Effective communication plays a key role in shaping your customers’ buying experience and separating exceptional orders from average ones. Understanding this, you shouldn’t wait until after a buyer places an order to exhibit professionalism and friendliness in your communications. Instead, good rapport should begin the very moment a buyer messages you. This initial interaction is known as pre-order communication and can set the tone for a positive ordering experience.
Pre-order communication happens when a buyer contacts you before placing an order. Although some buyers may choose to place an order without prior contact, touching base before jumping into an order is always ideal. This helps the two of you align expectations and determine whether it will be a good fit. If you would prefer buyers to reach out to you first, we recommend turning on your Request to Order feature that's available to Seller Plus Premium members, or specifying this preference in your gig description.
Aligning expectations
Not every pre-order message will result in a sale and that’s perfectly fine. The primary goal of pre-order communications is to discover whether proceeding with an order is beneficial for both parties. Use this time to ask all the right questions to help you fully understand your buyer’s needs. Set clear expectations regarding the process, price, timeline, deliverables, etc. If there are any objections, this is an opportunity to negotiate price, send a coupon, create a custom offer, or suggest an add-on to reach a mutual agreement.
Closing the sale
In this pre-order communication stage, buyers may still be considering other sellers, so it’s important to stand out. Share your portfolio or some examples of your work to boost their confidence in hiring you. You might also want to send supporting documents such as a one-pager outlining everything they need to know, or a questionnaire gathering information needed for the order. If possible, hop on a consultation call or send a Loom video to pitch yourself and explain how you can assist with their project. These efforts can help set you apart from the competition and build valuable rapport with your client.
Never underestimate the power of professional and thoughtful communication in the pre-order phase. By mastering this step, you can establish clear expectations, secure the sale, and set the foundation for a positive buying experience for your customer.
