Effective Communication with Buyers

[adrian_success]

Communication is the most important factor in determining Buyer satisfaction and securing repeat business. As your business on Fiverr grows, you will develop your own communication style that works specifically for your brand and target audience. Learning to effectively communicate with Buyers is a skill that will improve over time until you have a list of phrases and methods that you can use with confidence in any situation.

Tips for Communicating with Buyers Throughout an Order

It’s important to utilize formal communication methods with Buyers. Rather than treating conversations like sending text messages back and forth, use a structured format in your sentences and paragraphs. Form complete thoughts in longer messages to convey all the necessary information in fewer messages. This can help prevent confusion and make it easier to review communication, which is especially helpful if Customer Support needs to intervene.
 

 

There are three important points in an order lifecycle where you can increase your Buyer’s satisfaction by communicating effectively: before, during, and after.

 

         1. Before an order begins
Make sure you have all the information you need from a Buyer before starting any work on their behalf. This includes information about what they need, how much room they have in their budget, and any deadlines for completion. As soon as you know what needs to be done, share those details with your Buyer. This will help ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of the order goals and what is expected from both parties during its execution.

 

         2. During an order
 Although it might be tempting to immediately get to work using the information provided in the requirements, your Buyer may have expectations that weren’t explicitly mentioned. It’s good to get into the habit of reviewing the requirements carefully and reaching out if anything is unclear or incomplete. This will help manage expectations on both ends, making it more likely for the Buyer to be satisfied with their delivery.

Keep in regular contact with your Buyer throughout an order, so they know how things are progressing and what needs to happen next for them to receive their desired outcome at each stage. Make sure that you answer questions quickly and thoroughly so your client knows they can reach out if they need help with anything related to the project. This also means responding quickly to requests for changes and letting your client know if there are unexpected changes in scope or timeline.

         3. After an order closes
Many Sellers believe that the line of communication closes once the order does. However, staying in touch with Buyers will ensure you’ve delivered to their satisfaction and solidify you as their go-to Seller. Thank every Buyer for working with you and inform them of your additional, related services, so they know you can offer even more value. 

 

Lastly, remind them they will be getting an anonymous, confidential post-order survey and that their feedback is welcome but keep in mind to not guide them to a positive to not violate the Terms of Service.

 

When you communicate the right information at the right time, you're providing immense value to your Buyer - and that's something they just might reward you for. Good communication will not only lead to Buyer satisfaction but can also generate repeat business for your blossoming freelancing career!
 

[teamandromeda]

Definately and helpful. Sometimes it´s also better to refuse a potential order, although someone is willing to buy but it actually doesn´t match with what he or she is looking for. It´s better to be honest than to convince and stress about satisfaction. 

[khadejasarker]

Effective communication is very much important for seller . Seller success score depends on effective communication.

 

[zaidiitechhouse]

Absolutely Yes. Communication is a key of winning hearts of Clients

[muzakkirasif]

Indeed, effective communication is crucial for gaining the client's trust and understanding.

[designer_umair1]

On 3/8/2023 at 1:49 AM, adrian_success said:

Communication is the most important factor in determining Buyer satisfaction and securing repeat business. As your business on Fiverr grows, you will develop your own communication style that works specifically for your brand and target audience. Learning to effectively communicate with Buyers is a skill that will improve over time until you have a list of phrases and methods that you can use with confidence in any situation.

Tips for Communicating with Buyers Throughout an Order

It’s important to utilize formal communication methods with Buyers. Rather than treating conversations like sending text messages back and forth, use a structured format in your sentences and paragraphs. Form complete thoughts in longer messages to convey all the necessary information in fewer messages. This can help prevent confusion and make it easier to review communication, which is especially helpful if Customer Support needs to intervene.
 

 

There are three important points in an order lifecycle where you can increase your Buyer’s satisfaction by communicating effectively: before, during, and after.

 

         1. Before an order begins
Make sure you have all the information you need from a Buyer before starting any work on their behalf. This includes information about what they need, how much room they have in their budget, and any deadlines for completion. As soon as you know what needs to be done, share those details with your Buyer. This will help ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of the order goals and what is expected from both parties during its execution.

 

         2. During an order
 Although it might be tempting to immediately get to work using the information provided in the requirements, your Buyer may have expectations that weren’t explicitly mentioned. It’s good to get into the habit of reviewing the requirements carefully and reaching out if anything is unclear or incomplete. This will help manage expectations on both ends, making it more likely for the Buyer to be satisfied with their delivery.

Keep in regular contact with your Buyer throughout an order, so they know how things are progressing and what needs to happen next for them to receive their desired outcome at each stage. Make sure that you answer questions quickly and thoroughly so your client knows they can reach out if they need help with anything related to the project. This also means responding quickly to requests for changes and letting your client know if there are unexpected changes in scope or timeline.

         3. After an order closes
Many Sellers believe that the line of communication closes once the order does. However, staying in touch with Buyers will ensure you’ve delivered to their satisfaction and solidify you as their go-to Seller. Thank every Buyer for working with you and inform them of your additional, related services, so they know you can offer even more value. 

