How to Develop and Implement a New Client Questionnaire

A couple of weeks ago we explored 5 ways to tell if a new client is the right client by asking yourself several questions to help you determine if you should take on this new client. This week will look at a series of questions to ask the potential client to determine if working together will be mutually beneficial.

What is a Client Questionnaire?

A New Client Questionnaire (NCQ) is an important tool that you can develop, customize and use to determine if a new potential design client is the right fit for your skills and services. This can be a lengthy formal document that is presented to all new clients before initial discussions begin, or it can be as simple as a set of general questions that you keep on your desk to ask a potential client when talking over the phone or email. These questions can be tailored to fit you and the type of business and/or services you offer.

Why it's Important to Use a Client Questionnaire

An NCQ is important for you to develop for many reasons. First up, it helps to simplify a potentially repetitive process. It helps you to be more professional and knowledgeable about your work from the very beginning of a new client relationship. It establishes that you have a process that you follow for your services. NCQs can also help you filter clients that may not be ready to hire you. If a potential client has trouble answering your questions it may be a sign that they're not ready to hire a professional at this stage. Being able to determine that from the beginning saves you a ton of time and frustration down the road.

Determining the Right Questions to Ask

There may be a ton of questions to ask, or there may be only a handful depending on your business and the work being requested. Only you can decide and gather the right questions to pinpoint what you're looking for from a client in the very beginning. But let's take a look at a few sample questions to get your mind thinking in the right direction.

1. What is your company name / contact name?
2. What is the purpose of this project?
3. Who is the target audience for this project?
4. Does this project have any special considerations?
5. Do you have any preconceived ideas for this project?
6. What is the turnaround time for project completion?
7. What is the budget for completing this project?
8. Will you be available to answer questions or provide feedback during the course of the project?
9. Does your company have any direct competitors in regards to this project?
10. Do you plan to own the intellectual rights to this project?

How to Implement Your New Client Questionnaire

You could post this NCQ to your website, or send it to them once they've reached out to you via email. But I see this as adding a potential hurdle, or roadblock, between you and the client, which isn't a good idea. You don't want this questionnaire to seem like a burden to the client. After all, working with you should be easy, right? I would suggest presenting it more casually once the client has established contact with you. If you're questionnaire is short, you can bring up the questions in conversation over the phone, or keep it handy to copy and paste into an email. If you're questionnaire is long (more than 10 questions) you may have to break it up into multiple steps or pages. Maybe it's a PDF or a web form that you can send the client to. It can even be designed and laid out in a creative way to give the client a sense of what working with you is like.

Conclusion

I hope this article is helped you to realize the importance of establishing your own NCQ. It can be a vital tool in your process making yours and the client's lives easier by starting a new relationship on the same page. What are some important questions that you would include in your New Client Questionnaire?