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A Questionnaire
for Your Potential
Client

U S E TH I S B E FO R E M A K I N G YO U R
PROPOSAL FOR A CLIENT!
 CLIENT QUESTIONNAIRE

First you must listen and learn

Before you ever make a proposal for a potential
client, call them and ask them some important
questions to get a read on how serious they are
about the project, learn about their needs, and
gauge their budget. You might even notice red flags
that save you the time of making a proposal for
them. Not every client is right for you, and
that’s OK.
We’ve included this Questionnaire to help guide you. Not every question may be
applicable, but it will give you a good idea of where to start, and what to cover. We
prefer to do it on the phone, because we can infer so much more from the person’s
tone and vocal cues. They’re likely to reveal more, and be less guarded when we’re
on the phone. Them being able to hear your voice can also put them at ease, and help
build trust before you quote them.

When you ask the following questions, try to be as casual and informal as possible.
Don’t grill them. Rather, just start by showing interest in them as a company and
connecting as a human. Be polite and friendly and show you are excited to learn
about them!
 CLIENT QUESTIONNAIRE

Questions to Ask Potential Clients to Prepare a Fair

Quote and Tailored Proposal:

1. What does your company do?

2. Tell me about your product / service?

3. What’s the goal / purpose of this project?

4. How long / much will this project be used? Is it a regional project, or global? Seasonal, or
something that should last a long time?

5. What would be the best result of this project, in your opinion? What is the purpose you hope it
will achieve?

6. Who is the target audience for this project? Are they an existing audience, or a new
demographic?

7. If the project is re-working something that exists, why is the old solution no longer working?
(Knowing what doesn’t work will inform what changes need to be made.)

8. Who at your company will be involved with this project? (It’s good to know how many cooks
will be in the kitchen.) Who has final approval? How many levels of sign-offs need to be
obtained to launch, etc.?

9. What is your desired aesthetic for this project?

10. What is your budget for this project?

11. How do you expect this project to affect or generate growth/sales, if at all for your company?

12. Do you have a deadline or time frame you’re trying to complete this project within? (If they
give you a really tight window, then you can consider working a rush fee into the price.)
These kinds of questions will help you better identify how serious your potential client is, to what
scale they’re doing business, and how realistic their hopes are for the outcome of your work.

Note: the money questions might feel awkward to ask, but they are very important. While the
potential client genuinely might not know what they’re willing to budget for a project, you can
still gather honest financial cues about them to help you gauge a fair price for them.

Once you have this sort of intel, you are much better prepared to tailor the proposal. As a bonus,
your new client will feel listened to and your proposal will hold more gravitas simply because
you have taken the time ask so many questions first. Or, by doing this initial screening call, you’ll
know if a potential client is not a good fit for you, and you can refer them to someone better
suited to their needs.