Pre-qualification Questions You Need to Ask Your Prospects?

As a writer, some pre-qualification questions are essential for you to ask when dealing with potential clients or prospects.?When I was working on Fiverr , Upwork , and other freelance platforms, it was common thing for me to wake up and see messages from new clients requesting my service, such as…

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“Hey, can you write a blog post for our website…?”

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Hello, I need you to do keyword research, come up with SEO-rich topics, and write for our agency. We offer ___ product/service. Here is our website URL?”

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And other related messages, freelance writers can relate.

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It’s so common that many of them won’t give details of their requirements or maybe they don’t know what we need as writers.

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From my experience, I later came up with a format to get detailed information needed from those clients. Not only that it help to understand their writing needs, but it also shows you know your onion as an expert in what you do.

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Here are a few of the simple questions that will?help?you as a?writer?to?understand the scope of the project,?the client's needs, and whether the client is a good fit for your services:

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1.?Project Details:

• What type of writing project do you need assistance with??
• Can you provide a brief description of the project and its objectives??

These questions will help you better understand the type of content they need you to help them with, maybe it’s a?blog post, website content, whitepaper, press release,?etc.; and how they want it done.

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2.?Scope and Requirements:

• How many words or pages do you anticipate for this project?
• Do you have specific guidelines or requirements for this project, such as style, tone, or formatting preferences?

Having this detail will assist you as a writer to have a view of the volume of the writing project and get familiar with the brand style, tone, maybe the client likes to write in the second person or third person, and other necessary things about their business.

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3.?Audience and Purpose:

• What is the main goal or purpose of this content (e.g., inform, persuade, educate)?
• Who is the target audience for this content?

Getting this info from your client will guide you to the right part and to focus on the goal and end result in your mind while writing.

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4.?Timeline and Deadline:

• What is the desired timeline or deadline for this project?
• Are there any important milestones or delivery dates?

This info is important to avoid delay or disappointment. It’s a good practice to let the client know if you won’t be able to meet up with the deadline than to give an empty promise on a project you know you can’t finish within the time frame.

Most of the time, the client will extend the time when they understand that accuracy is better than speed.

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5.?Collaboration and Communication:

• What is your preferred mode of communication (e.g., email, phone, video calls)?
• How involved do you want to be in the writing process (e.g., hands-on, hands-off)?

The questions here are pretty good if you’re working with a freelance writer working with clients on LinkedIn and other social media platforms to keep you both on track. You may not need to ask such a question if you’re working with a writing agency or platform like Universe Writers , as the tools needed for a smooth conversation are already automated with great writers' and clients' conversation experience.

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6.?Legal and Contractual Details:

• Are you open to signing a contract or agreement outlining the terms and expectations of the project?
• Do you have any legal or confidentiality requirements?

In some cases, you will need to sign a confidential paper to give the client the assurance that your deal is end-to-end and you won’t share it with anyone.

Always be careful while signing legal and contractual documents to avoid biting what you can't chew.

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7.?Payment Terms:

• What are your preferred payment terms (e.g., upfront deposit, payment upon completion)?
• Do you have any payment method preferences?

As a freelance writer, you’ll need to ask this question and agree on a ground before starting a project. But those working on a specific platform would have seen what they’re taking for the project on the job board, all they need is to get answers to questions 1 to 6 on this list and get started as soon as possible.

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8.?Additional Questions:

Yes, every project is unique. There may be?any other information or specific questions you would like to discuss?regarding the project, do not hesitate to ask at the beginning or while proceeding with the project. However, it’s a good thing to give your client the advantage of adding more information and/or specifications you may not think they need.

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These pre-qualification questions will help writers gather important information, set clear expectations, and determine whether they are a good fit for the project and client. It's also an opportunity for the writer to showcase their professionalism and expertise in understanding and addressing the client's needs.

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For those who may want to hire a writer on Universe Writers or any other writing platform, or #hiringfreelancewriters, it’s essential to have answers to the above questions in mind while reaching out to a writer. It will not only help you get things done quickly, but it’ll also help you get a great result.

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If you wanna hire a professionally trained?writer?for your next writing project, go to https://www.universewriters.com ?to learn more about the?easy?process by requesting a quote! ?

The writers?are vetted professionals in their fields and we?keep them updated with required training from time to?time.

So, if you're ready to finally get serious about #hiringwriters and getting some help with your content, copy, and marketing?handled by specialists... Then the Universe Writers might have awesome writers?for your next project. Let them slay the rest of 2023 by providing you with the best result you deserve.