We live in an open market. The best freelancers get to pick from a wide pool of suitors. The best clients pick from a wide pool of contractors. In a polygamous world, we have choices. When competing for attention and loyalty, there are key things you can do to improve your odds.

1. FREELANCERS ARE SLUTTY, BUT SO ARE YOU
Strategies for the Successful Engagement of Independent Contractors
@justlikeair

2. Hi, I’m Shane & I run a
100% FREELANCE
driven company.

3. A FEW OF OUR FRIENDS (some people call them clients)
www.shaneandpeter.com

4. USING FREELANCERS REQUIRES
A UNIQUE APPROACH
1. When Does it Makes Sense
2. Build the Right Team
3. Craft the Deal
4. Manage the Relationship
5. Conclusion

5. Freelancer / Independent Contractor
A person who offers their time and
skill over a limited engagement in
exchange for compensation.

6. 1. WHEN SHOULD YOU GET HELP?

7. Thein Answer
Is the Definition
Skill ° Time ° Work Load ° Perspective ° Bureaucracy

8. SKILLS Require
‘rubygems’
Require
‘atchoum’
Class
SneezyWeb
<
Atchoum
def
layout
html
do
head
do
You are a master chef learning to code at night so
that you can make your own website.

9. TIME
You missed your son’s grand slam
because of the 17th “emergency” in 2 hours.
©
Ed
Yourdon
via
flickr

10. LOAD
Your staff goofs off due to inconsistent workloads.

11. PERSPECTIVE
Sometimes the answer is right in front of you and
you just need someone to point it out.

12. Bureaucracy
Fill out Form 37A and we’ll get you an in-house
designer 3 months from next Wednesday.

13. Great
There are a TON of people who can help.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, approximately 10.3 million
workers in the U.S. (7.4% of the U.S. workforce) are independent contractors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freelancer

14. Delegate
not abdicate
No one knows as much about your business as you.

15. Freelance
Is Not Free
Look for a value proposition beyond just cost!

16. You can’t always get what you want
Get What You Need
Over ½ the requests we get from clients are for the wrong
solution to the right problem. Be open to collaboration.

17. WHEN DOES IT MAKE SENSE?
• Need a specialized skill
• Your time has greater return elsewhere
• Temporary help
• A fresh mind focused on a problem
• Bypass internal roadblocks
• Saving money might be the wrong answer
• Collaborate to find the best solutions

18. 2. BUILDING THE RIGHT TEAM

19. Being the Right
CUSTOMER
Make a Plan ° Do your Research ° Know your Boundaries

20. How do we win?
What are your metrics for success? If you can’t answer this right off the bat,
stop what you are doing. You are about to lose a lot of money.

21. Don’t buy more than you can handle.
It won’t solve your problem and you’ll just get disappointed.

22. Be an educated consumer
& understand what’s under the hood!

23. $317,280?! Always have a BUDGET defined by your
business needs not the market’s cost.

24. What happens after you are
“done?”
A purchase has a clear-cut beginning and end, whereas a
process is ongoing, and that is what you want from a partner.
Consider the life of the effort including maintenance, support
and future upgrades.

25. NOW GO FISHING
1. Ask everyone you know
2. Place an ad
3. Check credentials
4. Evaluate experience

26. THE RIGHT PEOPLE
• Talented
• Happy
• Helpful
• Curious
• Accountable

27. TALENTED
1) Normal interviews often don’t work
2) Remote interviews certainly don’t
3) Review portfolios
4) Try before you buy
5) Hire slowly and fire quickly

28. When it comes to finding the right freelancer:
PERSONALITY MATTERS MORE THAN TALENT

29. HAPPY
HAPPY

30. HELPFUL
HELPFUL

31. CURIOUS
CURIOUS

32. ACCOUNTABLE

33. 1getOUT contracts
multiple
OF 3 *
Not everyone is going to be the perfect fit
* In 2010, we tried 43 contractors of which 15 have multiple contracts (good year)

34. THE RIGHT TEAM REVIEW
• Be the right customer
• Find a good fishing hole
• Try before you buy
• Figure out YOUR culture
• S&P’s: Happy, Helpful, Curious
• Accountable
• Failures are inevitable, plan for them

35. 3. CRAFTING THE DEAL

36. Enough talk…
Let’s Hook Up
The 4 phases of a contract:
Discovery, Diagnosis, Design and Deal

37. WHO PAYS FOR THE DATE?
Creating a bid costs time and money. Interestingly
enough, the industry typically dictates who pays:
Industry
Vendor
Client
General
Contractor
(ConstrucFon)
✔
Mechanic
✔
Digital
Agency
✔
Technical
Writer
✔
Plumber
✔

38. Deliverables
Exclusions & Dependencies
Define exactly what you expect to receive for your investment.
Figure out if there are any steps that must be first taken
by either party in order for the project to succeed.

39. COMPENSATION METHOD
Fixed
Hourly
Retainer
Results
Barter

40. There is no such thing as a
FIXED SCOPE
I have yet to have a project that does not change as we work on it.
This has proven true in construction projects in real estate as well as
software & hardware. The act of creation is the act of exploration.

