This article has some very good examples of some questions to ask of potential clients beginning with that first phone call. In the last two to three weeks I have found myself on the wrong side of the opening scenario. A potential client calls and has an idea for a project or wants a quote. I thought I was asking good questions to see if they we serious, had the budget, were willing to move forward, but I wasn’t asking the correct questions. These five questions could help weed out the bad clients before you waste time on several rounds of phone calls, going to and from meetings and writing proposals; spending several hours of unproductive and unpaid time to find out they are not a good match for you.
1. What prompted this project?
2. Who are the decision-makers?
3. Can you give me a ballpark budget?
4. When will you be ready to start?
5. Who else are you talking to?
In the last three weeks I have had calls from potential clients where they failed one of these questions. The red flag should have been thrown, I should have seen it and saved myself time, travel, proposal writing headaches before I got off that first phone call. I’m glad this article came across my desk, it will be a good starting point from now on. To see the original article click here: http://www.graphicdesignblender.com/questions-to-ask-before-working-with-a-client?mc_cid=dc7045862b&mc_eid=663145f772