5 Questions Freelancers Should Ask Prospective Clients - CareerMetis.com

5 Questions Freelancers Should Ask Prospective Clients When you’re in the freelancing business, you should be able to notice that there are almost no rules. In fact, you’re making your own rules by choosing the clients that offer something that is worth your time and attention.When the offer is agreeable to you, then you have a good deal. It should always be negotiated at the beginning of the collaboration, and therefore you’ll have a stable gig that will fill your pockets with cash.evalFortunately or unfortunately, the freelancing business is quite complex compared to the traditional job pattern. The biggest difference lays in the flexibility that you get while earning maybe more cash than a full-time employee.To tell you the truth, there are many factors involved when it comes to establishing a successful collaboration that brings benefits for both sides.The biggest factor that decides your freelancing prosperity is your client. After all, he’s the one who’s putting the cash down, and he’s the one who dictates most of the t erms. Notice that I’ve mentioned “most” because you also have the right to negotiate the final terms. Because of the client’s importance, the selection process should be rigorous and in-depth thought.Asking the right questions during an interview is the best way to ensure that you’re both on the same “frequency”. During today’s post, we’re going explore five important questions that every freelancer should ask his potential clients.Let’s take a look.1. How Many Freelancers Have You Worked With Before?evalMartha Clooney, professional freelance writer at Best Essays suggests: “The first question should be related to their experience with freelancers in general. You should ask this question as soon as you get the chance to address a few questions. Make sure that you ask for that privilege before their start interviewing.”After taking Martha’s advice in consideration, you could come up with something like: “After we resolve your inquiries, may I address you a few questions related to the job position?”. The answer to this particular question is important because you can figure out whether they’re experienced or not. This saves a lot of hassle and time.evalIf they say that they’re totally inexperienced, you should consider whether the terms of the agreement are worth the risk of an unprofessional deal or relationship. If they say yes, consider asking them for their previous employees’ contact details. You can get honest reviews from those individuals.2. What is Your Business Purpose?You’re the last in the chain. You’re the worker that most of the times are paid for copyright selling. In this case, in order to properly perform your job, you must understand your client’s purpose. That means that you should understand how the company works, what they do need, and how you can deliver as much value as possible.Start asking them about their business purpose. You can figure out whether they’re a serious company that has no chanc e of failing. Most importantly, you’ll figure out how much responsibility you have. If your role is not that important and is not directly influencing their income, you shouldn’t be too stressed with this job. Otherwise, you’ll always be responsible for damages.3. Tell Me More about Communication and DeadlinesThe communication part of the deal is quite essential for a successful collaboration. First off, make sure that you understand how your future communication will go. Some clients expect 24/7 availability, while some only need you to send chunks of the project on time.evalSecondly; on what channels will you communicate? Will it be on a platform? Phone? E-mail? Figure out the terms.Deadlines or turn-around-time are often the main cause of problems between freelancers and clients. When a freelancer can’t keep up with the deadlines, the client’s company will often suffer. Have them let you know what they expect from you. How much available time do you have each time they send you a task?Flexibility is important, and you should never let a client take that away from you. If their deadline requests are too tight, explainto them that you’re the type of freelancer who values quality over quantity. If they can’t agree with your real capabilities, reject their offer.4. How and When Will I Be Paid?Here’s another important issue to discuss. In fact, this is where many clients try to cheat and make friendly conditions for their side. Ask about the payment.Do you cover taxes?How long will it take before you release the money after an accepted project?What payment options do you offer?Is the payment before or after the project? How about half-half?The answers to these questions should give you a clue whether their offer is serious or not. Again, it’s up to your standards; it’s up to you if you settle for less or for more. Don’t forget to ask about the payment. You can often find yourself tricked by clients, and you shouldn’t allow that to happen. eval5. If Everything Goes Well, Are You Interested in Ongoing Work?If the client requests a one-time project task, you have the possibility of turning him into a long-term client. How? Well, you must first focus on the task. In order to create a good first impression, you must over-deliver. That means putting more effort and time into the task and making it impeccable.The quality should be extremely high, and you should do something that your client hasn’t asked. This could be something that could help their business be more productive. If he likes your work, ask him for a long-term collaboration. If he accepts, you got yourself a stable client. If he doesn’t, ask for other recommendations. His friends or partners could also use your services.CONCLUSIONFinding the perfect client is never easy, but never impossible. It’s all up to you. If you have big standards and never limit your potential, you can definitely reach freelancing success. As previously discussed, your clients ar e extremely important factors to consider while building a freelancing business.