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(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 30, 2011 ) Maryport, UK -- If a consultant is in the position where they already work remotely, and are planning on going abroad for a time, there is one area where they may have concerns: the clients.
How exactly does a consultant tell their clients that they are emigrating? And will they mind where the consultant chooses to work from? HereÂ’s some advice on an area which often causes concern amongst people choosing to work abroad.
Prepare for the Changes
Before telling the clients that they are going to be working from abroad for a while, a consultant should carefully consider all of the work practices which are likely to change, such as meetings, phone calls and sending documents by mail. If there are likely to be any large changes, look for solutions before deciding to tell the clients so that answers are ready for them.
For example, if there is going to be a large time difference then this might well concern the clients. Plan how to deal with this, such as choosing new hours of work so that the consultant is closer to the clientsÂ’ working hours.
Also make sure to sort out new contact details early on. If using Skype then can set up a UK number that clients can use to call whilst abroad, and these sorts of things should be planned well in advance to give clients time to prepare for the changes.
How to Tell Clients
Once having planned the changes and have sorted out solutions to any potential problems, tell the clients. Try to inform them a month or so in advance about working abroad for a period of time, but will be carrying on working as normal. This will give them time to get used to any new technology being used, such as Skype or Dropbox.
At the same time telling them, reassure them that they will not notice the difference very much. Highlight how the bank account is still in the UK, how it will be easy to contact on the new number and how work will be delivered by email or fax.
Be Honest
When informing clients about the changes, always be honest. If they are going to notice a lot of changes then it is only fair that they should be able to prepare for these.
Be open to any questions or doubts that they have, and make sure to put them at ease with the answers. They may be worried about certain aspects of the work such as getting in contact, and be prepared to explain everything to them in detail if necessary.
Most Clients Will Not Mind
Most of the clients, if not all, will be happy to continue working whilst being abroad without any problems. The way the world is now, it is very normal to work with people based all over the world. If already working remotely then they are unlikely to mind where at.
As long as being honest, explain everything to the clients clearly, help them out with any issues they have and help them to get set up with any technology solutions being relied on, then plan to encounter no problems at all.
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