It’s All About the Prep Work

You have a client lined up. It could have been a referral (word of mouth), applying from a job board or post, or they seek you out because they know what you can do. It doesn’t matter. What matters is you have a client. And you don’t want to blow it either. As well, you don’t want to go into the meeting being cocky and know-it-all. Be professional, be pleasant and be decisive. 

Remember, your portfolio? It shows the end-product that you are more than capable of doing the work. Now is the time to show them how you got there. It’s like going for a job interview. You need to prepare yourself before you meet with the client. Do a thorough search on the client, company, website, press releases to LinkedIn, reviews on Glassdoor and Indeed, reach out to connections and contacts. Find out about the company’s or client’s vision, values, and mission statements if you can. It could lead you to a general idea of what the company’s culture is. Sometimes, you may not know who all the players may be in the meeting. One can always ask before the meeting. A good idea to research who and what they do in the company too. It’s all about the preparation. 

What’s Your Story?

Sometimes, a client may want to know a little about yourself. So, you can tell them your spiel or story. Just keep it brief though. Your client probably has done their research on you as well, and if it is a referral, it’s much easier to break the ice by starting with that person’s name.

I will say I received a couple of calls that had mentioned my name. And it was people who I had never worked with directly or network many years ago, who remembered me and how I made a favourable impression. Just remember those people. A nice touch is to send that referral something nice, such as a gift card, flowers, or follow up with a call or email. Because without that person’s reference, you wouldn’t be getting the meeting with the client. 

Extra Preparation?

When meeting clients for the first time, knowing what type of job you may be doing, research the industry, their competitors and maybe see what other companies are doing in other cities or countries too. For example, if I was creating a website, I want to know what the new business needs are, such as an information website, eCommerce, a service, and so forth. I would look at everything, from the logo, website, annual reports, to colours, past and current clients (if you can). The more information you have about the client, the more ideas will start to flow when you meet with the client. Who will write the content, are there photos (is it high quality or low quality) to who will be the decision-makers on the reviews and proofs to when they would like the project to end. 

Greeting the Client

If you are working from a home-based business, meeting at your home isn’t professional. Scope out areas that are quiet to meet up. If you can, meet clients at their offices. Clients feel safe and secure in their territory! In their offices means you can also observe and see how the company’s culture, their colours, the environment, and the people.

If meeting at their office isn’t possible, then do consider libraries, cafes, restaurants, and so on. Be careful about meeting at restaurants. Clients may expect you to spring for the bill. And well, it can be a tad, awkward moment when it comes to paying for the bill. A colleague of mine once told me he met a client at a restaurant. The client ordered a glass of expensive wine and made him pick up the tab. And the worst part was, the client didn’t go with him in the end. 

What are some of the questions?

I am going to base the type of questions on a website design. When asking questions, it may end up that you are doing more than one job. For example, a new business needs a website, a logo, needs content, no IT department, and no Marketing. While some companies may have all of that and they want a redesigned website. These are general questions one could consider asking:

• Does the company have a logo (favicon)
• Is there a website? Out-dated? Responsive? Type of site?
• Is there any printed material for reference? Annual reports, rack cards, media kits, brochures, press releases?
• What are the company’s colours?
• Content? Who will be providing the content? Marketing, Communication?
• Photos? Is it stock? If stock, who has high resolution (see copyright)
• Do we need to take new pictures?
• Does the company have a domain name? Hosting? Maintenance of the website when done? 
• Target audience?
• When do you need it?
• Who are the decision-makers when it comes to reviews?

As mentioned, these are just a handful of questions one could ask. It could go more in-depth, depending on the type of business. For example, an automotive collision shop would be quite different from a neighbourhood coffee shop.  

What’s Your Budget?

There is one question I don’t ask. And I know a few agencies and freelancers ask this question during a meeting, and it’s budget. How much is your budget? How much you want to spend? Some clients will say what their budgets as a matter of fact. On the flip side, others will ask the clients directly what their budgets are, so you know if you should continue with the meeting.

Since this is your first rodeo, your first client and contract, you need to make sure you are not pricing yourself low and not pricing yourself high. I don’t like to give an estimate or ball-park figures in a meeting, because the client will hold you to it. Let clients know that you will get back to them with a quote on the job. 

The client wants you to design a website. During the meeting, the client needs more than that. Maybe, you can code a website in your sleep, but you can’t create logos. So, you need to price it out to see how much it would cost you. Everything adds up, so you want to ensure that you have the correct estimate for the job versus guessing what it could cost the client. A client should have an idea already what they need, and they probably know how much too. It’s human nature. We all want a deal!