Chapter 1: The Evolution of Freelancing

In my nearly 30 years as a developer, many of my clients have never seen my face. This narrative explores my journey as a faceless developer.

I embarked on my freelance web design career during a time that feels worlds apart from today. Back then, technologies like Zoom and WhatsApp were nonexistent. The primary means of communication included landline phones, pagers, and the nascent email system. Email was just beginning to gain traction, and those with email addresses were akin to today's AI enthusiasts—technically savvy and ahead of the curve. At that time, I had an email from my educational institution and another from Hotmail, which was the most popular free email service.

The year was approximately 1996, and I was tentatively stepping into the business landscape while still completing my education. My eagerness to earn money was palpable. During that time, a common sentiment echoed among many business owners was: "We do not engage in business with people we've never met."

As a young IT student, I found this notion amusing. What difference would my appearance make? Was there a sign on my face that would scream "Trust Me"? Or perhaps a ratings section displayed somewhere on my body? Regardless, I was in no position to challenge these norms, so I complied. Whenever there was an opportunity to meet a potential client, I would make the effort to travel, though many of those trips often proved fruitless.

Consider this example: a prospective client who merely wanted to extract information from me by asking an endless series of questions about the latest technology, using me as a substitute for Google. Another instance involved a prospect who simply wanted to "explore" ideas with no clear objectives—just a casual chat with no stakes. Then there was the overly talkative individual, who began discussing web design and spiraled into unrelated life philosophies, leaving me desperate to escape.

Through these experiences, I learned that meetings often wasted valuable time. While some were fruitful, they were few and far between. Consequently, I established my own guidelines: no meetings at the initial stage. Instead, I requested that potential clients outline their projects via phone or email, allowing me to provide a cost estimate based on their descriptions.

Initially, I faced resistance, but this phase quickly dissipated. Clients began sending detailed project requirements through emails or documents, asking for quotes without the need for meetings. I realized that most people preferred to avoid time-consuming discussions unless they served a significant purpose. Serious clients were primarily concerned with two questions: 1) What will it cost to develop? and 2) How long will it take?

By then, I had become adept at providing estimates without meetings, streamlining my workflow. As inquiries came in, I enjoyed a more manageable routine of reviewing project requirements and delivering cost and time estimates.

This trend has continued, with clients increasingly favoring direct communication over initial meetings. Recently, a long-term client who I had worked with for 20 years reached out to discuss renewing his maintenance package. He informed me of his retirement from the music school business, for which I had developed a website two decades prior. This exchange made me reflect on the numerous connections I've forged over the years, many of whom I have never met in person.

Despite the lack of face-to-face interactions, my relationships with these clients have evolved similarly to personal relationships—complete with disagreements and reconciliations. Just last week, I secured another client without any plans to meet in person. The question remains: how long will this relationship endure? Only time will reveal the answer.

About the Author

Anees Khan is the Founder (CEO) of Getcha Solutions, specializing in consulting for businesses on technological development, including websites, web apps, mobile apps, and custom software since 1995. He is based in Singapore.

Chapter 2: The Modern Client Relationship

In this insightful video, "Dealing with Unresponsive Clients," we explore the reasons clients might not respond and how to effectively navigate these situations.

This video titled "WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE NO CLIENTS | HOW I GAINED MY CLIENTELE" offers valuable strategies for building a client base and maintaining successful business relationships.