When first starting out, the prospect of going to meet a client to discuss the project and work through the nitty gritty details can be a little daunting. This little list is just some things to make sure you have the predictable bases covered:
Firstly, I am just going to say remember that they are coming to you for a service, so have confidence in what you do. You have got them to the table, so they are interested at least. Try to eliminate nerves and put any doubts to the back of your mind
Now choosing where to meet is always a big thing. I would advise somewhere very public, and preferably somewhere with internet access. Places like Starbucks, Libraries etc are great. Or if you live within London for instance – you may wish to consider paying to access the Wifi Cloud for one hour to cover your meeting duration. Somewhere that will help to put you and the client at ease is a big must!
Go prepared: take some pens and pencils, notebooks, a laptop etc. If your talking to a client for say a business card project you may want to consider taking swatches and different paper, finishes textures and weights with you.
Know what you both want from the meet. The client wants to effectively communicate their idea/ requirement and you essentially want to make sure you understand it, so that you can produce what they are after. A good way to do this, is to take a brief with you, if they have not already filled one out via e-mail etc. You can now, sit down with the client and go through the brief step by step. An example of a brief for logo design requests can be seen here: Logo Design Brief. For advice on writing/creating your own brief visit: Writing a design brief
Contracts/Invoices etc – If you require a deposit before commencing work (highly recommended) then you will need to maybe issue a receipt or an invoice for this. Relevant contracts etc that you may work with should be taken, and you can go through them with the client, ensuring your both happy.
The majority of clients whether you like it or not ill ask for a provisional quote of some sort, so that they can budget finances etc – so be prepared to either answer the question or let them know that you have to go away and ‘tally up figures’ etc. Do not be afraid, to offer a provisional quote but let them clearly know that this is subject to change for better or worse once you have had time to go through everything in detail.
Hope this helps! Anyone have any other recommendations for client meets?
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One thing I would like to comment on is to be sure to listen to what the client wants. It’s their money, and their job. Add your flair, but design for them. I’ve seen too many people design for themselves, and the bad rap they get from it just makes it so unworthwhile.
@KarenTweet
Karen Franciss last blog post..Happy Magic Rainbow Cake!
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Also, be sure to listen and take notes. That is the most important part of the meeting making sure you understand your clients objectives and are able to recall them when working on the project.
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This was so very helpful. I can relax now having guidance on how to approach my first client meeting. Thank you!
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This was so very helpful. I can relax now having guidance on how to approach my first client meeting. Thank you!
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