Hooray! You’ve landed your first paying client. Pat yourself on the back for reaching this goal. If you can get one client, you can get ten. Now comes the most crucial part in a great working relationship…communication. It is best practice to let your client know early what they can expect from you. No one likes to feel in the dark, especially business owners who may feel like they handed you their baby. This can be done in the form of a friendly email or as an on-brand PDF.
Make sure your role and what they expect from you is clearly defined. -This should ideally be in your contract but there is no harm going over the expectations again with your client.
Let them know what your time zone is, your working days, and how soon you will respond. - You don’t want your client left feeling like you’re ignoring them. Be clear on what your office hours are and what days. Will you respond back to any communication within 24 or 48 hours?
This is your business and you are allowed to set your hours. If you need to rearrange your usual schedule and do some work on the weekend, that is perfectly fine. Your client just needs to know to not expect you to respond back until your next office day.
How to share any passwords - It is your responsibility to your client to ensure any sensitive information remains private. If they verbally give you their login information, write it down and store it somewhere that can be locked. Digitally sharing login info is made easy by programs such as Lastpass and 1password.
How you two prefer to communicate with each other - Some clients may prefer email, a project management tool or something like Voxxer or Slack. Please do not give out your personal phone number.
How often you will have meetings (if at all) - These will most likely be video meetings via something like Zoom. Whether you decide to meet weekly or monthly, make sure it is something that works well for the both of you. A client may also want you to take part in their team meetings.
Due dates/Rush jobs - Due dates are of the utmost importance. If you know that you might not be able to hit a due date, make your client aware as soon as possible.
Once in a while, a client may need something done quicker than your normal turnaround time or need it ASAP. If you’re willing to take on a “rush job,” make sure your client is aware of your higher rate for such tasks.
Any observed holidays, vacations, etc. - If you are aware of any days you will be closed for business, let your client know as early as possible. You may want to get all your deliverables to them ahead of time. If they know they won’t be able to reach you, they may want to wrap up any revisions ahead of time.
There should be no guessing when it comes to your business relationships. You want your client to feel like a priority to you. Setting the expectations early about communicating is key to that. Happy clients become repeat clients who send referrals to the wonderful VA they’ve found.
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