Top Questions Freelancers Should Ask Clients

The first time I jumped on a discovery call with a potential freelance client, I was completely nervous almost to the point of my hands sweating. I was anxious and excited to secure my first client. 

Although the discovery call was over the phone, I wanted to make a great first impression on the client. As the discovery call proceeded, I began to realize I had no clue on how to properly vet the client. I wasn’t sure of the top questions freelancers should ask clients and made some gaffs. Whoops!

There I was with butterflies in my stomach and sweaty palms eager to sign the contract with no idea if the client was a good fit for me.

Does this sound familiar? It’s common in those who want to know how to start freelancing with no experience.

When you don’t ask important questions during the discovery call to clients, you miss key information. Some clients are not as forthcoming about project details, deadlines, communication preferences, or payment methods. As a freelancer, this is all on you to ask for clarification to help ensure you are making an informed decision.

It can be easy to overlook or neglect the vetting process for potential clients. (We’ve all been there!) Oftentimes, as freelancers, we’re searching for our next client to help keep the lights on and to afford a mocha chai latte at Starbucks. But by not vetting potential freelance clients, as a freelancer you’re doing yourself and your client a disservice. 

Here are some of the best freelance client questions to ask before you agree to a freelance rate as well as after you get the freelance assignment.

Consider using this freelance client intake form before you get on a call with a potential client to avoid time-wasters.

Top Questions Freelancers Should Ask Clients Before They Sign a Contract

To help you sidestep one of the many pitfalls of freelancing, we’re sharing tips and top questions freelancers should ask clients before they commit to the freelance assignment. By the time you secure your next discovery call, you’ll feel confident and ready to start the project.

What’s the project scope?

Before you start the freelance project, you want to ensure that you have a clear understanding of the scope of the project. For example, it’s important to know the specific deliverables of the project. Some clients would prefer to see a rough draft of the project and a final deliverable delivered via pdf. Getting clarification on the deliverables and project objectives will help avoid delays in communication or project mishaps. It’ll also help you avoid scope creep down the line if the client asks for more.

As a rule of thumb, it’s important as a freelancer to have your own set of requirements in order to start a project. You want to come across as confident and trustworthy as possible. You achieve this by providing your client with a checklist of specific requirements you need for the project. Once everything on the checklist has been submitted, you can begin the project with ease. 

What’s the deadline?

Clients want to work with freelancers who are able to meet deadlines with a short turnaround. As a freelancer, it’s important to manage your time and energy efficiently.  The more projects you acquire within a month, the more you limit your availability to take on new clients. Time is your most precious resource as a freelancer!

It’s important to measure your capacity to accept projects and understand the length of time required to complete current ones. 

As a rule of thumb, I always measure out a two-week window for edits or last-minute changes on a project. This way, I estimate that even after I’ve turned in an article or project on deadline, I allow for a bit of buffer room in my schedule for additional changes on the project.  

If you can turn in an assignment early to your freelance client, even better. Just expect that you need some time in your schedule for revisions. This is why you shouldn’t try to book yourself with too many freelance projects. That’s a recipe for freelance burnout.

It’s helpful to establish milestones with the client. Milestones are a great way to approach a project to ensure you are meeting client expectations and the project is on task. Some freelancers require payments to meet milestones. An example might be that the first 25 percent of a project fee is paid after an outline is approved. Another 25 percent or 50 percent will be paid after the first draft. The final amount will be paid after the article or project is approved.

Occasionally projects do run into roadblocks. This is a common freelancer challenge.

When roadblocks occur on a project, communicate with your client. The issue might be a last-minute change to a draft or pushing the deadline date a few days out. Provide your client with a heads up so they can adjust accordingly. 

It never hurts to offer a discount in your rate for the next project for the small inconvenience. Remember, the more flexible you are with clients, they will return the favor, and be more likely to work with you again.

What are the freelance rates?

As a freelancer, your rates will periodically change over time. With more skills and experience, your rates should increase to meet market demands. When it comes to determining a rate for a project, there are a few things you should consider–like the amount of research required, the topic, and the deadline. 

Each of these should be factored into the rate in addition to your experience, niche, and bandwidth to accept the project and come up with freelance writer rates. I prefer to raise my rates twice a year with new clients to stay competitive and to meet my monthly income goals.

When it comes to negotiating your rates as a freelancer, you have rights. Most freelancers accept the first offer the client presents because they are desperate for the work. Don’t feel bad, we’ve all been there in our freelance journeys. 

As a rule of thumb, it’s always good to have a counteroffer or negotiate the rate. Negotiating is not putting the project or client at risk. It allows the client to consider the amount of the investment they are willing to pay for your services. In the end, if a client is unwilling to negotiate the rate, be willing to walk away from the project. Trust me, the right client won’t ditch you because you pushed back on a rate.

How do freelancers get paid?

When it comes to payment methods, I prefer to keep it as professional, efficient, and simple as possible. Most clients prefer to receive a customer invoice from freelancers. 

This is helpful in tracking expenses and time for both parties. If you’re new to freelancing,  you might want to consider Paypal as a payment method. Once you become more established, Quickbooks could be a great option for a fee. Other clients will do a direct deposit into your bank account.

