One of the most important skills you can learn as a freelancer is how to understand your clients’ businesses better—so you can do your task that’s more effective, and so you have something new and exciting to talk about when it comes time for a performance review or client check-in.
Here are our top 18 tips for finding out about your clients’ businesses.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Establish open communication channels with clients to understand their goals, values, and expectations. |
| 2. Conduct thorough research about the client’s industry, competitors, and target audience to gain insights and align your work with their business objectives. |
| 3. Schedule regular meetings or calls with clients to discuss their business progress, challenges, and updates. |
| 4. Ask thoughtful questions to dig deeper into your client’s business and gain a better understanding of their needs and pain points. |
| 5. Request access to relevant documents, reports, or data that can provide valuable insights into your client’s business operations. |
| 6. Collaborate closely with your client’s team members to foster a strong working relationship and ensure alignment in project execution. |
| 7. Stay updated with industry trends, news, and developments that impact your client’s business, and proactively share relevant insights or recommendations. |
| 8. Attend industry events, webinars, or conferences related to your client’s field to expand your knowledge and gain a broader perspective. |
| 9. Leverage social media platforms and online communities to connect with your client’s target audience and understand their preferences and behavior. |
| 10. Seek feedback from clients on your work and actively incorporate their suggestions to enhance your understanding of their business. |
| 11. Continuously improve your skills and knowledge through professional development opportunities to provide exceptional value to your clients. |
| 12. Develop a genuine interest in your client’s business and industry, showcasing your commitment to their success. |
| 13. Stay adaptable and flexible to accommodate changes in your client’s business environment or evolving goals. |
| 14. Maintain confidentiality and respect sensitive information shared by your clients, demonstrating professionalism and trustworthiness. |
| 15. Strive for long-term partnerships with clients by delivering high-quality work, exceeding expectations, and consistently adding value. |
| 16. Reflect on your experiences and learnings with each client’s business to refine your approach and improve future collaborations. |
| 17. Regularly evaluate and reassess your client’s business needs to identify new opportunities or areas where you can contribute further. |
| 18. Embrace a proactive mindset and take initiative in exploring ways to support your client’s business growth and success. |
1. Ask Questions!
Even if the client hasn’t given you enough information in the brief to know exactly what they’re looking for, you should never be afraid to ask them for more. Your client will likely be happy to provide clarification and fill in any blanks—and it’ll make your relationship with them even stronger in the long run.
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2. Look At Their Website And Other Marketing Materials
Your client will want you to get a sense of their brand voice, so it’ll definitely benefit you to look at their website, social media pages, and other marketing materials before starting a project. There might be certain words or phrases that they want to include or particular types of content that they like. It’s all there for you!
3. Request A List Of The Company’s Values And Mission Statement
Companies often have clear-cut ideas about what they want to say about themselves in the world, which can help guide your content creation process. If they do not already have a well-defined set of values or mission statements, why not suggest that you help them create one? This is something every company needs in order to effectively market itself, and it will give you more insight into what kind of content would work best for them.
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4. Investigate Their Online Presence
Look at their website, and see how they describe themselves and their products/services. Are they using a lot of jargon? If so, try to incorporate it into your copy when possible. If not, don’t go overboard with industry terminology.
5. Find Out Who Else Is Working On The Project
Ask the client if there are others involved in the project—like an art director or graphic designer—and ask to see what they’ve already done for the project. This can give you some guidance about tone and style in your work as well.
6. Ask To See Their Logo And Brand Guidelines
These should be easy to deliver via email or Dropbox and will help you get a better sense of their voice and style as well as what colors should be used throughout the copy that you write for them.
7. Don’t Be Afraid To Challenge Your Client
Ask them to be specific about their goals for the project. Don’t settle for vague language like “I want a better website” or “our social media needs improving.” Ask them what they mean by these things, and why they are important to their company.
For example: How many more customers do they hope to reach? What results are they hoping for from this campaign? Why did they choose this particular topic? These questions will help you focus on creating content that meets your client’s actual needs.
