First message to a new freelance client
Who wrote it
The Lyon bakery owner accepted Yazan Shurrab’s proposal yesterday. Before he starts, he needs her files, prices and access.
The writer and every detail about them are fictional.
What went into the template
- Client and project
- Claire, the website for her bakery, Maison Lefèvre, in Lyon
- How the work started
- She accepted my proposal on Upwork yesterday
- What you need from them, or the first step
- By Thursday: logo and photos of the shop and products; menu with prices; pickup hours; access to the account where the domain is registered
First design of the home page on Monday 16 November; an update every Friday after that - Tone
- Warm
The writer’s facts, as typed into the template’s form. The example uses nothing else.
The example
First message to a new client: Project kick-off
Numbered notes in the margin explain each choice.
Hi Claire,
Greeting
Thank you for choosing me1 for the Maison Lefèvre website. I’m looking forward to it.
A short thank-you
Note 1: One line of thanks, then straight to work. Clients feel looked after when the next step is clear, not when the thanks are long.
To confirm the goal:2 a site in French and English where customers can see the day’s bread and pastries on their phone and reserve them for pickup.
The goal in one sentence
Note 2: Writing the goal down catches misunderstandings on day one, when they cost nothing.
To start, could you send me these by Thursday?3
- Your logo and any photos of the shop and the products
- The menu with prices
- Your pickup hours
- Access to the account where your domain is registered4
What he needs, by when
Note 3: One date for the whole list. Without it, files arrive one by one over weeks.
Note 4: Each item is specific enough that the client knows exactly what to look for.
I’ll send you the first design of the home page on Monday 16 November, and an update every Friday after that5.
When she will hear from him
Note 5: A fixed rhythm of updates prevents “any news?” messages.
Best,
Yazan
Structure
How it is built
Each part in order, with its share of the words.
Checklist
Before you send
Go through your own draft line by line.
Before and after
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Lines like these turn up in many drafts by Arabic speakers. Each fix keeps the meaning and changes only the English.
Thank you very much for trusting me, I will do my best and you will not regret it.
Thank you for choosing me for the Maison Lefèvre website. I’m looking forward to it.
Send me everything you have.
Could you send me these by Thursday? Your logo and any photos, the menu with prices, your pickup hours.
I will start soon and I will tell you.
I’ll send you the first design of the home page on Monday 16 November.
Questions people ask
What should a first message to a new client include?
A short thank-you, the goal in one sentence, what you need from them and by when, and when they will see the first result. Four short parts, as in this message.
Should I confirm the price and scope again?
If the platform contract already states them, a one-sentence goal is enough. If anything was agreed outside the contract, confirm it in writing now.
How often should I update a client?
Agree on a rhythm at the start, such as every Friday, and keep to it, even when the update is short. Regular updates prevent anxious messages.
Every writer in this library is fictional, and so is every detail about them. Universities and companies appear only as places someone applies to; the professors, papers and facts mentioned around them are invented for teaching. Use the examples to learn the moves, never as text to copy: committees notice, and your own facts are stronger.