How to Impress in Your First Client Call

First impressions in your interview and client call play a crucial role for your career. Talking with the client directly on a phone call or video call can be a little bit expediting especially if you are a kind of introverted freelancer.

However, we should admit the fact that merely messaging on online chats is sometimes not enough to win a job. Many clients prefer phone or video calls as they are more comfortable and save them time. To help you get prepared for your first client call here we are with a quick guide.

Prepare Before the Call

Collect all the possible information about the client and the job. If your interview is supposed to be on Upwork then you can collect enough information to impress the client. You can learn the name of the client or company and then see the freelancer reviews/feedback about them. 

You can do your own search on the internet to find out more about the client/company and their activity. All of this information will allow you to know your client and talk to them directly on questions that relate the job. It will also help you learn their needs and requirements. Review their job post and have a few questions ready. So, it’s recommended to have the necessary info on your table before starting the interview. 

Listen

You should improve your listening skills to better and quicker understand your client’s needs. Value your and your client’s time and be quite attentive to what they say. It’s better not to interrupt the client when they are introducing themselves/their company and the job they offer. 

You can ask questions while talking but it’s better to ask questions after the client finishes their speech. So, listen carefully and then talk about their needs before jumping in with solutions.

Discuss Everything

Every possible detail discussed on your first call can decrease the amount of the time you’ll spend afterwards asking questions to each other. It’s better if you clarify everything beforehand starting from the task details to the price of the project. Then you won't have suspections and won’t need to have another call to clarify something. Of course, you may chat after starting the project but the main questions should be discussed beforehand. 

Outline Next Steps

At the end of the call you can ask your questions and summarize the interview with the solutions and approaches related to the project. Freelancers who come with creative thinking and offer solutions tend to gain more attention. Even if you don’t have experience, your creative thinking can help you stand out. This is how you can impress your client. 

Note: Confidence + preparation = success.

Conclusion 

Some other tips that can help you impress your client on your first call are as follows:

• Repeat information back to them.

• Avoid filler words and phrases such as "like", "ya know?", etc. 

• Be honest.

• Smile while talking.