Every communication requires two things – the information that is sent, and the feedback that comes from the other side. It’s the same in the freelance world. When we work remotely, we also talk in a remote manner, but can that be of the same effectiveness as working and talking face to face?

Freelancers that have already successfully built their careers know that communication is the key to success, and here we will talk about the importance of feedback for a freelancer.

Why is feedback so important for freelancers?

Let’s say that you have been working with a certain client for a while. Everything went well, until one point. Suddenly, the client stopped responding, assigning new milestones, and being active on a certain freelancing platform.

What’s the first thought that comes to your mind? A freelancer may think that they have said or done something bad, so the client has decided to stop working with them. It also happens that freelancers become worried about the clients that stop responding, especially if they have worked together for a few years. Remote workers may think that something bad has happened to the client.

It’s the same with the feedback. When a freelancer doesn’t receive feedback when the task is done, they will either think that something went wrong, or that the client didn’t have or didn’t want to communicate about a certain problem, so they’ve just left.

What can feedback tell freelancers?

Here, we would like to talk about all those things that feedback can tell a freelancer. Whether good or bad, feedback provides this information:

– Skills. Feedback is most often related to skills, representing us whether the freelancer has done a good or bad job. Of course, there are dozens of skills related to freelancing, but most often, feedback is related to those that have been used for a particular task. A freelancer that, let’s say, score a 5 on feedback given may be truly satisfied or gain more confidence to continue with their remote work. When someone receives bad feedback related to skills, they may think about what they can improve, or what went wrong. It also happens that the freelancer may have needed skills, but they just don’t know how to use them for a certain task. Anyways, feedback is important so every freelancer can reflect on the true picture of their skills.

– Availability. There’s also a chance to rate someone’s availability, which is of crucial value in remote work. Freelancers who are available when needed definitely higher their chances of being hired by someone new. It’s important to keep in mind that different clients look at different feedback parts. Some will want someone with perfect skills, others will stick with those with fine skills, but constant availability, and so on.

– Communication. How did you communicate with your client? How did he or she communicate with you? Was everything clear? Were there some misunderstandings? In the remote world, some feedback doesn’t represent the real picture. Freelancers claim that they often provide 5-star feedback to their clients, even though they are not satisfied with some parts of the project, like communication, yet they don’t want to experience unpleasant situations. Clients sometimes do the same, but they provide great feedback even if they are not completely satisfied if the freelancer is already doing great and have numerous 5-star feedbacks from others.

– Meet deadlines and requirements. This is truly important for almost every project. No one wants to be late or to break the deadlines. Some clients appreciate fast work more than skills and correctness, while others are fine with a day, or two deadlines break if the project is perfectly done. Again, everything depends on the personal wishes and needs of a certain client. Feedback can help them to see if you are doing good in those parts they search for.

– The need for improvement. Here we come to the point where feedback can help freelancers to realize if there is a need for improvement. If you’re often late, your skills are not rated as you thought they would be, or if your communication skills are not on an expected level, this is a great opportunity to find that out. Don’t think of feedback as of someone’s personal opinion about you. A freelancer should think of feedback as something that will help them grow, improve in the needed fields, and later on – reflect on how far they’ve gone.

– Job success score. On many freelancing platforms, feedback can affect job success scores. There are two things that can affect a freelancer’s job success score. One is private feedback, and one is public feedback. We have talked a lot about public feedback already, but what about the one you won’t be able to see? Many freelance professionals claim that private feedback is even more important, or at least – it affects job success scores more. We’ve already mentioned that clients and freelancers often provide great feedback just to escape conflicts, but with private feedback – everyone tells the truth.

So, if you’ve realized that all your public feedbacks are great, but your job success score is dropping, take a look at the recent contracts that have ended. Think about what could go wrong, where did you make a mistake, or what wasn’t perfect. This will help you to grow in needed and wanted ways in your remote career, which will with time definitely improve your profession.

– Arguments. Are people arguing online? Nothing new. Yet, in the business world, you have to remind yourself that it’s important to be and stay professional. Never argue about anything that isn’t related to a certain job or a project. Or better said – find a compromise and a solution together with the client.

– Disputes. The same goes for disputes. It happens that a client is completely unsatisfied with the job done, yet a freelancer has spent hours working on a project. The dispute involves a third side or better said – a court of a certain freelancing platform. It’s always good to stay calm, neutral, but to provide your evidence. Value your work but cooperate with the client and understand their needs and feelings as well.