As a freelancer and small business owner, how others perceive your brand is key to winning and retaining clients.
Your branding is conveyed in everything you do. It’s not just your visual brand identity, such as logos, fonts, and colors, that counts. Your quality output, marketing content, brand messaging, and how you deal with clients also form part of your brand.
With this in mind, here are 5 simple tips to help you stand out and further develop a positive, memorable working experience that clients will love.
Make the first impression a good one
First impressions count, so it makes sense to ensure the first client touch point with you is positive, and everything is as streamlined and frictionless as possible.
If your process includes a discovery call, consider automating the process so the first online meeting can be set up at the click of a button. You can achieve this by integrating business apps such as a calendar scheduler with an online meeting tool.
Friction points at these early stages, such as being unable to book an appointment easily, sign agreements or even pay you, can swiftly lead to a client dropping off.
But you don’t have to stop there. You can also automate other workflows throughout the client-freelancer relationship, such as invoicing, time tracking, and project management. By automating workflows, you not only save time but also create a slick, polished experience for your clients and make you easy to deal with.
Welcome clients onboard
Once you have a new client onboard, consider sending them a friendly, fully branded new client starter pack. Again, this process can be automated by setting up a welcome email sequence, or it can be a one-off communication.
This is a great opportunity to introduce your client to your processes and ways of working and managing client expectations. You can also remind clients of your payment terms and conditions in this communication.
It’s also a nice way to properly introduce yourself and further showcase your brand. A smooth onboarding process will build client trust and confidence in you from the get-go.
How you do this and what you include is up to you, but the key is to make it a positive experience.
Be consistent
To keep your brand top of mind, it helps to be consistent with your visual brand assets and communications throughout the client relationship. Make sure to include your logo and branding in all communications.
From your written proposal to client agreements to your email signature, the same goes for invoicing. An attractively designed invoice template customized with your logo and brand colors (along with any brand messaging) forms part of your brand identity. Clients will view it as professional.
Invoice Ninja has customizable invoice templates, auto-payment options and many other client-friendly features to make your invoice process on-brand, fast, seamless and professional. Clients can pay your invoices in just 1 click and get their own portal where they can view their invoice history. Try it for free here.
The key is to stay on brand in all communications and dealings with clients.
Follow up
Erratic or poor communication can derail even the best-planned projects, so make sure you keep in regular contact with your clients and update them on progress.
You can set up a workable schedule at the start of the project and, once more, make use of automation and your branded assets to achieve this objective.
It could be a weekly check-in using a project management tool or sharing updates or feedback via your branded documentation. You could even have a special client portal.
Showing that you are organized and committed to keeping the project on track is a great way to enhance client relationships and make the experience of working with you even more memorable.
Ask, thank, and showcase
When you’ve successfully completed your client project, and your client is happy, take the opportunity to ask for a testimonial or referral.
Again, this process can be automated, and some of the fields on the testimonial form can even be pre-populated, making it simple and fast for your client to complete.
By keeping on brand with your tone and message, it’s another opportunity to showcase your brand in a positive light. You could even consider a customer loyalty program. Perhaps a discount for further business or referrals to build brand loyalty.
A personalized handwritten thank you note can also go a long way to making your brand stand out.
The aim is to make the entire client experience a memorable one from beginning to end.
A happy and satisfied client is your best brand ambassador.
