chris_hawk

That's a pretty healthy way to look at it!

Did you have that outlook on day one, or did it take some number of years in the freelancing game to come around to that outlook?

gk1, that's more or less what I was shooting for when I wrote and refined it. I'm glad you see it that way! At the same time, I wonder if nxb has tuned in to some tone-deafness that I can't see in the text.

That said, this template has worked like gangbusters. People have even gone away and come back later, having cleaned up their act, and ended up working with me.

"CTO for hire" sounds like pretty unforgiving work! It's a good thing you keep strong boundaries, it's wild out there.

Speaking as someone who mentors a number of new freelancers, often the LAST thing you want them to do is trust their gut! :)

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner. Very astute, s73v3r.

Client projects can be more like marriages than most freelancer are aware of, or would want to admit if they were.

Right! Those are all perfect examples of the mental process that goes on when evaluating a client. I often manage to go through that process myself on the spot, but there are many other times when I don't or can't.

And more importantly, new freelancers rarely have the ability to make those evaluations on the fly.

I sense that this is not your first rodeo! :)

Udo, that's not a bad approach, and I've used it myself. But I always felt bad for outright lying. At least by saying the project is a bad fit, I can say I'm being honest.

Now that I've said this, I'm sure I'll end telling someone "uh...I'm all booked up" before the week is out. :)

That said, IMO the word "No" is a full sentence, and when clients do as you describe, trying to forcefully argue why it should be a good fit, I simply hold to my original rejection and don't participate in that discussion.

They may want very badly to initiate a game of tug-o-war, but unless I agree to pull on the other end of that rope, it's not happening. :)

I agree 100% with you about the pitfalls of giving a personal critique of why the project is a bad fit/poor idea/not salvageable. That's just bad news.

Also, those bogus inquiries you mention? OMG BANE OF A FREELANCERS EXISTENCE. Not a single week goes by where I don't have an interaction like this:

Small Biz Owner: "I have an app idea!"

Me: "Of course you do."

Small Biz Owner: "You have to sign an NDA before I'll tell you!"

Me: "Straight-up 'no'."

Small Biz Owner: "OK, then...my idea is 'Twitter, but for law enforcement officers'! And they have to pay for it! It's GUARANTEED to make millions!"

Me: "OK, we can build & launch it for $10k."

Small Biz Owner: "What?!? That...ten THOUSAND? That's preposterous!"

Me: "It's guaranteed to make millions, right?"

Small Biz Owner" "Yeah, but...can't you do it for equity?"

Me: "Get out of my office."

(note: the above exchange has been hyperbolized for comedic effect)

You're right, a moody client could. That said, I don't live my life or run my business walking on eggshells, concerned with what the moody might do or say or think. I don't recommend anyone else do so, either.

When I craft interactions, I do so using a "reasonable client" standard, not a "moody client" standard. I can bear no responsibility for whatever negative interpretation a moody client may choose to assign to my words.

My responsibility as a professional is to communicate in a clean, honest, and not-tone-deaf manner. Now, if I fail on any of those three points, that's on me, for certain. And when I deliver a piece of communication that comes up "green lights" on those three points, it's on the recipient if they have a negative emotional reaction.

nxb, that's an interesting take on the matter. Which specific language seems passive-aggressive to you?

Also, how are you defining "excessive" with regards to length? it's 4 paragraphs:

Paragraph 1) Thanks! Paragraph 2) But no thanks! Paragraph 3) Here are some alternatives! Paragraph 4) Let me know how it goes!

Which of those paragraphs do you feel should be cut?

Also, can you walk me through the mental connect-the-dots you used to conclude that "excessive length" = "something to hide"? I find your conclusion fascinating, mostly because I don't understand its underpinnings.

nerdy, you're right that it's not the most personal approach. However, that's kind-of the point; rejecting work can sometimes result in the rejected party initiating a more heated exchange than is good for either party.

By maintaining the arms-length that an e-mail provides, it helps the freelancer (especially one who is new, uncertain of herself, or who hasn't learned to hold boundaries yet) to avoid getting sucked in to anything.

Plus, it provides a paper trail for later when the client comes begging back and the freelancer wonders "now, why did I turn this project down? Oooooh, right, they wanted to gnarfle the garthock, and that feels unethical."

So, while you're right in that it could be handled more personally, my experience tells me that it's often better for all involved if it's just a weensy bit less personal.

This is important, and IMO it's the thing that most freelancers neglect. They freelance the same way they did their last W2 job - waiting for the boss to tell them what to do.

Freelancing requires a whole 'nother type of thinking and self-accountability. It's one of the most common things I end up mentoring freelancers on.

Oh, man. I dream of the day a client comes to me with a project as interesting as a Gungan-targeting fish-taco stand website!

Also, thanks for the compliment! That e-mail template took forever to iterate into what you see today. :)

That's pretty reasonable. Although I didn't explicitly SAY so in the article (and I really should have), the "Listen to them" step is intended to be via phone or in-person.

Regarding #2, is it always clear to you on the spot if a project isn't a good fit? That's kind of awareness is rare, IME, and kudos to you for having it!

A lot of the freelancers that I've mentored need a bit of time & space to ponder and re-play the tape in their head, so to speak, before they can come to that conclusion.

Yeah, that was interesting. I'm a sucker for anything that can be explained via Venn diagram, but I immediately understood what he was getting at.

I have a similar problem (admittedly on a much smaller scale), having content in the wild that appeals to a podcasting audience on one hand, and a freelancing audience on the other.

I cold-emailed him and just asked, and he said yes. Turns out he had already heard good things about the show, so he was inclined to accept my invitation.

Get ready to hate me - getting guests for my show has been pretty easy, in general. Nobody has ever refused to be on the show, although a number of people have had problematic schedules.

Actually, wait - one person declined my invitation, but that was due to being uncomfortable doing an interview in English (it was their second language).

I hear some podcast hosts express difficulty in getting guests, but I'm going to keep riding the "just e-mail and ask" bus until the wheels fall off! Nathan was a great get and a cool guy and I'm really glad I was able to share his story with my listeners. :)

Nice of you to say. Thanks!

Hey! That's my podcast! Thanks for the link. :)

Nathan is a smart dude, I really enjoyed interviewing him.

If anyone has any questions about this episode, or about what Nathan & I talked about, post 'em up! I'll answer pretty much anything...

I don't know how many of you have ever launched a product on Product Hunt, but it definitely was not what I expected.

Before anyone else points it out...yes, I made the bonehead move of releasing a podcasting book with no audio version. D'oh!