 

Lastly, remind them they will be getting an anonymous, confidential post-order survey and that their feedback is welcome but keep in mind to not guide them to a positive to not violate the Terms of Service.

 

When you communicate the right information at the right time, you're providing immense value to your Buyer - and that's something they just might reward you for. Good communication will not only lead to Buyer satisfaction but can also generate repeat business for your blossoming freelancing career!
 

Can I ask clients about their feedback? I know I should not mention positive 5 star feedback but can I just ask them like " Please share your feedback on the order page"?

 

[cunthui]

As a new seller on fiverr, this topic is really helpful to me.

[sujoydew]

Beautiful & tailored guidance for most effective buyer communication.

[marketingpro_3]

On 3/8/2023 at 2:49 AM, adrian_success said:

Communication is the most important factor in determining Buyer satisfaction and securing repeat business. As your business on Fiverr grows, you will develop your own communication style that works specifically for your brand and target audience. Learning to effectively communicate with Buyers is a skill that will improve over time until you have a list of phrases and methods that you can use with confidence in any situation.

Tips for Communicating with Buyers Throughout an Order

It’s important to utilize formal communication methods with Buyers. Rather than treating conversations like sending text messages back and forth, use a structured format in your sentences and paragraphs. Form complete thoughts in longer messages to convey all the necessary information in fewer messages. This can help prevent confusion and make it easier to review communication, which is especially helpful if Customer Support needs to intervene.
 

 

There are three important points in an order lifecycle where you can increase your Buyer’s satisfaction by communicating effectively: before, during, and after.

 

         1. Before an order begins
Make sure you have all the information you need from a Buyer before starting any work on their behalf. This includes information about what they need, how much room they have in their budget, and any deadlines for completion. As soon as you know what needs to be done, share those details with your Buyer. This will help ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of the order goals and what is expected from both parties during its execution.

 

         2. During an order
 Although it might be tempting to immediately get to work using the information provided in the requirements, your Buyer may have expectations that weren’t explicitly mentioned. It’s good to get into the habit of reviewing the requirements carefully and reaching out if anything is unclear or incomplete. This will help manage expectations on both ends, making it more likely for the Buyer to be satisfied with their delivery.

Keep in regular contact with your Buyer throughout an order, so they know how things are progressing and what needs to happen next for them to receive their desired outcome at each stage. Make sure that you answer questions quickly and thoroughly so your client knows they can reach out if they need help with anything related to the project. This also means responding quickly to requests for changes and letting your client know if there are unexpected changes in scope or timeline.

         3. After an order closes
Many Sellers believe that the line of communication closes once the order does. However, staying in touch with Buyers will ensure you’ve delivered to their satisfaction and solidify you as their go-to Seller. Thank every Buyer for working with you and inform them of your additional, related services, so they know you can offer even more value. 

 

Lastly, remind them they will be getting an anonymous, confidential post-order survey and that their feedback is welcome but keep in mind to not guide them to a positive to not violate the Terms of Service.

 

When you communicate the right information at the right time, you're providing immense value to your Buyer - and that's something they just might reward you for. Good communication will not only lead to Buyer satisfaction but can also generate repeat business for your blossoming freelancing career!
 

Effective guidance for buyer communication. Thank you @adrian_success

[muktadirshoaib]

Great tips for buyer and seller communication. 

[nurelectra]

Thanks For Sharing !

[arafatcoco]

GLAD TO KNOW ABOUT THIS.

[webdeveloper89s]

Effective communication! If a buyer leaves 5 star out of his will it means I/we did well through out the project. I delivered on time, communicate well, and deliver what he/she was looking for but still nothing effecting the success score. They just dripped my level from 2 (I maintained this level for more then 8 years) to 0 with this new system.

[shamima1718]

Effective communication is essential for a seller to success

[Kesha]

On 9/25/2024 at 9:01 AM, webdeveloper89s said:

Effective communication! If a buyer leaves 5 star out of his will it means I/we did well through out the project. I delivered on time, communicate well, and deliver what he/she was looking for but still nothing effecting the success score. They just dripped my level from 2 (I maintained this level for more then 8 years) to 0 with this new system.

Hi there! There are a lot of things that goes into the success scores, including private reviews. For more information, please refer here.

[mrubaid820]

Thank you very much for sharing this. Further, I'd like to ask, if we understand the buyer's requirements accurately and respond within 10-15 minutes, is that considered a normal turnaround time? 

[mrubaid820]

13 hours ago, mrubaid820 said:

Thank you very much for sharing this. Further, I'd like to ask, if we understand the buyer's requirements accurately and respond within 10-15 minutes, is that considered a normal turnaround time? 

@Kesha @catwriter @Lena

[harunur__rashid]

Give some tips on delivery extend time request to buyer

[agonza1101]

14 hours ago, mrubaid820 said:

Thank you very much for sharing this. Further, I'd like to ask, if we understand the buyer's requirements accurately and respond within 10-15 minutes, is that considered a normal turnaround time? 

