When deciding whether or not to take on a client, it’s important to make sure you’re right for each other and that your client is right for you. It can be easy to accept offers from people you don’t know, but often, those clients aren’t the best fit for you. You could end up losing money, or worse yet, put yourself in an uncomfortable or dangerous situation with someone who wasn’t respectful of your time and skills as a freelancer. Follow these tips to make sure you’re accepting clients from the most reliable sources.
Why researching clients is important
Before you invest time and effort into a client, it’s important to understand what they need and whether or not you can provide it. In short, research helps eliminate potential problems before they occur. For example, say you specialize in website development and one day get an inquiry from a large company interested in hiring your services—except your budget isn’t quite big enough to handle such a project at present. Without doing some digging on Google or elsewhere (and knowing how to do so), you may be inclined to immediately turn down the offer; however, if you were aware that said company was currently implementing a new IT system, perhaps your interest would change. Understanding your clients’ challenges leads directly to stronger relationships with them. Further still, when something goes wrong during a project (as is inevitable), being prepared with knowledge about how best to tackle issues is always better than flying blind.
How many hours should you spend on researching a potential customer?
It depends on how much money you’re making. For example, if you’re charging $20 an hour for a service and working with a client who needs 6 hours of your time to finish a project, then it would cost that client $120. If you spend 2 hours researching them beforehand, then it would save them $60. So it’s crucial to make sure every customer is legit (and worth your time). You can start by looking at their social media accounts, website, or contacting someone at their business for verification purposes. But remember: Don’t be afraid to decline work from anyone who might be too risky to work with—even if they really need your services! Professionalism comes first.
What other methods can you use when finding potential customers?
If a customer seems too good to be true, they probably are. Make sure to do your research, verify their legitimacy, and make sure they’re not an individual or company with poor feedback (they shouldn’t have negative feedback on sites like Glassdoor). If possible, contact a past client who worked with them (it shouldn’t be hard to find them) and ask about their experience working with that particular client. Good reference checks go a long way.
Also, social media platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn goes a long way in reaching out potential clients.
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