Let’s hold the urge to spend too much energy on an inquiry before we get a concrete order confirmation

(1 min story #111)

For me, some client requests are particularly exciting. For example, when it comes to soccer-related illustrations, I’d love to get started right away with the first sketches, even before all the conditions are clear.

But despite all the euphoria and confidence about working with a client, we must remember the time and work we invest even before the first brushstroke. Email correspondence or calls alone can sometimes take hours in total. There are questions to answer, joint, binding schedules to set up, and fees to negotiate. Sometimes, there’re additional requests like, “Tomorrow, I’ll present your portfolio to the team. Could you help convince them to work with you by …?”

Carefully clarifying this framework in advance is essential and part of freelancing. However, let’s be sure about what and how much we are willing to invest before reaching an agreement so we don’t waste our and the client’s valuable time.