8. Ask What They Like About Other Brands’ Marketing
This will tell you a lot about the kind of feel they want for the content you’re creating, and it will give you an idea of what’s already out there in the industry
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9. Research Their Competitors To Find Out More About The Industry
It’s smart for freelancers to research the industry their client is in, but asking the client about competitors can help you get even more context. Talk to them about their biggest competitors’ marketing efforts; what do they like? What do they dislike? How can we do better than the competition? Again, this will help both of you better understand what the client wants out of this project and how they see themselves in relation to others in their field.
10. Ask About Their Target Audience
The best place to start is with the people the client’s business is trying to reach. Find out how they’ve described their target audience in the past, and ask what that audience is like. Where do they live? What do they do for fun? What kind of music do they listen to?
How much money do they make? Do they have any particular hobbies or interests? What kind of language do they use? If you can get a good picture of who your client is trying to reach, you’ll be far more likely to create content that appeals to those people.
11. Ask For Copies Of Any Previous Work
If it’s not immediately obvious, you should also ask your client if they have any examples of past content marketing efforts. If so, this will help you understand what their company has already produced and what their preferences are. You may even be able to find some gaps in their approach that you could easily fill!
12. Pay Attention To The Information You Receive
If someone tells you something about their business, chances are it’s useful, even if it seems obvious at first. Even seemingly minor details can be extremely important!
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13. Ask Your Clients About The Bigger Picture
What’s going on in your industry? What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities?” Knowing how your client sees the marketplace will not only help you understand their business better, it will also help you understand what they want out of you and your services.
14. Understand How They Measure Success.
How do you measure success? Do you look at financial metrics? Or do you think more in terms of customer satisfaction or something else?” Knowing how a client thinks about winning will help you know how to go that extra mile for them.
15. Learn About Their Customers
Who are your customers? And what do they need from your company?” You can’t provide a good service if you don’t know who it’s going to be used by and what they need, so learn as much as you can about them to get a good idea of what’s important to your client.
16. Don’t Be Afraid Of Asking Stupid Questions
I know you probably think this all the time: Oh, I’ll look so dumb if I ask that question! But I promise: clients want good freelancers who understand their business. So they’re going to be happy when they realize that you are interested in minor details.
17. Show Your Interest In The Client And Their Business
If you want to be a successful freelancer, you need to thoroughly understand your clients and their businesses. When you’re in the middle of a project, it’s not just about executing the work—it’s also about genuinely showing an interest in your client’s business and communicating that interest to them.
If a client feels like you only care about them as an assignment, or if they think you’re just in it for the paycheck, they could very well decide not to hire you again.
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18. Google The Client
Sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how much you can learn just by looking at the company’s web presence. Look at their About Us page, Who We Are page, or whatever they call it. A lot of times that section of their site is written in plain language, and isn’t very formal.
It’s also often pretty short and concise—simplicity is key when it comes to pages on a website that visitors are likely to skip over.
Why Understanding Your Client’s Business Is Important
If you don’t understand your client’s business, you could end up costing them a lot of money.
Here are 9 reasons why understanding your client’s business is important:
Figure Out How To Help Them Grow And Succeed
By knowing what they do, where they want to go, and what they need to get there, you’ll be able to provide them with better customer service, which will make them more likely to return and more loyal.
Offer Better Customer Service
As a customer service professional, understanding a client’s business lets you deliver better customer service. If you understand what your clients do, you’ll be in a good position to offer relevant upsells or cross-sells. You’ll also be able to work with customers to identify their needs and find the right product or service.
Learn What They Need
If you’re a sales representative, understanding your clients’ businesses will let you learn what they need. Then, you can use that information to create custom solutions that will help your clients achieve their goals. In turn, this will make for happier customers who are more likely to buy from you again in the future!
Figure Out How To Help Them Make Money
For example, by using your product to increase their productivity, reduce their overhead costs, or target more customers. All of this helps them make more money.
Find Out What They Want To Buy
The best way to sell something is by giving someone what they want. Some businesses want to save money, and some want to look good doing it. If you know which one they are, you can give it to them and make the sale.
Learn How They Use Your Products Or Services
For example, do they use an app or a website? Do they get information on a mobile device or desktop? Or maybe both? Learning how your clients use your products means that you can make better ones that fit their needs even better!
Get A Better Idea Of What They’re Looking For In A Product Or Service
By understanding where they are in their own business and where they would like to be, you can get a better idea of what they need in terms of our products or services. We can also use this information to help us create new products and services that meet those needs.
