How to Do a Discovery Call as a Freelancer and Get Paid Faster with Becflow
Discover how to use a discovery call to secure clients and payments, and learn how Becflow's AI contracts, payment links, and automatic reminders can help you get paid faster.
You've spent hours crafting the perfect pitch, only to find yourself waiting for days or even weeks for a client to respond. Then, just as you're about to give up, you finally hear back - but the client wants to change the scope of the project, pushing your deadline back even further. This cycle of uncertainty can leave you feeling frustrated and uncertain about how to get paid. In this post, we'll show you how to use a discovery call to secure clients and payments, and how Becflow's tools can help you streamline your workflow and get paid faster.
Why this keeps happening
As a freelancer, you often find yourself struggling to balance the needs of your clients with the need to get paid on time. Without a clear understanding of the project's scope and timeline, it's easy to get stuck in a cycle of delays and uncertainty. This can lead to lost income, missed deadlines, and a damaged reputation - all of which can be devastating for your business.
Real example
Take Marcus, a freelance writer who spent weeks working on a project for a new client. Despite his best efforts to communicate the project's scope and timeline, the client kept pushing back the deadline, ultimately leaving Marcus without payment for his work. If only Marcus had used a discovery call to clarify the project's scope and timeline from the beginning, he might have avoided this costly mistake.
The habits that fix this permanently
These are the non-negotiables for getting paid reliably in your profession:
How to implement this step by step
Step 1: Prepare for the Discovery Call
Before the discovery call, make sure you have a clear understanding of the project's scope and timeline. Research the client's business and goals, and come up with a list of questions to ask during the call. This will help you clarify the client's needs and expectations, and ensure that you're both on the same page. For example, you might ask questions like 'What are your goals for this project?' or 'What do you hope to achieve with this project?'
Step 2: Conduct the Discovery Call
During the discovery call, focus on asking open-ended questions to help you understand the client's needs and expectations. Encourage the client to share their goals, challenges, and timelines, and take detailed notes on what they say. This will help you create a clear picture of the project's scope and timeline, and ensure that you're both on the same page. For example, you might say 'Just to make sure I understand, can you tell me more about your goals for this project?' or 'What's the timeline for this project? When do you need the work to be completed by?'
Step 3: Create a Clear Payment Schedule and Terms
Once you have a clear understanding of the project's scope and timeline, create a clear payment schedule and terms. This should include the payment amount, payment frequency, and any late payment fees. Make sure to communicate this clearly to the client, and ensure that you have a signed contract in place. For example, you might say 'Based on our discussion, I recommend a payment schedule of $X per week for Y weeks. If payment is late, there will be a fee of $Z. Can you confirm that you agree to these terms?'
Step 4: Use AI-Powered Contracts to Automate the Contract Signing Process
Use Becflow's AI-powered contracts to automate the contract signing process and reduce the risk of disputes. This will help you create a clear and customized contract in minutes, and ensure that you have a signed contract in place before starting work. For example, you might say 'I've created a contract for this project that we can sign electronically. Can you please review and sign it?'
Step 5: Send Automatic Reminders to Follow Up on Outstanding Payments
Use Becflow's automatic reminders to follow up on outstanding payments and avoid missed deadlines. This will help you stay on top of payments and ensure that you get paid on time. For example, you might set up a reminder to send a payment request to the client 3 days before the payment deadline, or to send a follow-up email if the payment is still outstanding.
The Becflow solution
Becflow's AI contracts, payment links, and automatic reminders can help you streamline your workflow and get paid faster. With Becflow, you can create customized contracts in minutes, send automatic reminders to follow up on outstanding payments, and make it easy for clients to pay you on time. Try Becflow today and start getting paid faster!
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