41. HOW DO YOU MEASURE?
Scope
Scope
1hr
20m
acFve
play
together
per
day
3
meals,
hand
cooked
Time
Time
11-­‐14
years
Payment
Budget
Licks,
hugs,
cuddles
and
undivided
love
Quality

42. TERMS & CONDITIONS
Ownership
Support
Liability
Solicitation
Expiration

43. It doesn’t matter what it says, if they don’t
UNDERSTAND
Legalese is for lawyers, not people. Write plain English contracts.
The best way to avoid problems down the line is clarity up front.

44. GET IT IN WRITING
A handshake is a contract. Odds are, though, that you just shook
on two different things. The effort of writing a contract encourages clarity.

45. S&P Contract Templates
Client Contract:
http://bit.ly/sp-customer-contract
Master Services Agreement:
http://bit.ly/sp-master-services-agreement

46. CRAFT THE DEAL REVIEW
• How do I win?
• Nail the scope
• Tie it to a budget
• Agree on a deadline
• Discuss terms & policies
• Put it all in writing

47. 4. MANAGE THE RELATIONSHIP

48. 5 STAGES OF A RELATIONSHIP
1. Romance / Attraction ….........
Exploration
2. Reality Sets in ….....................
OMG Love / Hate it
3. Power Struggle …..........….....
Scope Creep
4. Commitment ….........…..........
The Big Push
5. Co-Creation / Stability ….........
Revisions / Support
From
a
presenta,on
by
Josh
Sages
(h4p://slidesha.re/9y8ACi)

49. The success of your project happened during
THE SETUP
The secret to managing a relationship with a freelancer
is trust and clarity. Both of those were shaped during the sale.

50. How to build loyalty in a
polygamous environment?

51. PAY CONSISTENTLY & ON TIME

52. Make YOUR Deadlines
Most of our deadlines get blown by our
clients, not by us. It is your project. You
must hit YOUR deadlines.

53. STOPListen
Collaborate &
Nothing says “I care” more than “I hear you and totally understand.”
You hired a technical expert. Please listen and seriously consider our advice.

54. BE ORGANIZED
Know where to find files. Keep track of dates. Reply to your emails.

55. JEALOUSY IS NOT SEXY
Respect the fact that freelancers work for multiple clients.

56. Clear Feedback is Essential
The only true measure of feedback quality: WTFs / Minute
Adapted froman OSNews.com comic

57. TOOLS DON’T HAVE DREAMS. PEOPLE DO.

58. Check Yourself
Before you wreck yourself
Client meeting for a Jewish teen website:
Client: “We want something that has
sort of an anarchist edge.
Something crazy like Mickey Mouse
with a swastika or something.”
Me: “Are you sure your demographic
is comfortable with swastikas?”
Client: “Why wouldn’t they be?”
clientsfromhell.net

59. 95% odds they are a
TECHNICIAN
Which means unless you have hired a project manager,
you ARE the project manager.

60. KNOW THEIR STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES
You can ask a plumber to fix your car, but don’t be surprised when it breaks.

61. We
call
it
a
“Scrum”
THE KEY TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT: REGULAR REVIEW
• What did you do last?
• What will you do next?
• What is in your way?
• Do you need a meeting?

62. WHY CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG
When things are not working out, document, document, document.
The best way to handle a charged and emotional situation is with a list of facts.

63. Serial Polygamy
• Check availability and book ahead
• Consistency drives loyalty
• Share your excitement
• Provide opportunities for learning and growth
• Promote them to your network
• Be flexible
• Grow together

64. MANAGE THE RELATIONSHIP
• Did you setup a win?
• Pay on time, make your deadlines & be organized
• Freelancers are people not tools
• Check in on a regular basis
• Give clear feedback
• Maintain accountability while offering trust
• Be prepared to manage and measure performance
• Check yourself
• Plan for a long-term relationship

65. USING FREELANCERS REQUIRES
A UNIQUE APPROACH
1. When Does it Make Sense
2. Build the Right Team
3. Craft the Deal
4. Manage the Relationship
5. Conclusion

66. Freelancers are slutty
but so are you
We live in an open market. The best freelancers get to pick
from a wide pool of suitors. The best clients pick from a wide pool of contractors.
In a polygamous world, we have choices. When competing for attention,
there are key things you can do to improve your odds:

67. Partners, not tools
Look for the right long-term partnerships. Start with skills,
but quickly move on to those things that drive a relationship.

68. You are going to have to work
This is your baby. Prepare yourself to engage actively in the project.

69. The sale often
defines the outcome
I can usually tell you if a project will succeed or fail before it even starts.

70. Set them up to win
Provide the information, support and consistency
they will need to succeed fabulously.

71. Work together to have the project
Be On Scope, Budget & Time

72. And in the famous words of Bobby McFerrin
Don’t Worry, Be Happy

73. @justlikeair
shanepearlman.com