One of my big goals this quarter is to get better at qualifying leads.
Maybe this is design business 101, but until recently I hadn't ever considered vetting a client beyond a few choice qualifications: Do I like the client? Do they have money? Do I have enough time to get the work done? Even if just one of those were a "Yes," it meant we were in business.
<aside> 😇 Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration. Obviously, I won't partner up with anyone just because they have a huge budget (my values and beliefs play a role in business decisions); but I do think these three questions are a very reasonable place to start.
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The way I determine if, how, or when I want to work with someone has always felt pretty natural — if I could do it, I would do it. I'm realizing now how little I've asked myself: should I do it? This (lengthy) article takes a hard look at that question and shares how I've begun to qualify clients.
https://embed.notionlytics.com/s/ZDBkdVN6SldWRGRVWm1aSlowTnBjbXh6VkhVPQ==
My methodology for pitching, bidding and signing new business can only be described as chaotic. I've spent far too much time crafting bespoke proposals and pre-planning timelines and with hardly a thought if I should be pursuing the work in the first place. Luckily, I have a little more insight now.
I'm about two-thirds of the way through *Brutally Honest* by Emily Cohen and it's already become my go-to for all things client related. I'll be referencing it quite a bit in this article. She also has a class on LinkedIn Learning, which dives deeper into bidding and winning new work. You can enroll in that for free if you sign up for a trial of LinkedIn's Premium membership.
<aside> 📗 I learned about Brutally Honest through Steve and Danielle Wolf's newsletter. If you aren't on their mailing list, I definitely recommend checking it out. They share a lot of resources for freelancers, most of which are super practical (like this book).
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According to Emily Cohen:
A qualified lead is a prospect or contact with whom you've completed some level of due diligence that ensures they are a solid, potentially winnable lead.
I used to think "due diligence" meant sending out a questionnaire (more on this later) and if I received it back with all the answers filled out, the lead was solid. This process still works occasionally, but as I've implemented more specific criteria for potential clients, I've noticed the quality and quantity of my leads improving significantly.
<aside> 🕵️ I still reply to sus emails with my questionnaire when (a) I feel it's likely a cold email blast or (b) I don't get a good impression from the message, but don't want to risk losing out if the inquiry is real.
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My original benchmarks — Do I like them? Do they have money? Do I have time? — still play a role, but they've become tangential to bigger concerns. It's important to consider other lines of questioning that get to the root of why a client is reaching out in the first place and if I should be interested in their business. For example, here are some additional questions I've been asking myself lately: