The TOP 5 things you should ALWAYS get down in writing

 In my own business experience – and I’m sure in yours too - not getting things down in writing is usually a costly mistake in terms of time and stress, and can also put a strain in your relationship with the client.

Murphy’s Law is always going to be waiting in some corner ready to jump out at you when you least expect it and derail your best laid plans.

This is inevitable.

But knowing this gives you the edge: if this is something you can expect, then this is something you can plan for.

As they say: forewarned is forearmed.

So whilst there are things that may go wrong with a job or a project, sometimes things that are beyond your control, there are also things that you can do to help prevent failure at least in some areas.

The more controls like these you put in place, the tighter the ship you’ll run.

1. What was said

Whenever you meet with a client or a new prospect and any sort of agreement takes place between you, make sure you always e-mail your client or prospect as soon as possible, confirming the agreement and highlighting all the important points that were agreed upon.

The standard way of doing this is to start your message with something like:

Dear (client name),

Thank you for your time today.

As discussed, I will:
- Do this
- Do that
- Deliver by then
… and so on.

This covers your back and can save you an incredible amount of time and stress in the long run – particularly when the client ‘forgets’ something that was said or even suggests that something else was said instead.

2. What the job entails

This point takes things a little further than the previous one.

When a client requests that you do a job, aim to always ask for a full specification of the job. This is basically a detailed plan of what the job actually entails. The more detailed the job is the more detailed the specification should be.

A detailed specification will help you to better understand these 2 key points:

1. what the client wants
2. what is expected of you

The better you understand point 1, the easier the job will become.

The better you understand point 2, the faster and more efficiently you can complete the job.

Also, in terms of covering your back, point 2 is important. If you know what’s expected of you then you should be able to tell pretty easily what’s acceptable and what isn’t, and this will keep you out of trouble.

3. Deadlines

Whenever possible – and if applicable to the job – you should also set a deadline down in writing.

Warning: there is a fine line here to beware of. The aim of setting a deadline is to ensure that the client doesn’t drag things on for ever and a day. But remember that a deadline also applies to you to.

When you set deadlines make sure that can meet them otherwise you will be putting yourself under pressure and this will have a negative impact on your performance.

4. Payment terms

When it comes to talk of money some people can get somewhat uncomfortable. The thing to remember here is that the client is not likely to write to you reminding you that they need to pay you (although this does happen when you provide a fantastic service) so if you don’t do it yourself you’re opening yourself to a long wait for your money once the job is complete, and this can significantly affect your cash flow (and your mood!)

Unless the client brings the subject up, broaching the subject of payment can be somewhat tricky and not always appropriate.

They don’t have to be complicated or even lengthy – just make sure that they cover your back for every conceivable eventuality (or at least the ones that you can foresee).

Within your terms and conditions state your payment terms, and add this to your invoice.

The standard payment term is 30 days, but I have also seen plenty of invoices with 14 days payment terms.

Adding your payment terms to your invoice makes it much easier for you if and when it comes down to ringing the client to ask for your money. Stating that the invoice is overdue is a clever way of separating yourself from the issue when what you’re really saying is you owe me money.

after the day’s view to have passed and point out that the invoice is now overdue.

5. Completion – get it signed off

If the job is complete, notify the client even if they know. State that it is complete. If you use e-mail and you receive a positive reply then it’s sealed.

It’s inevitable that sometimes the client will come back to you and either spot an oversight either on your part or on their part. When this happens then simply discuss the issue with the client and get it fixed.

The importance of getting the job signed off is not so that you can beat the client with a stick if they come back in a few days and say ‘Oops, we forgot to ask for this too…’ but rather to help you stay safe and efficient.

If the client does come back and asks for a small addition, then it’s up to you whether you charge for this or ‘throw it in’ as a gesture of good will, but either way it can only reflect well upon you and even score you points if you do offer the freebie option.

What won’t be happening is an argument about an unfinished job… because you got it signed off by the client.