lily57•5mo ago

TIL a 'quick' client call can cost you half a day

Had a client ask for a 'quick chat' about a new project last Tuesday, said it would be 15 minutes. Two hours later, I was still on the phone listening to their life story and vague ideas, with zero concrete details to start a proposal. I didn't even get to send an invoice for that time because I didn't set the expectation upfront. How do you guys handle those 'just a quick question' calls without sounding rude?

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3 Comments

riverh495mo ago

That "zero concrete details" part is the real killer. I've started telling clients I need a basic one page brief emailed before we hop on a call, even for quick ones. It forces them to organize their thoughts first and saves everyone time.

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martin.riley5mo ago

My last client call wasted 30 minutes before they even mentioned their budget. Honestly, @riverh49, that one-page brief idea is a total game changer for cutting through the fog. Tbh I'm stealing that policy starting Monday.

1

rowan_wells305mo ago

Honestly that "zero concrete details" pain is so real, I feel you and @martin.riley on wasting half your day.

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