10-15 minutes is a very reasonable turnaround time, in my opinion

During the day, if I receive a message from a client while I am at my computer, I usually respond with something like:

'Nice to meet you and thank you for reaching out! Message received – I am looking into your request right now'

If I am away from my computer, I will say something like:

'Nice to meet you and thank you for reaching out! Message received – I am currently away from my keyboard, but I will review it in the next X hour(s)'

In my view, an average response time of 1-2 hours is perfectly reasonable. I think we all aim to respond as quickly as possible, but sometimes life happens — whether you are out hiking, at the movies, or otherwise unavailable. In those cases, your average response time will naturally be longer

If you are particularly concerned about keeping response times as short as possible, you can set up automatic replies in your inbox

[mrubaid820]

1 hour ago, agonza1101 said:

10-15 minutes is a very reasonable turnaround time, in my opinion

During the day, if I receive a message from a client while I am at my computer, I usually respond with something like:

'Nice to meet you and thank you for reaching out! Message received – I am looking into your request right now'

If I am away from my computer, I will say something like:

'Nice to meet you and thank you for reaching out! Message received – I am currently away from my keyboard, but I will review it in the next X hour(s)'

In my view, an average response time of 1-2 hours is perfectly reasonable. I think we all aim to respond as quickly as possible, but sometimes life happens — whether you are out hiking, at the movies, or otherwise unavailable. In those cases, your average response time will naturally be longer

If you are particularly concerned about keeping response times as short as possible, you can set up automatic replies in your inbox

Hey @agonza1101

I completely agree that this is a sound decision. I have enabled automatic replies to handle situations where clients message during late hours. However, despite receiving automated responses, some clients still choose to send additional messages, which impacts our response rate.

For instance, I received a message from a client while I was asleep. Despite receiving my automated reply, they messaged again. I responded 3-4 hours later, or possibly more. Will this delayed response negatively impact my overall response rate?

[Kesha]

2 hours ago, mrubaid820 said:

@Kesha @catwriter @Lena

Hi there! 

Yes, the quicker you can respond to your buyer, the better so 10-15 minutes is great!

[mrubaid820]

14 minutes ago, mrubaid820 said:

Hey @agonza1101

I completely agree that this is a sound decision. I have enabled automatic replies to handle situations where clients message during late hours. However, despite receiving automated responses, some clients still choose to send additional messages, which impacts our response rate.

For instance, I received a message from a client while I was asleep. Despite receiving my automated reply, they messaged again. I responded 3-4 hours later, or possibly more. Will this delayed response negatively impact my overall response rate?

@Kesha 

Thank you very much; you have resolved my confusion. I truly appreciate your time, and I'm grateful for your assistance.

What are your further thoughts on this matter?

[agonza1101]

17 minutes ago, mrubaid820 said:

Hey @agonza1101

I completely agree that this is a sound decision. I have enabled automatic replies to handle situations where clients message during late hours. However, despite receiving automated responses, some clients still choose to send additional messages, which impacts our response rate.

For instance, I received a message from a client while I was asleep. Despite receiving my automated reply, they messaged again. I responded 3-4 hours later, or possibly more. Will this delayed response negatively impact my overall response rate?

I understand your point. To be honest, I am not entirely sure either. I remember seeing a thread on this forum where it was mentioned that only the initial contact counts towards the response time, not the rest of the conversation. But again, I am not certain, and it would be good if someone could confirm this

That said, even if a client's follow-up messages do affect your response rate, what can you do? Are you going to stay up all night just to respond? Some things you just have to accept. In my opinion, clients who need immediate assistance might skip over your services if they see a higher response time, but many will still choose you based on your ratings, completed orders, and good reviews — despite a slower response time

To address the issue where clients keep messaging after your automated response, you could mention your timezone in the auto-reply, explaining that there might be a delay in your response. That might help reduce follow-up messages until you are back online

[Kesha]

2 minutes ago, mrubaid820 said:

@Kesha 

Thank you very much; you have resolved my confusion. I truly appreciate your time, and I'm grateful for your assistance.

What are your further thoughts on this matter?

I'd be happy to clarify this. The response rate indicator tracks only your first response to a new Inbox message from a new buyer. After that first reply, the rest of the conversation isn't tracked for time and will not impact your metrics. We do encourage you, however, to reply promptly to messages as a form of good customer service. 

[priyank_mod]

1 hour ago, agonza1101 said:

If you are particularly concerned about keeping response times as short as possible, you can set up automatic replies in your inbox

 

20 minutes ago, mrubaid820 said:

For instance, I received a message from a client while I was asleep. Despite receiving my automated reply, they messaged again. I responded 3-4 hours later, or possibly more. Will this delayed response negatively impact my overall response rate?

Guys, auto-replies don't contribute towards our response rate and average response time. 

One needs to reply manually for it to be counted. I have never set up any of them and will not. I prefer responding to each query in a personalized manner and my response rate has been 1 hour in the last 4 years. Plus, I never reply when I'm asleep or immediately after waking up.

A sound and alert mind is needed for good articulation and contextual responsiveness.