Get Feedback From Them On Your Products Or Services
You can also get valuable feedback on our current products or services—what they like, what they don’t like, where they see room for improvement, etcetera. This helps us make decisions about what changes to make and how best to allocate time and resources toward improving our existing offerings.
Find Out If Their Needs Are Being Met By Your Products Or Services
You can also find out if the client feels like their needs are being met by what we offer now. If not, then this is an opportunity for us to figure out how best to meet those needs!
Final Thoughts
Freelancers should set the expectation with their clients that they will need to educate themselves on the inner workings of the business and get to know the client’s business before they can deliver their best work. This post provides a list of how freelancers can do just that.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful:
How to Get Clients: A Comprehensive Guide: Explore this comprehensive guide to learn effective strategies and techniques for acquiring clients and growing your business.
Getting to Know Your Customers: A Guide for Business Owners: Dive into this insightful guide that provides tips and insights on how to understand your customers better, build relationships, and meet their needs.
10 Crazy Simple Tips for Getting More Freelance Clients: Discover unconventional yet effective tips to attract and secure more freelance clients, helping you expand your client base and increase your earning potential.
People Also Ask
What is one simple way to get to know your client’s business better?
Ask your client what they love about their business. You’ll immediately see how passionate they are, and you’ll be able to use that passion when you’re writing their copy.
How do I make a good impression on my client?
Research their company and ask them about their values. By showing them that you’re on the same page, you’ll make an instant connection that will increase your chances of earning repeat work.
How do I get to know my client’s business better?
The best way to get to know your client’s business is by asking them a lot of questions, like What are their goals? What are their challenges? Who is their target audience? What have they done so far, and what’s working for them?
Why is it important to know my client’s business well?
It’s important to know your client’s business because the better you understand it, the more value you can add to your work—and the happier your client will be with what you give them. It can even help you get more work from that client in the future.
How does knowing my client’s business helps me do my job better?
Knowing your client’s business helps you do your job better because it enables you to make informed decisions about what direction to take a project and what message to convey in your writing.
What is the most important part of a business relationship?
The most important part of a business relationship is learning about the client’s business. That way, you can tailor your work for their company, as opposed to doing something generic that you might do for any client.
Do clients like it when you get to know their business?
Absolutely! I’ve never heard of a client who doesn’t love it when freelancers take the time to understand how their company works and where they’re coming from. It makes clients feel valued and understood, which is always going to lead to an improved working relationship.
What if my client is secretive?
Secrecy can be good for business, so don’t take it personally if you feel left in the dark. But there are still ways to learn more about your clients’ business without prying into proprietary information.
For example, if your client has competitors, it might help to research them too. Or maybe there’s an industry publication that you can subscribe to that will keep you updated on new developments and trends in their field.
What if I don’t want to know anything more?
It’s true that some freelancers prefer not knowing too much about the businesses they work with. But most clients would actually prefer it if their freelancer was knowledgeable about their company—it makes them feel like their freelancer really cares about them and what they’re trying to achieve.
Where can I find information on my client’s business?
You can ask your client directly, or you can check out your client’s website and social media channels.
Can my client help me learn more about their company?
Of course! Your client is a great resource for learning more about their company.
Who should I talk to if I need help?
You should feel comfortable talking with anyone on your team or at the company if you have questions or concerns. They may not be able to answer them right away, but they will definitely do their best to find someone who can help you.
What should I ask my clients?
Try to ask questions that help you understand the problem they’re trying to solve with the project you’re working on. It’s also helpful to know how long they’ve been in business, whether or not they’ve worked with freelancers before, and what their management style is like.
If you’re interested in continuing to work with them after the project ends, it’s important to find out what their plans are for future work. Also, ask them if they have any questions for you! It’s important that you both feel comfortable working together.
What should I do if my client doesn’t know the answer?
It’s not uncommon for clients not to know all the answers, especially if they’re new or don’t have extensive experience with outsourcing or hiring freelancers. You can try asking them who in their company would be most likely to know about the topic, or even just what their process is for finding something.
Should I ask about the client’s business history?
Absolutely. The more you know about the business, the better you can serve it. This is especially true when writing content that uses the company voice.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.