Screening Potential Clients / Meeting Notes June 2020
Location: Virtual
Attendees: Janet, Sheila, Salma, Jan, Tamara, Alyson, Cathy, Janice, Manda, Jacquie
A video recording of the full meeting is available at this link until July 31, 2020.
Password: 9V#9D..w
Announcements
Upcoming Meetings
Registration is now open for our July 21 meeting, which will be held virtually. Our discussion topic will be a Mid-Year Goals Review.
We will probably be meeting virtually for a couple more months, but it’s so hard to know at this point. For that reason, the following meetings have been posted on the website, but registration won’t open up until details are finalized.
August 18 – Client Retention
September 15 – Billing Practices (including a Member Spotlight on Accounts Receivable Best Practices from Jacquie Manore)
In the comments, please let us know what topics you’d like to learn about, explore, or present on in the future.
Discussion: Screening Potential Clients
Before you take on a new client, you need to determine whether you have the skills to meet the clients needs, whether you and the client are a good fit, and whether you actually want to work with this person.
How do you recognize “red flags” that might indicate possible obstacles to working with this client?
What questions do you ask?
How do you ask these questions, and at what stage?
What’s worked – and hasn’t worked so well – for you?
Don’t say Yes to someone just because you know them. It has to be a good fit! And if they’re a friend, it’s very difficult to set boundaries.
Make sure you’re passionate about their industry. If you’re not, it’s hard to enjoy the work and do a great job.
Explain how you operate, including how you want work delivered. If the client isn’t comfortable with your processes, it will be difficult to have a good working relationship.
Trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, ask yourself why.
Really listen to what they are saying – and pay attention to what they aren’t saying. Don’t be afraid to ask for details, e.g. if they say they’ve had problems with previous VAs, ask what kind of problems. It might be that the other VAs didn’t have good processes or skills, and you do. But it might be that the client has unrealistic expectations or poor communication skills.
Offer a 30-day trial period to get a feel for working together and see if it’s a good fit before committing to a long term relationship.
Have a set of standard questions you ask during your initial call.
Consider having them fill out a worksheet before booking a 30-45 minute call. Here’s Janet’s (please don’t share this link).
Ask the client to track what they do for two weeks to see what they can delegate. This gives you great insight into the client’s business. Analyze the data to demonstrate your expertise (charge for this).
If you’re not sure whether to take on a client, tell them you need time to think about it. Don’t feel pressured to give an answer right away.
If they’re not a good fit, give them the name of someone else who can help them.
If you have other ideas or questions, please leave a comment.
Related Reading
- Questions to Ask Potential Clients – Meeting Notes January 2016
- Freelancers Give Advice On How To Screen Clients – Susan Johnston Taylor, Fast Company
- First contact: How to survive your first call with a potential client – Nusii blog