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When I started out freelancing, the thought of having clients was quite scary … though the thought of having no clients at all was even scarier! Something about the word clients implied that they’d be demanding, ultra-professional, and intimidating.

Of course, it was nothing like I’d feared: my clients have all been very human, warm and friendly! However, I have found that there are seven easy ways to really impress clients, and to guarantee that they’ll want to work with you or refer you in the future:

1. Dress Professionally

I’m most comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt – but when meeting clients, I make the effort to smarten up. Business people can sometimes have slightly negative stereotypes of “freelancers”, and looking like a professional is a great way to make a great first impression and dispel their fears.

Think about it this way: if you had the choice between an assistant who turned up wearing cut-off jeans, scuffed sneakers and a slogan t-shirt and an assistant who wore smart trousers, a nice shirt, and clean shoes – who would you be more inclined to hire?

2. Anticipate Questions

Once you’ve been freelancing for a month or two, you’ll find that clients will keep coming up with the same questions. These will vary depending on your industry. When I started out making websites for very small businesses, I had some clients who struggled with emails, and knew they needed a website but didn’t understand much about the process. They wanted to know things like:

• Why do I need to pay for hosting when I already have a computer?
• What’s a domain name?
• Can you put the link to our website at the top of Google?

…and so on. My clients weren’t stupid – they were successful small business owners – but they had little experience of the web. Get a feel for how much your clients typically know, and try to anticipate the questions that they might have. This will help reassure them that you have their interests in mind, and that you’re not trying to sneak in extra charges. (My clients often didn’t understand the need to pay for a domain name and hosting, for instance.)

You might consider creating an FAQ page for your website, or a document to give to new clients, which answers common questions. If you’re just starting out, this can help add credibility by indicating to your clients that you have a lot of knowledge of your area.

3. Communicate regularly

Most clients will like to be updated on a regular interval about how things are going. Just sending an email once a week to reassure them that the project is on track is enough to make sure that they feel taken care of.

Don’t send them huge amounts of detail – just keep it brief and succinct. This indicates that you value their time, and it also reduces the chances of them getting confused about any of the details and emailing you back with questions!

If you have a client who bombards you with emails, try leaving a time delay before replying. Unless it really is urgent, don’t answer till the next day: this reduces the chances of ending up in a game of email ping-pong, and it’ll encourage your client to save up all their questions for one email.

4. Over-deliver

Something that will really impress your clients is to over-deliver on what you’ve promised. They’ll be all too used to delays, excuses and problems. Give them a great experience by hitting milestones early, or by throwing in a small extra.

Clients will often be pleased if you take the initiative: perhaps mentioning something that they could update on their website, or explaining that you could help with one of their other projects, and I’ve often had clients complain about previous freelancers or employees, saying that they “never made any suggestions.” You do have to be a little careful with this – the last thing you want to do is accidentally end up slating the wonky-looking logo that the boss designed himself – but thoughtful feedback from an outside perspective are often much appreciated.

5. Go the extra mile

Following on from over-delivering is going above and beyond the call of duty. You might not want to do this with every single client – but on long-standing clients, or ones who you know will be good for plenty of repeat business, it’s a great way to win their loyalty.

For example, I’ve sometimes received emails from clients at 9pm with a small request, and have carried it out there and then. It only takes me thirty minutes or so, but it leaves the client feeling grateful! I do have core hours, and I could charge overtime, but I find that a strong client relationship and repeat business is worth far more.

6. Send a “thank you” or small gift

This is common advice – but how often do we take it? Spending a few minutes and a few dollars choosing a nice card or gift for your client is a huge step towards creating a lasting impression. Try to make the gift something thoughtful; perhaps something that relates to one of their hobbies or interests, or that will conjure up a smile.

Many freelancers like to send out holiday cards to clients, and this is another nice way to stay in touch. You may find that your card lands on the desk at just the right time, when your client is thinking about a project that they could use some help with. If your name’s in their mind, chances are it’ll be you that they call.

7. Offer a discount

If you’ve had a good working relationship with a client, let them know that you’d be interested in continuing to work with them – and offer them a discount. You might like to simply have a standard discount for ongoing work, or you might prefer to frame this as a special offer just for them (“It’s been so great working with you…” etc).

A discount makes people feel special, and it makes them feel that they’re getting a bargain. It’s also a great technique to use if you want to up-sell: telling clients that, for example, you can write a press release as well as their website copy.

How do you make sure that your clients are so impressed that they want to recommend you to all their friends? Do the above tips work for you, or do you have some of your own to add?