Questions I ask potential clients
Getting to know your client and their brand is a great way to determine if you will be a good fit working together. Here are a few tips to identify any red flags before you commit.
What is your ideal timeline or launch date?
This question is number one for a reason. This will give you an estimate of how soon they want to start and launch, which gives you as the designer an opportunity to see if this project fits into your current bandwidth.
What services are you interested in?
Fingers crossed they have already done their research on what you offer and can tell you which package/service they are interested in. If they have, that is a good indicator that they are serious about working with you.
How long have they been in business?
Are they just starting out, are they interested in a re-brand, or are they wanting help with their current brand. If they are an established brand they are sure to have a clear visual in mind of what they are looking for in terms of service from you. This is helpful in deciding what package or custom service may benefit you and them in the long run.
Describe your business in a sentence or two.
This is where you identify a huge red flag. If they are not able to give you a clear and concise brand statement, then you are sure to run into problems down the road. It is important to work with clients that know what their end goal is — you can not be expected to read their mind. It is almost impossible to please someone who doesn’t know what they are looking for.
What is the scope?
This is where you are able to listen to their vision and what they would like you to bring to the table. Make sure to understand what they are wanting so that you are able to quote them properly and being to create a contract and project description.
What is your budget?
The most dreaded but most important question. It can be really uncomfortable to talk money, but so many times we find clients with big dreams and little budgets. This is where you need to decide if the project is a good fit for you financially.
How did you hear about me?
This is a more of a personal question, but it can help you understand who your audience is. Are they finding you on instagram, Pinterest, referral? Knowing this information can help you decide where you need to put your energy.
These are just a few simple questions to see if you and a potential client are a good fit for each other. Keep in mind, these questions do not need to be a chain of emails. I send all potential clients a brand questionnaire with these questions and more in my initial introduction email.
If you would like me to send you the brand questionnaire I use I would be more than happy to email it to you (or you can download it from my contact page). Trust your gut and ask the right questions, it makes all the difference in finding your next big project.
Good luck!
