an email and let us know.

We would love to present at your next upcoming meeting or event, so invite us!

How Well Does Your Online Persona Reflect Your Personal Brand?    

We're sure we can all agree that digital communications have changed forever the ways in which we interact with one another. No longer must we wait days for a written letter to reach a mailbox. We don't even have to wait until we're at our desk to check our email or social-media accounts. Nowadays, with a few swipes on our smartphone or tablet we can respond to email, share a photo or post an update on a social-media platform, and comment on a news article or blog post.

At the risk of seeming like dinosaurs, we must admit that we haven't decided yet whether such nearly instantaneous digital communication is good or bad. Certainly, being able to interact quickly with clients and colleagues makes our jobs easier and allows us to work more efficiently. Likewise, social-media marketing has proved an effective way to grow our freelance businesses. On the flip side, social media have enabled a new and very different level of communication, one that, in our opinion, challenges us to set different boundaries and establish new kinds of etiquette.

Most of us go online and join social-media communities to communicate, to be heard, and to hear the ideas of others. We are searching for shared experiences and collegial places where we can grow and learn. But once enmeshed in these communities we feel free to say things online that we would never say in polite face-to-face discourse. We've watched, at times with horror, the lack of etiquette and downright hostility that occur in digital communications, perhaps because we wrongly associate a certain level of anonymity with the digital medium.  

With so many ways to make our opinions known quickly, it seems as though some people have forgotten their manners. We judge, we give unwanted advice, we are rude, we attack people with our written words. There is an inclination to fire off comments in haste and rarely think about the repercussions until after it's too late.

As social media have become more prevalent, we've refined our notions of online etiquette and personal boundaries. Here are some thoughts to consider:

• People who use social media have made the decision to open up a part of their lives--whether personal or professional--to others. The fact that they have done so is not an invitation for judgment or disrespect.  
• Treat your social-media accounts as your digital homes, which you have opened up to the public. As you would do in your brick-and-mortar home, create boundaries in your digital home. Expect those who visit to act as your guests. Don't allow people to stay who are rude, cruel, or mean.
• Similarly, act as a guest when you visit others' digital homes. That means being civil, thoughtful, and kind. Don't leave behind a mess they need to clean up once you've gone, that is, inappropriate, insulting, or hurtful comments they need to remove.
• Civil disagreement is acceptable and healthy, when presented in a mindful and respectful manner. Hostility and insensitivity are not.
• Make your digital interactions productive and useful to others. Mindless comments fired off in anger or with the purpose of attacking someone are simply a form of cyber bullying. They reflect poorly on your online reputation and, ultimately, may not lead to the result you were looking for.

Keep in mind that anything you say online becomes part of your digital footprint, for which only you are responsible. You can't unring a bell. Before you write something online you need to consider the impact your words might have on others with dissimilar opinions and how the words you write today could affect you--and your professional image--in the future.

Don't be fooled that current or prospective employers won't examine your online image and develop an impression of you based on what they find. A 2012 survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Career Builder found that 37% of companies used social-networking sites to conduct background research on job candidates.The nationwide survey included more than 2,000 hiring managers and human-resource professionals across multiple industries and company sizes. The results showed that hiring managers use social media to glean information about candidates' character and personality outside of the traditional interview process. Interestingly, 12% of hiring managers stated that they purposely went onto social-media platforms intending to find reasons NOT to hire the candidate and 34% of hiring managers reported that certain social-media discoveries led to them not offering the candidate the job. If hiring managers are doing it for prospective employees, you can bet they are using social media to research freelances online, as well.

As human-resource professionals know, you can learn a lot about people from their online personas. Your social-media footprint is part of your personal brand. What does yours say about you?