7 Questions Freelancers Should Ask Potential Clients
It’s happened to the best of us: You connect with a potential client who seems like a good fit, but once you start working together you realize that’s not the case.
Whether their communication style differs from yours, they don’t respect your boundaries, or they always miss payments, bad clients have a way of making us think, “how can I avoid this in the future?”
It all comes down to the questions you ask during your first conversation.
Asking the *right* questions during the discovery call helps increase the chance of working with clients who are a good fit for your working style, budget, and business goals.
Here are the best questions freelancers should ask potential clients during initial conversations.
1. Have you worked with freelancers before?
This question is important to ask at the beginning of the conversation because it can set the tone for the rest of it.
If the client hasn’t worked with freelancers before, then you may need to guide them through the process more than you would with experienced clients. You may also discover that the reason they decided to look for freelance support is that they don’t have the bandwidth internally. Or maybe they’re looking for a fresh take on their current work, or they’re seeking expert guidance. This information can help inform how you approach the rest of the conversation.
On the flip side, perhaps they have worked with freelancers before. In this case, ask them what did or didn’t work about the relationship to get a sense of what they’ll be like to communicate and collaborate with.
2. How did you find me?
Admittedly, this question is more for your own insight, but it should still be brought up at some point during initial conversations.
The answer to the question, “how did you find me?” helps you understand which of your lead generation channels are working best. It’s easy to forget, but freelancers are business owners. You have to market your services somehow, whether that’s on LinkedIn, a blog, or an email list, and it’s important to know where your clients are finding out about you.
The client’s answer to this question can also provide some insight into what they may be like to work with. For instance, if they were referred to you by another client of yours — let’s assume it’s a client you worked really well with — then there’s a chance they may be similar.
3. What are your goals for this project?
Now it’s time to talk about the project or scope they have in mind. If you have an inquiry form on your website, they may have already shared brief details about what they’re looking for. But now is the time to dive deeper.
Dig into the goals they have for this project. What prompted them to initiate this work? What kind of results are they hoping to see?
Any information you can gather about the client’s goals, mission, and background can help you determine how they’ll ultimately measure the project’s success.
4. What is your timeline?
You can also phrase this question as “when do you need this project completed?” Either way you frame it, the goal of this question is to determine whether or not their timeline aligns with your availability, turnaround time, and general process.
If they’re still in the planning stage, they can probably give you an anticipated range they want their project completed such as the end of Q2 or within the next couple of months. Or, they may be eager to bring on support ASAP. You may be available to take on new clients right away, or you may be booking a few months out. Either way, share whether or not you’re available and what your typical timeline is like.
Pro tip: If you’re open and available to take on rush projects or quick turnaround times, then add a rush fee to your contract. Rush fees help protect you and your time by letting clients know that urgent projects aren’t typical and shouldn’t be automatically expected from you.
5. What is your budget?
Listen, we know this is always an awkward topic to bring up, but trust us when we say it’s best to get it out in the open. There’s no point in dancing around the money subject when you know what your pricing is and they don’t have the budget to work with you to begin with. And if you’re not confident in what you should be charging? Check out our free scope of work templates to see what other freelancers are charging for similar services and projects.
A good way to filter out clients who may not be a fit budget-wise is to include your pricing on your website. You can do this by listing the prices for each of your services, or you can include a section on your client inquiry form. For example, this drop-down menu on Visionary Rising’s contact form requires clients to choose their budget range.
By doing this, you can ensure that anyone you’re taking a discovery call with already has a sense of what your pricing is and is still interested in working with you.
6. How do you typically communicate with freelancers or partners?
Setting clearly defined boundaries with clients is essential to protect yourself and your time as a freelancer. Boundaries are especially important when it comes to communication.
Use this opportunity to find out what the potential client’s preferred method of communication is, what their communication and collaboration style is like, and their preferred frequency of communication. Share your own communication methods and see how they align.
Getting on the same page about communication helps manage expectations from the start if you do end up working together.
7. Can you share a few examples of work you like?
Once you’ve addressed all of the basics of potentially working together, another question you should ask is if they have any examples of work they like, whether it’s inspiration sourced from a third-party or a past project of their own.
This helps give you a sense of if what they’re looking for aligns with your style — which is especially relevant for creative offerings such as graphic design, website design, social media content, and branding.
If the client shares a design that’s wildly different from what you usually create, or perhaps even unrealistic, you can use this time to set expectations.