FreelanceSwitch posted an article recently on how to get clients to come to you, instead of the other way around. Before you continue reading here, you should read their article, and then come back to see what I am saying.

Basically, there is one thing they left out which I think every freelancer should be aware of - professionalism. I believe that one of the most important things to remember when dealing with clients is to be professional. I know this because in the past I have dealt with professional and very unprofessional freelancers. Here are some things to keep in mind when dealing with clients:

-The first thing for me is to be on time. I can’t stand it when you are going to pay someone to do work, yet they can’t respond with timely emails or wont even respond at all. Too many times people have lost work from me because they couldn’t reply to a simple email after 2 or 3 days. I understand that we all have personal lives, but if someone is freelancing full time and can’t get back in an email, something is wrong.
-Be courteous. Treat your clients like your grandma or something - be calm, polite, respectful. Never, and I repeat, never, get angry at a client. Never yell at them or turn them away without reason. First, this will damage your reputation and second, you just lost work. It’s really simple, just stay calm and talk things out and things should turn out alright.
-Don’t stress too much about losing the client. If you tell them a job will cost $100 and they immediately walk away saying that they cannot pay that, the most unprofessional thing you can do is barter with them on the price. Sure, go ahead and maybe tweak the price down $5-$15, just remember that if they ever come back to you later for more work, they will do the exact same thing. Don’t sell yourself short and don’t lose your business because a client can’t afford it. Just move on to another client.

Hope this helps! Comment me some criticism and critiques!
Brian