When you invoice a customer, your goal is to reinforce the decision they made to buy from you instead of your competition.
The invoice document provides a perfect opportunity for you to connect the dots between the benefit the client received from your business and the price you’re asking them to pay.
Not only will you encourage repeat purchases, but it will make writing the check to your company a joy and not a drudge.
Here are four simple tips you can apply today that show you how to invoice your customer and strengthen customer relationships at the same time.
Tip #1: Do not cringe when you send an invoice.
Send your invoice with confidence. If you’ve worked hard for a client, the invoice just indicates this is an exchange of value; your skills for their money. If you’re good at what you do, don’t be afraid to charge the client and don’t wait to do it.
As soon as the job is completed, send the invoice the same day. Do it before you put your head on the pillow that evening. It’s good business hygiene. It also helps your cash flow.
Tip #2: Indicate what benefit the customer received for this order.
Did you develop a new landing page that generated more site traffic? Did you take 100 photographs capturing the joy of a new marriage? Did you repair fifty cubic feet of damaged flooring and improved the safety of a home entrance?
Don’t let the customer forget how their lives have now improved because you were in the mix. Write it directly on the invoice. Don’t include it as a separate page. Publish the benefits above the price you’re asking them to pay.
By the time the customer gets to the price, they know exactly what they’re paying for. You’ll get paid faster. Your cash flow will improve.
Your invoice will not be just a piece of paper, it will be part of your marketing strategy. It will go a long distance to building greater customer loyalty. Invoicing is a front office, not a back office activity. Trust us on this.
Tip #3: Quantify benefits every way you can.
When something is done well, people think it’s easy. A lot of designers get insulted when customer balk at the price. It’s just human nature. That’s why it’s important to reveal what it actually took to get the job done.
Listing the number of hours, days, weeks or months helps remind the customer the investment of time and talent required to complete the scope of work.
If you cost the customer $1,000 while saving them $10,000, the savings should get captured on the invoice every single time. Staples does this, have you noticed?
There’s a certain satisfaction you get when you know you’ve saved money. We may have spent money, but we feel good about it. That too is human nature.
Tip#4: Personalize the invoice.
If you had a team of three people on the job, list their names. The customer knows their job was not a commodity, but shepherded by real people who cared about the outcome.
If you completed the job early, also indicate that the number of days or weeks that were saved, on the invoice. If you brought the job in under budget, also indicate the difference between the original quote and final price.
These are very important end benefits clients conveniently forget. The truth is, it often takes heroics to deliver what you do. Don’t let those extra efforts go unnoticed. This is also part of building your reputation. Now, you have the means to produce a running record of what you delivered for every client.
Takeaways
An invoice is not just a bill, it’s far more than that. It’s a demonstration that someone got real value for their money. You always need to find ways to reinforce the buyer’s decision to buy from you instead of the competition. The four invoicing tips above go a long way to accomplishing that.
The next time you bill a client, make sure you list the benefits they’ve received. This is the key to differentiating your product or service from others.
It will remind the client of what makes you different and more professional than your peers.It supports a premium pricing strategy. This is the key to getting a solid return on investment for your time.
Remember, it’s not just getting the client, it’s getting paid that matters. If you know these simple tips on how to invoice your customers, getting paid will be dramatically easier.
These are easy changes you can make today. We welcome your comments. Let us know how it worked for you.