How should freelancers charge?

Some freelancers prefer to be paid on a retainer, per project, or hourly basis. For me, it depends on the project. For example, if I’m hired to write three to four blog articles for a real estate company on a three-month contract, I prefer to work on a retainer fee which is one lump sum payment each month. 

The frequency of payment that you receive for a project should be discussed with the client prior to accepting the project. If you start out on a retainer or project basis and the client wants to increase your responsibilities, you’ll need to increase the amount you’re paid.  It’s important to review the terms of the original agreement and consider making necessary adjustments to protect yourself throughout the time you work for each client.

Top Questions Freelancers Should Ask Clients After Getting the Assignment 

Here’s a freelance template you can reference and send a tailored version of to your client to ensure you’re on the same page when it comes to the freelance project scope, resources, deadlines, as well as voice, and tone. It’s a great way to ensure you’ve identified the top questions freelancers should ask clients.

How Much Research and Which Resources Should I Use?

1. Clarify where research materials will be sourced from (in-house or you have to find sources).

2. Ask if the client will provide any specific resources or reference materials.

For most freelance projects clients will request images and backlinks to support the content. As a freelancer, it’s important to clarify where the clients prefer information to be sourced. For example, clients may allocate a small budget for research. They will permit you to source articles and clips from Google Scholar to cite as a reference in your work. If you’re hired as an in-house freelancer, there may be more contingencies regarding where you can retrieve resources and materials.

Many clients are flexible in their approach to meeting the needs or requirements for a project. It always helpful as a freelancer to provide your client with a content brief. Your content brief should in specific questions or reference request for materials that they specifically want to be used for the assignment. A good resource for material or reference would be SemRush, Reddit, Pinterest, or Answer The Public.

What are the Interview Requirements?

1. Inquire if interviews with subject matter experts are necessary.

2. Discuss logistics and scheduling for interviews, if needed. (Many freelance clients will introduce the freelancer to the team member they need to interview via email so they know you’re working with the team.)

As a freelancer, you will need to interview subject matter experts for an article or blog. If you have a reliable social media network or personal network that you can go to from time to time is beneficial. However, you want to keep your pulse on leading subject matter experts that can bring a fresh perspective or supporting argument to your article. Suggest the idea to your client to see if interviewing a subject matter expert is necessary.

Once you have the green light from your client to interview a subject matter expert. You’ll want to go over the logistics of how you’re going to cover the interview. Your interview should be done in real-time to help gain more quotable insights. It’s always best to record the interview via Zoom and transcribe the clip later.

Who’s the Client’s Audience?

Every brand or organization will have a key demographic that they are targeting for marketing purposes. As a freelancer, you must ask probing questions to learn more about your client’s target audience. You will want to know more about the client’s target audience age, economic status, social stats, and preferences for communication. The more you know about your client’s target demographic, the better prepared you are to develop a concept to address the project deliverables.

What’s the Voice and Tone?

Understanding each freelance client’s desired style, tone,  and voice will be an important aspect of your role as a freelancer. The best way to learn more about your client’s tone, style, and voice is to do a deep dive into their online persona. Take detailed notes on their social media captions, subscribe to the newsletter, or via online videos. Compile all of your notes to identify the brand tone and voice to help create a visual avatar of the client’s target audience and messaging. Remember to ask if they have any blog samples to send over that capture this well.

What is the Revisions and Feedback Process?

1. Establish the process for submitting revisions and incorporating feedback.

2. Clarify the number of revisions included in the project scope. Charge more if the client asks for additional edits.

Before submitting your final draft, you want to permit your client the opportunity to submit revisions or feedback request. This is a golden opportunity for you to receive constructive feedback on your work. Per your client you can establish a process for revisions that may include sharing a Google Doc, highlighting errors, or adding comments.  The process should be efficient and convenient for both parties to avoid any delay in meeting the deadline. As a rule of thumb, it’s important to discuss the number of revisions for the project. You don’t want to be a doormat because your client is simply not satisfied with the changes. Be flexible, yet firm.

Establish Final Delivery and Approval

1. Confirm the preferred method for delivering the final project

2. Discuss the approval process and any necessary sign-offs from the client

Once your client has reviewed the project and the edit request have been completed. You’ll need to confirm the preferred method for delivering the project. Some clients will request a PDF file or docx. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to have a backup on hand just in case the file is lost, corrupted, or not to the client’s satisfaction. The final project deliverable should be satisfactory with minimal errors.

As a freelancer, you want to dot all of your I’s and cross all of your t’s as you identify the top questions freelancers should ask clients. Just as you would have an onboarding process with your client. You’ll want to have an approval process that will ensure that your client’s expectations have been met for the project. Your approval process should include a timeframe for your client to review the project and an opportunity for your client to request any further changes. The client should initial the document to confirm that they are satisfied with the project and have reviewed the work thoroughly. Once your client signs off, you can submit the final deliverable to the client.

Ready to kick-start your freelance writing career? Learn the steps to Get Paid to Write.