New Client Onboarding Process—A Key to Freelance Success

Experienced freelancers will tell you that an established client onboarding process is critical to their success.

What does a client onboarding process mean?

It means you have a formal process to inform clients about the type of projects you do, how you work through projects, and the best ways to get successful outcomes together. Having this process eliminates many of the pain points that freelancers experience.

New Client Onboarding Starts With Your Brand Communications

Even before you meet a prospective new client, your brand communications in social media and your website should be doing some of the onboarding for you.

When a potential client sees your communications, they’ll already have a good idea whether you might be the right freelancer for them.

They’ll learn what type of projects you do. They’ll see portfolio samples of your work. Ideally, they’ll also read testimonials from satisfied clients.

All of your communications act as a sorting mechanism. Based on what they see, they’ll decide whether or not to contact you.

Are Your Brand Communications Helping You With Onboarding?

It’s essential that you attract the right type of clients for the work you do. We’ve all been asked to do work that wasn’t appropriate for our services. It’s a waste of time for both parties.

Make sure your communications are working for you. They’re the first step in new client onboarding.

First Contact With a Potential Client—What’s Your Process?

Let’s say a potential client contacts you. You learn about their company and the project they’re interested in pursuing with you.

You determine that you could provide the services they’re looking for. Through that introduction, you learn they’ve seen your social media and website, so theoretically, you should be a good fit for each other. Now what?

This is where your onboarding process comes into play.

Before you get into the details of the potential project, you’ll want to review how you work with clients.

Your Onboarding Process Should Be In Writing

You’ll want a written document, perhaps as a client onboarding checklist, to review with the client. Having it written means you won’t forget any of the details.

As you go through the list, you may get questions or feedback. This type of back-and-forth can be distracting, so the written list will keep you on track.

Also, the client may ask for a copy for reference. For a better onboarding experience, it’s good to have a PDF handy.

Your Onboarding Process Helps Establish Your Business Credentials

All businesses have “a way of working”. These are the processes they follow to deliver their products and services.

As a freelancer, you also need a successful client onboarding processes.

Some freelancers think that being in a creative field means you can just go with the flow. In reality, that’s a recipe for disaster.

Other freelancers are concerned that a client may not like their processes and worry that they’ll lose potential business. That may be true. But if you lose a client because they don’t want to follow processes, it’s better to find out sooner than later.

Your First Point in Your Onboarding Process—Briefing Documents Must Be in Writing

The most important document you’ll get from a client is their briefing document. Even for a small job, you want it in writing.

If you run into a client who just wants to “tell you about” the job, you need to gently interrupt the discussion to say that you’ll happily listen to what they’re saying, but you’re expecting all this in writing before you start.

Why?

For the client, writing it out forces them to think it through. It puts order to their thoughts.

For you, the written briefing document becomes the basis of your estimate. You don’t want to create a written estimate based on the wild verbal ramblings of a client.

You need briefings in writing, full stop. If this is a problem for the client, it’s a major red flag.

Think hard about ever accepting verbal briefs. They can lead to a world of hurt.

Here’s what should go into a client briefing document.

Next—Your Terms & Conditions That Cover Revisions and Scope Creep

My Terms & Conditions for revisions were deceptively simple.

Here was my standard language in most estimates:

“Includes up to two rounds of revisions. Further revisions will be estimated if necessary.”

Notice that it says “up to two”. If there is only one round or none, there are no refunds.

In your onboarding, be sure to discuss what constitutes a revision. For me, technically, a revision occurred any time I opened the document to make a change.

So, I encouraged the client to gather all the changes, get any internal feedback, and give me everything at once. I’d rather do five changes in one sweep than open the file five times.

If, after one round of revisions, it looked like another round was coming, I mentioned to the client that this round was the last one included in the project scope. I let them know in the nicest way that they should gather up all loose ends now. Any further revisions will be estimated. In other words, they will cost extra.

Here’s the important part: let’s say you’re into round three of revisions. Before you start, send the client an estimate for that round. Don’t go ahead and do it, and tell them how much it costs later. Why?

When clients see the estimate, they may decide not to do it. At the very least, they’re focused on getting everything into this round so the charges and expenses don’t go on endlessly.

Something to consider: If an out-of-scope change is minor, you can decide whether or not to “throw it in”.

