Client Onboarding: Setting Up for Success as a Freelancer

Around 70 percent of freelancers are working on two to four projects at a time and sometimes more. Working on multiple projects can often feel like you’re juggling responsibilities. 

Knowing where to start and establishing a good relationship with each of those clients is imperative. But, how do you do that? 

It all starts from the very beginning. Using a client onboarding process can help set you up for success with all of your clients. This means more work in the future and a good outcome for all parties involved!

Sounds great, right? Keep reading to learn more about how to onboard new clients as a freelancer. 

Why Do You Need a Client Onboarding Process? 

A client onboarding process probably sounds like extra work that you don’t necessarily have time for. Does it really help? We hear the skepticism, but we’re not offended. 

Let’s discuss how this process will help so you understand why it’s important. 

Future Work on the Horizon 

As a freelancer, your goal is to accomplish the task you’ve been hired for and to do it well. However, ultimately, your goal should be for that client to come back to you and hire you to do more work. 

A client onboarding process will help accomplish that. This process should help create a positive relationship with your client where you really listen to their needs. 

Spread the Word That You Have Amazing Talents

Happy clients = referrals 

It’s a simple equation. When your client is happy they’ll tell other people about you. This increases the chances of future clients. 

Avoid Complications (Cause That’s Not Fun) 

A good onboarding process will help you better understand your client and their needs. You can work together to create a plan of action, and this will help you understand expectations from the get-go. 

Set Your Own Boundaries

During this process, you also have the opportunity to set your own boundaries. This could include times you’re available for meetings or when you’ll be in contact. 

If we’re being honest, some clients you’ll work with will expect you to answer emails within minutes of them sending them. If you discuss response times and availability from the beginning you can work to circumvent problems from unrealistic expectations. 

How Do You Create a Client Onboarding Process? 

Are you on board with the need for an onboarding process (pun intended)? If you’re not, we’ll redirect you to the points above ^. You don’t have to agree, but we think they’re pretty solid points. 

When you begin creating your client onboarding process, you will want to ensure you include certain elements. Keep in mind, this doesn’t need to be a complicated process. 

However, there are some factors you don’t want to forget. 

Getting to Know Your Client

If the song Getting to Know You from The King and I, doesn’t pop into your head right now, here’s a link, you’re welcome. If you don’t know that musical, oldie but a goodie. 

Getting to know your client is an essential part of the onboarding process. 

You can do this in a variety of ways. 

Consider the following methods: 

• A questionnaire
• Exploring their website
• A conversation 

Ultimately, your goal is to find out what your client wants and needs. To understand this you need to know their goals and the problems they’re facing. You also need to understand what success looks like for them. 

Once you understand this, you can begin to move forward and create a plan. This will also help your client feel like you understand them and their needs.

Questions to consider asking include the following: 

1. What type of project do you need me to complete? This will help you understand the scope of work and what skills and experience you will need to bring to the project.
2. What are your goals for this project? This will help you align your work with the client’s objectives and ensure that you are working towards the same outcome.
3. What is the timeline for this project? This will help you set expectations and manage your time effectively.
4. What is your budget for this project? This will help you determine if the project is a good fit for your business and negotiate a fair price.
5. What are your communication preferences? This will help you ensure that you are communicating with the client in a way that is efficient and effective.
6. What are your expectations for the final product? This will help you understand the client’s standards and ensure that you deliver a product that meets their needs.
7. Is there anything else I should know? This is a catch-all question that allows the client to share any additional information that they think is important. 

Get to Know Your Client’s Brand

Getting to know your client goes beyond just understanding their goals and needs. You also need to understand their brands and values.

This will help you personalize your work to that client. Ask the client if they have a mission statement. Learn about their branding and the message they want to convey. 

This is imperative for content creators and freelancers working with their client’s customers. However, it will help in other roles as well. 

Set Clear Expectations

When expectations are as clear as mud, things get complicated quickly. Setting clear expectations from the beginning ensures that everyone is on the same page. 

Setting expectations is important on both sides of the agreement. You want to manage your client’s expectations by letting them know what they can expect from you. 

Never overpromise! When you set your client’s expectations too high, it will just cause problems. 

Remember Onboarding Doesn’t Stop After You Get Started

Onboarding should be an ongoing process when working with clients. It doesn’t stop after you’ve taken the time to get to know your client and set expectations. 

Throughout the time you spend working with your client, you should be clarifying and providing clear communication. This will help you continue to have a positive relationship with your client. 

Create a Feedback Process

We’ve spent some time talking about how to grow using constructive criticism in the past. However, we want to reiterate that without feedback there is no opportunity for growth. 

Take the time to seek feedback from your clients throughout the working relationship. This will help you identify potential issues early before you have 99 problems. 

You can use this feedback to grow as a freelancer and to refine the work you’re doing on your client’s project. 

Putting All This Information to Good Use

When you’ve successfully onboarded a client, and gathered the information above, you’ll have a lot of information. It can feel overwhelming. 

So what do you do with it all besides using it to guide your work? You can take all of this information and put it into a scope of work document. 

When you’re working with a client you should get everything in writing. A scope of work is a great way to do this, but not every client will take the time to create one. 

That’s okay! You can create one as a freelancer and go over it with your client. 

This will also help with the onboarding process and gathering all the information you need. 

How Do You Create a Scope of Work? 

That’s a great question, we’re glad you asked. We have a great resource that you can use. Our free scope of work template is something we send to many clients. 

You can simply make a copy in Google Docs and fill in the fields with your own information. You can even add new fields to capture other relevant details. 

Once it’s written up, all parties should review and sign. This documents everything and sets clear expectations. 

Find Success With Your Clients

A client onboarding process will help you set yourself up for success. You’ll learn your client’s needs and set clear expectations. This can ultimately lead to more work in the future! 

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