The hard truth about why your clients do not want to come back to you again

We all started from something at the beginning, we all were beginners before. And we all made mistakes in our journeys, approaches, and all that stuff. Now, since I started working with freelancers for my design studio Deeply, I’ve begun to notice a pattern with some issues — which is strange, because I’m a freelancer too and I understand the whole process!

Actually, these points are not just about illustrators. I think they can be useful for anyone working in the creative field, whether you’re a designer, animator, or illustrator. We are all improving our processes all the time, but I hope these points will help you quickly understand what you can improve in your approach, process, or communication with the client right now, so they want to come back to you and recommend you to others.

Mistake #1: Not communicating properly

Have you ever felt unwelcome or that no one cares about your needs when someone responds to your request coldly and without interest? For example, in a store, a restaurant, or even just in a conversation with your friends.

It’s the same with a client. The client comes to you seeking assurance that they have chosen the right person and that they will get help here (to solve their business problems, cause we’re here for that reason, aren’t we?). What do you think the client will feel if you respond without interest or friendliness? As strange as it may seem, I have encountered such freelancers. It felt as if working was a burden for them, and my request was of no interest to them. This disappointed me as a potential client.

Rest assured, clients will not return if you do not maintain professional yet friendly communication. This is the first thing a client will experience before any of your work even begins.

Mistake #2: Not asking the right questions

This point is partly related to the previous one because asking the right questions is also part of communication. However, here I mean that I often see how beginner artists do not ask the necessary questions to the client (or ask too few), which in turn leads to an incomplete understanding of the task and, consequently, not the best result.

You might be afraid to ask many questions to avoid seeming “intrusive,” but believe me, this is the best thing you can do at the very beginning of your potential project. They will thank you for it in the end.

Mistake #3: Not sharing your process

How will the work process unfold? What stages should the client expect? How many revisions are included? What happens next? You need to provide answers to these and many other questions before the client even asks them. No one knows how you work, and they won’t find out until you tell them. We are not mind readers, right?

If you want to give the client confidence that they chose you wisely, don’t make them doubt the process. Moreover, if you don’t communicate these details from the start, misunderstandings may arise during the project, complicating or even increasing the workload for you.

Mistake #4: Not presenting your work in the best way

Do you still add your sketches/finals as attachments to emails? Please. Stop. What could be worse than searching through an email thread for all the versions of your work? I strongly recommend thinking about how you present your work — it directly impacts your client’s feedback.

Nowadays, there are many tools available to create even a minimal presentation of your work. Personally, I use Pitch — a free version is more than enough for my purposes. When I integrated this into my process, it made a decisive difference during the feedback stage! By describing your work, the idea behind your sketches, etc., you make the client’s life easier, and they won’t have any questions about your work anymore — feedback can be minimal. Moreover, a good presentation of your work showcases you as a professional in your field.

Mistake #5: Not following up

I’m talking about two scenarios.

First — Your past clients. Many beginner artists forget about their old clients and don’t reach out to them after completing a project. But why? These are the most loyal potential returning clients! Simply check in to see how they are doing with your previous delivery and if they need anything else. That simple! They might have a new project for you. But even if they don’t, a simple show of attention is always appreciated, isn’t it?

Second — Potential clients who, for some reason, didn’t continue working with you or ghosted your last email. This doesn’t mean they don’t like your work or never want to deal with you again. On the contrary, a simple follow-up can help you secure a new project or simply remind the client about your conversation. They might have forgotten, missed it, or gotten distracted. Business people often juggle dozens of tasks throughout the day, and a simple reminder is something they might thank you for.

Final thoughts

I hope these insights will help you improve your workflow. This will make you appear more professional in the eyes of potential clients.

The next blog post will be about mistakes that business people make when working with illustrators, so stay tuned! It is useful to know both sides of the business; that way we can improve.

Thanks for reading!