3 Questions to Ask new Clients

Working with new clients is exciting! But don’t get too excited, ok? It can be tempting to jump straight into the work once you get a project approved. But taking a moment to zoom out, and understand what your client really wants is crucial. Here are three questions to ask new clients to make sure you nail your new creative project. 

What does your team look like? 

It’s important to understand your client’s business. If they’re a tiny, two-person team, they’re probably going to value speed and efficiency. But if they have a few different offices, they’ll value professional, buttoned up communication. It’s important to know who you’re working with in order to communicate with them the best way possible. 

By asking about their team, you’ll learn about their employees and their office, and you can start to make some assumptions about their revenue and projections for quarter. This comes in handy when pitching new budgets, or locking new projects down the road. 

What are your goals with this content? 

Understanding your clients’ goals will give you a road map to creating the most effective content possible. If they want to convert sales, you better make sure there is some product integration in there. But if they want to inspire, then make sure you create something that is story-driven. 

This question also gives you an opportunity to hear where they want to take their business. This is invaluable insight when developing future treatments and pitches. 

Do you have any inspiration? 

Asking for inspiration is crucial. Don’t let your client get away with hiring you without discussing some inspiration. Even if your client doesn’t have any, present some options to them and ask which ones they like best. Listen to how they describe their inspiration, because it will give you clues as to how you should present your own work to them. 

Another reason this is important is so that you have something to reference when you deliver your final work. If you create something that is similar to the inspiration they approved, you’re in the clear if they start splitting hairs about the final look of things. It’s a great way to make sure you’re on the same page. 

Working with new clients is exciting, and by asking these questions, you can make sure your content gets off on the right foot, and that you’ll be working with this client for years to come. 

Good luck!