Moving out of the corporate arena and into the realm of the self-employed entails a huge leap of faith. Even if you’re confident in your abilities, the first client you land will probably inspire some nerves.
And that’s understandable. Meeting your customer’s expectations and leaving everyone satisfied is key to expanding your business.
Three Tips for How to Impress Your First Client
You’ve spent hours, weeks, and possibly even months taking your venture from an idea to a viable operation. You’ve done all the creative tasks — such as choosing a company name and designing a logo.
You’ve put in the hard work of performing competitive analysis and honing your brand. You’ve made a financial investment: one that could set you back if it doesn’t work out. And now the time has come: You’re meeting your very first client.
Though there’s definitely something to be said for taking a deep breath, smiling, and celebrating this little win, you can’t spend too much time reveling in the excitement. The challenge has only just begun.
In order to retain this client and boost your chances of attracting others, you must do everything you can to impress. “Remember: You aren’t just competing with yourself, you’re also in a race with all the other freelancers and services on the market,” independent contractor Randle Browning writes on Skillcrush.com.
“With so much competition out there, how do you win a client over from the get-go?” It comes down to not just satisfying your client’s needs, but going above and beyond their expectations. Here are a few practical ways you can do this.
1. Make a Strong First Impression
First impressions, good or bad, tend to stick around a while. If you want to have a healthy relationship with the client, you need to make your interactions all positive. One way to do this is to go into your first meeting as fully prepared as you can possibly be.
“Start by knowing how to pronounce the company and client names, and even top competitors just in case,” public relations professional Ashley Cobert writes. “Have an understanding of your client’s stance in the industry and any successes and struggles the company has faced.”
These days, most of this information can be found online. It’s also okay to request some background information prior to the meeting, so you can ensure you’re on the same page.
2. Ensure Professionalism Across the Board
Every interaction you have with the client has to be professional. Forget the fact that you may be running your business by yourself, out of your home — they don’t need to know that.
When the client interacts with you, he or she should feel like as if they’re involved in an interaction with a long-established firm. Here are a few examples of how you can foster this impression:
- When you send an invoice, use a professional template to achieve an organized, on-brand look. Not only will this make your brand look better, but it’s apt to increase your chances of getting paid on time.
- If you’re using your personal number for business, make sure you always answer your phone by using your name, title, and company name. Anything else will sound unprofessional.
3. Handle All Client-Facing Aspects Personally
It’s totally fine to outsource certain portions of your business. You might need to do this when something falls outside your area of expertise.
But make sure you handle all client-facing interactions personally. Not only does this make the customer feel special, but it reduces the chances of potential issues with regard to quality and consistency.
Never Lose This Feeling
As your business grows and you go from one client to five to dozens, you may forget what it was like here in the beginning. It’s only natural to let your expectations and focus evolve as time passes.
And that’s fine in many respects, but it can create problems when it comes to customer service. There’s a temptation to treat clients as mere identical customers, rather than individuals who have specific needs, feelings and expectations. Don’t let this happen.
Whether you remain small forever, or you expand your freelance business into a Fortune 500 firm, keeping the focus on individual clients will give you a perpetually competitive advantage. That’s a fact.
