How to Handle The Bookkeeping Clients Who Are New

Regardless of the specific freelancing area, you choose to follow, you will need to know a very important skill - pitching clients. That is not all though because you will still need to reel in a potential client - which means convincing them that you are the right person to handle the job.

The process is more challenging than you might think though because the competition for most freelance jobs is very stiff; unless it is a highly specialized field, like a highly experienced freelance bookkeeping at dormzi or any other organization would. It can also be very uncertain handling a new client, because you are dealing with a person you are not used to, and you are unsure whether they like your work or you.

It is important to know how to handle these uncertainties so that they do not interfere with your work. Here are some tips you can keep in mind.

1Make sure your expectations are clear

Before you accept a new client or start a new job, you need to make your expectations clear to your client – and also know what their expectations are.

If you have been doing freelance work for some time, you probably know the requirements or questions for the client to give you an idea of what you are working with. However, if you are unsure, you can note some questions to ask them, which include:

• What is the time you expect the work?
• How many words do you want?
• The rate charge and whether you are charging per hour or per word
• The scope involved, or if there are any revisions

You also need to know the expectations of the client, as well as asking them what they think about your expectations. Knowing all these things will eventually help to avoid costly problems later.

2Make sure you protect yourself and the client

Through knowing the expectations of your client and the client knowing about you, it is a good idea to have a contract in place before you begin the task ahead. This does not need to be a complex document, as you can make a document in place that aligns the details of the agreement and showing that there is consent from both parties.

While some clients might see this as a very sensitive subject, it is still important - especially if you are doing a job as sensitive as bookkeeping. If the client does not want a contract, you can still ask them to give you a partial payment, and then they will pay the rest after you give them the work results. In fact, this is a very common setup, and it also protects you and the client.

3Avoid overpromising

Many freelancers in the beginning of their careers tend to overpromise the clients and give the profession a bad name eventually. This is not out of malice though, as you might want to promise as many results and look as efficient as possible or make as much money from the job as you want.

However, when you continue in the business for some time, you will eventually learn that it is impossible to deliver a huge amount of work within a few days - sometimes eventualities will happen, and you might not finish the job on time. In a profession like bookkeeping, it is even more risky, because the workloads tend to be quite heavy. You do not want clients to see you as unreliable, so avoid overpromising and make 'reasonable' promises instead.

4Avoid selling yourself short, even if you are offering 'extras'

Even though you already have set expectations from the start, it does not mean you cannot provide your clients with some 'extras'. You can see this in 2 ways: either you want your new client to become a recurring one, or you simply want to appreciate the client.

Some of the useful 'extras' you might offer can include: Doing at least one more revision beyond what you initially agreed with the client - but ensure it is within reasonable limits and does not take up too much time, as well as offering discounted rates for bulk orders.

In conclusion, it can be an exciting venture to work with a new client when you are a freelance bookkeeper, but it can also have some uncertainties. However, it is important to see it as an opportunity to make a new connection and get rewarded for your work.