But you have to say something. When you get that call or email, ask if that’s all. Then you can say something like, “Well, technically, I’ve completed the revisions included in the estimate, but I’m happy to squeeze this in.” You’ll be a hero if you do.

However, if it goes beyond this, and you’re now into round four, nobody should be surprised when you say you’ll provide an estimate for the out-of-scope work.

Figure out your terms for revisions and cover them in your onboarding.

Many freelancers complain about scope creep. That’s when a job goes on and on without extra budget. I wrote about how to prevent scope creep here. (Hint: scope creep is your fault if you let it happen.)

Terms & Conditions That Cover Payment Terms

Before you start working together, prospective clients must know how you expect to get paid. Be sure to cover this in your onboarding payment terms.

This is especially important if you want a deposit before starting. Deposits typically range from 33% to 100%.

Make sure the client agrees to any deposit requirements before you start a project.

If you get a deposit, say for 33% or 50%, you should also define when the remainder is due. So you might say, 50% deposit, balance 10 days.

Whatever you decide, talk about it before you start working together. Both you and the client should be comfortable with your payment terms.

Also, cover the mechanism for getting paid. Are you asking for direct deposit, Stripe, PayPal, Payoneer, or something else? The client may already have a way of paying suppliers, and they may ask you to accept that payment process. Again, agree to it before you start.

I wrote pages about typical payment terms, including deposits, net 10 days, net 30 days, progress payments, etc.

It starts on page 311 of my book, How to Become a Successful Creative Freelancer, available on Amazon worldwide.

Payment Terms Can Vary By Client

You don’t have to offer the same terms to all clients. Your business, your rules. Do what you think is best for each client.

A note on deposits. Some freelancers have said that when they start with a new client, they ask for a deposit, but after they’ve become a regular client, they relax those terms and let the client pay when the project is complete.

Three words: Don’t Do That.

If you start a client with paying deposits, continue that way. It’s obviously okay with the client. They’ve accepted that payment structure. Getting deposits helps smooth out your cash flow. Better that the money is in your account than waiting for weeks and months for it.

Here’s how to talk to clients about money. Here are some payment terms that successful retailers use. They could work for you, too.

I wrote about negative Terms & Conditions that you might want to avoid here.

Client Onboarding Should Cover Communications Too

Ideally, how do you want to communicate with clients? A platform like Slack? Something else? Email?

Again, review this. Make sure you’re aligned so you don’t drive each other crazy.

Critically, anything important—asking for revisions, changes in scope, etc.—should be in writing.

Your client may already have communications preferences, so be prepared to listen and decide whether it works for you.

Include Timelines In Your Onboarding

As you start to understand what the client is looking for, you should review expectations regarding timelines.

For example, if you’re a writer, how much time do you need from the briefing to a first draft?

If you’re a designer, how much time does it typically take to get initial layouts for a new website?

On the client side, how much time do they need to get back to you with approvals? Are they the only ones who approve your work, or does it count on input from others at the company? This will have an impact on approval times.

Any of these timelines will change once you get into a real job, but it’s worth discussing this theoretically before you start working.

New Book For Freelancers

I’ve just published How to Become a Successful Creative Freelancer. It’s the essential business guide for freelance writers, designers, developers, filmmakers, and photographers.

Whether you’re just starting as a freelancer or have years of experience, you’ll learn a lot from this book.

It’s broken down into easy-to-understand chapters with strategies and tips you can use today. Not just “what to do”, but also “how to do it”.

It’s available now in Kindle ebook and paperback on Amazon.

Want to Grow An Agency? The Agency Book is For You

If you’re looking for tips on how to build and grow your agency, you’ll want to read How to Start a Successful Creative Agency.

Available at Amazon (Paper & Kindle), Kobo (ebook), Apple Books (ebook), and Gumroad (PDF).

The book is packed with useful information to help creatives start and grow their business.

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“Freelancers and agency owners, if you’re struggling with pricing, writing good estimates, profitability etc., get @StroteBook’s book. Finished it yesterday and learned a lot of things I haven’t found anywhere.”

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This chapter covers essential areas such as Clients vs. Projects, Corporate Clients vs. Small Business Clients, How to Create an Opportunity Document, Benefits of Finding a Niche… and much more.

Questions? On Twitter, I’m @StroteBook. D.M.s are always open. On LinkedIn, I’m Andy Strote. Ask away.