Sending invoices is such an automatic thing when you’re freelancing and just keen to get paid and move onto the next job. But did you ever stop to think about the impression you’re giving to the person scanning it at the other end?
Your invoice is just another great way to show appreciation, clarify how you work and build better business relationships. Here are some creative ways to customise and personalise your invoices to clients and editors.
Say thank you
It’s not just polite – research suggests those two little words could increase the likelihood of your invoices being paid. I use Rounded for invoicing and it has a box at the bottom of the invoice where you can include a personalised message.
Given most of my invoices go straight to the editor or client before being shuffled off to accounts, I make the most of that box with a sincere message. ‘Thanks for trusting me with your website copy – looking forward to seeing it go live’. You could try something like, ‘Crafted with care, a thesaurus and an alarming amount of tea’ or ‘Thanks for the words we wrangled together this month’. Using the person’s name is always a nice touch: ‘Thanks for the work, Tom! It’s much appreciated’.
You can also use the ‘thank you’ to remind the client of how long you’ve worked together: ‘Thanks for letting us take care of all your copy needs since 2012, Nancy! Looking forward to your next brief’.
Be funny / memorable when asking for payment…
Because I’m talking about personalising invoices, I *have* to start this section with an example of how one freelancer has taken the approach of creating an invoice that makes clients laugh, while also asking for swift payment. Check out her invoice on this LinkedIn post (I love the ‘Pay swiftly and no goblins will be dispatched’ line!)
However, that won’t work for everyone – and so what else might you do to be remembered AND get paid? You could try something like:
- “Payment terms: 7 days. Bonus karma for anything sooner”
- “Prompt payment keeps this small creative business in coffee and good adjectives”
- “Send the good stuff here” [with an arrow to your bank details]
… or, just be clear, if that feels more like you
Even if you don’t want to inject humour into your invoices, thinking about ways to nudge clients to pay is important. Small business owners in Australia wait an average of 6 days past the due date in order to get paid, according to Xero research.
For me, to ensure late payments aren’t impacting my cash flow, I ask clients for 50% upfront as a project commencement deposit, and build this and milestone payments into my contracts.
I also put ‘Due in 7 days’ on all invoices regardless of the client’s payment cycles – and I invoice as soon as a project ends or milestone has been reached. I also recommend creating a Stripe account and switching on the credit card functionality on your invoices, or include a Stripe link, so clients can easily pay with a card if they prefer that over a direct debit. (You can easily do this with Rounded.)
Chasing invoices the day after they’re due is also a good habit to get into, or set up automated reminders in your invoicing software.
Some freelancers I know send an email thanking clients for their payment (I don’t do this, but I can see how it might build goodwill).
Illustrate what else you do
This particular client you’re invoicing might simply hire you to write a white paper – but what if you also do email marketing or LinkedIn ghost-writing? To personalise your invoices to clients – and new clients particularly – use that message box to your advantage and get them thinking about other ways to hire you.
So you might have a headline saying, ‘Can I help you with something else?’ or ‘Also available for…’ or even something a bit cheeky: ‘Hey! I’m also awesome at the following…’ followed by a 4-5 line list beneath that with your other services. Don’t forget to include a ‘Get in touch on [mobile] or [email] if I can help’ line at the bottom of your list.
Include a specific call to action
This could be as simple as a note to let the person know you’ve recently changed your bank account details – putting a note on the invoice saves another email. But why not use it to get them to sign up to your client newsletter, where you share news, tips and special offers at different times of the year?
You could also use this box to prompt them to leave you a testimonial on your Google listing or to direct them back to your website with a line like: ‘Latest work this way’ [with an arrow and link to your website] or ‘Find me on Instagram at @rscopycontent’. It all helps in creating stronger connections with the people who are giving you work, and that’s only going to be a good thing.
Do you get creative on your invoices? Share your tips in the comments.
