“Interviewing is a lot like talking, but you have to guide the conversation. You have to know what you want and go about getting it.”
So what stands between you and winning a project is an intelligent conversation to see whether the client is a good fit for you. As per research, it is found that around 33% of the employer makes a hiring decision in just 90 seconds and most of them either skip or fail to organize a quality client interview.
But if you are a freelancer then a proposal would be the fundamental requirement of your new client project. Hence, you must ensure that you ask the right question so that you understand their problem to create a perfect roadmap for your project to unfold.
All this while we are talking about the necessity of client interviews before taking up a project. But why is it important? Here’s your answer!
Significance of client interview
Though interviews are the most uncomfortable aspect, it helps a freelancer a great deal to make or break the project even before it begins. Below are the reasons why you should not give up on a client interview if you are a freelancer:
- Do you know what a good interview is? To interview both ways. Traditional interviews often go one way, that too from the hirer side. But be smart, intelligent and upfront to ask the right question and indulge your opponent in a discussion. This would help in clearing for both parties.
- All projects won’t be the best fit for you and hence, you need to have a client interview session so that you can decide whether the project is worth working on. If past work isn’t worth representing then it would stunt your professional growth and therefore, one must not take up projects of mismatched clients.
- Portfolios are not enough as they do not always speak for themselves. To dive a little deeper you need a client interview which will also keep both of you on the same page.
So, here are some client interview questions you should better learn before the project is underway!
Few important client interview questions
In your day-to-day freelance life, this question can make a lot of difference, as to how you should interact with your clients. This question is to be asked before you start building a relationship with your client. This will help you understand how to deal with them when your project is already underway.
Well, it is also important to understand the intention of your client. Before jumping directly into the technicalities of the project, ask them why they are looking for you in the first place. This will help you to have a clear understanding of the needs and requirements of your potential client.
Most of the projects fail due to the lack of knowledge about the client’s problems. Ask them about the problems they are facing in the business that has brought them up with the need of working on this project. This will not only help you deliver your best but will also ensure your professional credibility by making you the leader of your sector.
To become perfectly perfect may seem next to impossible. But you can always focus on the broader aspect and ask them this simple question to move forward with a better understanding.
Must not miss out on this. If your client is a company or a fellow business then probably you may have to work with multiple people and the person sitting for an interview may not be the point of contact. It’s better to be upfront and get your doubts cleared rather than staying in the dark. As that would lead to miscommunication and frustrate you while hunting for the person who has the final say on the project.
Well, this again helps you know what point they are lagging and how you can help them. Asking them this question would help you understand how deep the courses of implication would be if the project doesn’t continue and what is at stake. This would be a major asset to move forward with the project for you.
Everything comes at a price in this business world. You probably won’t work for someone for free. It’s absolutely practical to ask your client about their project budget. This would help you understand whether your rates match with them and will it be a good fit or not.
Accomplishing the target of a specific time frame is one of the utmost business necessities not only for you but also for your client. Get this section cleared so that you can decide beforehand whether it would be wise to move on with the project or not.
Ask to understand the underlying problems to have a clear concept about your client, their project, and their problems. This would help you to guide them better to overcome their issues.
Knowing where the client heard about you is vital. If it’s via referral you must thank that person to strengthen your business relationships. This is a simple yet often overlooked question but is one of the most essential ones during a client interview.
Final thought!
Conducting an effective client interview will help you learn about your prospective clients and would also help in communicating moving forward. Just a few simple words could make a lot of difference and, it’s simply on you as to what set of questions you wanna ask. This was our guide on probable client interview questions.
