I hate when people start their blog posts with I’m gonna let you in on a little secret, but… I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. Experienced freelancers can tell when a prospective client doesn’t understand how the market works. I’ve had a couple of nightmare clients in the decade I’ve been doing this, and they all had one thing in common: they thought they understood what hiring a freelancer meant, and they really, really didn’t. Whether you’re looking to hire someone for the very first time, or having a hard time retaining experienced contractors, let me tell you how to be a client freelancers want to work with.