Before you rush about asking for referrals from happy, new clients, consider this important point: You want the right sort of referrals from the right sort of happy, new clients. Here’s who to align your service deliver for success with clients for your virtual professional business.
The best way to attract the right sort is to create a service delivery program and routine that is set up to succeed – especially in your client’s eyes. That means being absolutely professional. And don’t confuse professionalism with style.
If you put out photographs of yourself in a business suit, you’ll attract clients who feel comfortable with formality.
If you put out photographs of yourself wearing jeans, wearing an approachable, warm smile and surrounded by only slightly quirky office accessories, you’ll attract clients who are comfortable with informality.
If you put out photographs of yourself wearing wildly playful, unique clothes and a big grin, you’ll attract unique, creative types of client.
Success with Clients
But your website, widgets, forms, business cards, brochures, directory listings and other content should all consistently testify to your professionalism, in order to attract equally professional clients. To be truly professional, create a strong project management system and communication protocol that eliminates all possibility of mistakes for your virtual professional business.
Create contracts or Project Management worksheets to distribute to your clients containing your expectations and clear communication on what you will and will not provide. For example, when sending your initial contract, estimate or acceptance letter, make sure you clearly detail:
| Due Date | When you understand the client wants the project final version delivered/when you can promise it |
| Price | How much it will cost; in what country’s currency (e.g. “$159.00 USD”) Include other pertinent details such as payment per unit, per project or per hour |
| Payment Terms | E.g.: “50% non-refundable retainer: Remainder on delivery.” List other terms such as how your client should expect to pay (e.g. “PayPal or Credit Card”); whether or not you will invoice them monthly, etc. |
| Delivery Format | E.g. digital files only; hard copy sent via Fed Ex, etc. |
| Conditions | E.g. how many revisions allowed; whether or not your services constitute a work-for-hire; etc. |
Communicating With Your Clients
You also need to set up avenues for strong communication for your virtual professional business.
Do this by determining or letting clients know:
- When you will and will not be available. You don’t need to be heavy-handed with this. Simply highlight your terms and conditions re: your work time availability on your project estimate and relevant website section:
E.G.: “$40.00 per hour.
eekends and Holidays 30% extra”. - Preferred contact methods:
Email, telephone, Zoom, text message, Facebook message
Keep a simple, one-page chart on each client. This will not only help you stay clear about your arrangements with that client, you can also use it for tracking.
After you’ve landed – and retained – a number of clients, you can analyze metrics such as where your most successful clients came from.
Create Packages that Suit You – and Delight your Clients
Another good way to ensure from Day One that you don’t end up overworking for inadequate pay: Create “Packages”.
Packages are a prime way for success with clients.
These “Packages” should provide high-value service options to your client yet ensure maximum ease, enjoyment and work duration for you.
If yours is a service business, consider providing:
- One-time packages (e.g. “Autoresponder Set up Package”)
- Recurring Monthly Packages (e.g. “12 Hours for $600.00”)
Adding a shopping cart button is also a good strategy for success with clients.
Finally, tell your potential client what you want him or her to do…
Moral: Make it easy for potential clients to hire you!
Price for Success with Clients
One final piece of setting yourself up to attract the ideal client: Ensuring that you are allowing yourself to make a profit – and earn what you need/want to earn monthly.
Tracking Your Time
It’s amazing how much more focused you can become on client projects if you get into the habit of tracking your time. That means not just recording the start and finish of a client project, but also recording every time you stop and break for anything non-billable – phone calls, lunch, checking emails, visiting a social network, answering the door, and so on.
At the end of this post, you’ll find a Bonus worksheet to help you keep client and work priorities clear. Print it out and use it for success with clients.
You don’t need to do this forever, but if you get into the habit of using the sheet for the first few weeks or months of your business, it can help point out where “time leaks” occur and prevent that all-too-easy slide into mental chaos that leaves new business owners feeling less than confident sometimes.
The more clear and focused you are on how you want to operate and where you’d like to spend your billable time, the more you will subconsciously (and consciously) position yourself to land the right type of clientele and find success with clients.
Time Tracking and Productivity Daily Worksheet
Today I am working on…
Project:
| START: |
| Break: Start: Stop: |
| Break: Start: Stop: |
| Break: Start: Stop: |
| Break: Start: Stop: |
| END: |
Priorities:
- _________________________________
- _________________________________
- _________________________________
For tomorrow, I need to…
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