Great I Got A New Client! What Do I Do Now?

2 Apr

So last week we covered what to write in a proposal when you’re bidding for work. Wohoo! The proposal and quote have been accepted, you’ve been paid the deposit and you’re on your way. Soo you actually have to do the work now.. It can feel both exciting and absolutely daunting. It’s okay that’s normal.

Let me take you through some of the steps to make it a smooth ride..

Just one quick thing to note.

With some commissions you may need a contract to solidify the agreement, this is to protect you as the creative and protect the client. It can have clauses which means you don’t get paid the full amount until all the work you’ve agreed on has been completed and delivered.

I’ve signed 3 contracts so far and both have been written and provided by the client.

They do use legal terminology and I’m not an expert on writing contracts so I would recommend doing your own research on it if you need more information.

Let’s get into it!

Sorry if I put you off talking about contracts. They’re not scary I promise. But obviously do fully read something before you sign. Enough with that let’s get into the good bit.

I am going to touch on some key nuggets of information that will be useful to you when carrying out client work:

1. Make sure you’ve got everything you need before you start

Is there specific measurements you need, materials or just a general outline of what they want the work to look like? This will be your first step before you can start work. Be proactive in getting this information too. You don’t want it to slow down your project.

2. Communication is Key

Is your communication clear and professional? Are you concise when asking questions? How regularly are you updating your client? It’s up to you how often you want to share where the project is at. With longer projects I try to do weekly updates.

3. Are you giving great service?

This is not spoken about enough as creatives. When we’re creating commissions we’re also giving a service. What does great service look like to you? How does it make you feel?

Think about that waiter that really looked after you, did it make you want to go back to that restaurant? This is why great service is so important, make your client want to come back and work with you again.

4. Don’t take it personal

How open are you to take positive or negative feedback from your client? It’s important to not take these personal. It’s soo difficult I know! My art is like my baby, it hurts when it gets critiqued. But I know that sometimes I have to adapt my work to best suit the clients’ needs.

5. Always deliver above what is expected

How can you delight and surprise your client? Give a little bit more than what is expected. Maybe they commissioned you to do a painting, why not also share with them the bts footage of you creating it? It’s showing the client you care.

6. Don’t forget to ask for a review

If you feel like you’ve done a great job, ask them to leave you a review. I collect mine through google.

What if something goes wrong?

I would be lying if I told you that most of my projects go exactly to plan. It’s just the world of creative projects, something comes up, something takes longer than anticipated, something doesn’t quite look right and needs changing.

If you accept the reality you can start to plan ‘what do I do if something goes wrong’.. then you’ll be ready for when it inevitably does.

1. Try to fix it yourself first before telling your client

Be resourceful and proactive, you don’t want to bug your client with every tiny detail or mishap.

Here’s an example:

Paint hasn’t been delivered in time, it will put the project on hold. Can I find a shop that I can drive to and get the paint from instead?

2. You can’t fix it yourself, but you can think of an alternative

You can’t fix it immediately, but you can think of an alternative solution for the problem.

Here’s an example:

There’s nowhere I can drive to to pick up the paint, however I have phoned the delivery driver and he has said he will be making the delivery tomorrow morning.

3. Make your client aware of the situation if you can’t fix it

Here’s along the lines of what I would say:

Hi Client,

I hope you’re well. The project may be running a day behind as the delivery of the paint is delayed.

However, I have been able to contact the driver, who has reassured me that they will be delivering the paint tomorrow morning instead. I will give you another update in 3 days to let you know if you project is on schedule or not.

Apologies for any inconvenience,

Natasha