What's the general process when handling clients?

Pretium · May 25, 2021

I'm considering making trailers/doing editing for other people, but I'm not sure where to start.

I understand you want a portfolio to prove yourself to your first client (I'll be doing vouch copies). What's the process when you're handling clients? Is it really as simple as the client paying half up front/a deposit and you start working on it? Are there contracts that you have clients sign? Do they want you to sign contracts?

TLDR: is it really just you get paid a deposit, you make the trailer, they pay the rest, you send it to them? Or is there other stuff in-between? Contracts? Modifications? etc?

Cheers

Great_Array · May 25, 2021

No nothing like contracts, unless you're working on something huge worth a couple of grand. All you really need is a terms of service where you describe your stance on refunds, work process, scam reports etc. the important stuff. About the payment process it can get a bit tricky since you're doing trailers. You generally ask for 50% after you've made a bit of progress and when the customer approves, then you just update them as your work goes by if they want some changes done on the spot (or do changes when you're completely done) then the other 50% after your project is done, then of course send them the finished product. Don't send your entire project first because that is generally a bad idea since there isn't any real scam protection for you the seller since the customer can just dip with the product. So in short make a TOS, make sure the customer has read and understands the TOS, make sure you have all the evidence of the transaction and messages so they can't fake scam report you, get payed first and always and I mean always be nice and respectful to the customer, no matter how annoying they might be at the time!

Pretium · May 25, 2021

Great_Array said:
No nothing like contracts, unless you're working on something huge worth a couple of grand. All you really need is a terms of service where you describe your stance on refunds, work process, scam reports etc. the important stuff. About the payment process it can get a bit tricky since you're doing trailers. You generally ask for 50% after you've made a bit of progress and when the customer approves, then you just update them as your work goes by if they want some changes done on the spot (or do changes when you're completely done) then the other 50% after your project is done, then of course send them the finished product. Don't send your entire project first because that is generally a bad idea since there isn't any real scam protection for you the seller since the customer can just dip with the product. So in short make a TOS, make sure the customer has read and understands the TOS, make sure you have all the evidence of the transaction and messages so they can't fake scam report you, get payed first and always and I mean always be nice and respectful to the customer, no matter how annoying they might be at the time!

Thanks so much! You're the best