Sans titre

[ardenkova]

Freelance Client Scripts

Free PDF: 5 client scripts for pricing replies, deposits, late payments, scope creep, and proposals.

Full toolkit: 40 AI prompts for client outreach, proposals, payments, boundaries, retainers, and scope creep.

Free download: [CLICK HERE]

Full toolkit: [CLICK HERE ]

[ardenkova]

if i could go back to year one i'd hand myself a folder that said:

here's what to say when they ask your rate before giving you scope.

here's how to ask for a deposit without apologizing for it.

here's the scope creep reply that doesn't blow up the relationship.

here's how to follow up on a late invoice twice — once gentle, once not.

here's how to end a client that's making you miserable.

i didn't have that folder. so i made it.

40 scripts. paste into chatgpt. fill the brackets. send.

$17. link in bio. free version there too if you want to try first.

[ardenkova]

freelancing is just a series of moments where you have to decide if you're going to say the thing

the "this is out of scope" thing

the "i need a deposit first" thing

the "that timeline doesn't work for the quality you're asking for" thing

the "i'm ending this engagement after the current milestone" thing

most people don't say the thing. they just quietly absorb it and wonder why they're burnt out.

say the thing. the words exist. you just have to find them.

what's a thing you wish you'd said earlier to a client

what's a thing you wish you'd said earlier to a client

[ardenkova]

rate increase email i was terrified to send:

"starting july 1st my rate moves from $150 to $185/hour. everything in your current contract stays at the existing rate through delivery."

that's it. no apology. no justification essay. no "i hope this is okay."

two clients said thanks for the heads up. one went quiet.

the one who went quiet was also the one who paid latest every single month.

turns out the rate increase did two things at once

have you ever sent a rate increase email. how did it go

[ardenkova]

the client said the project was "pretty simple actually"

it was not simple

it was six weeks, eleven "quick" revision rounds, one complete rebrand of their entire direction mid-project, and a payment that arrived three weeks late

"pretty simple" is a red flag i now catch in the first call

if they've already decided how hard your job is before you've looked at the brief, that's information

what phrase from a client immediately makes you nervous now

[ardenkova]

things i wish i knew in year one:

a deposit isn't rude. it's how you know they're serious.

"we'll think about it" usually means no but they don't want to say it. ask which part — cost, timing, or fit. one of them is the real answer.

scope creep doesn't start with a big ask. it starts with "could you just quickly…"

a client who haggles before hiring will haggle after delivery too.

retainers aren't upsells. they're stability. pitch them earlier.

that's like four years of expensive lessons right there. you're welcome.

what would you add. what did year one cost you

[ardenkova]

unpopular opinion:

most freelancers don't have a skills problem

they have a "i don't know how to say this without ruining the relationship" problem

scope creep happens because the words aren't there

late invoices happen because the follow-up feels awkward

bad clients stay because ending it feels mean

you're not too nice. you just never got the script.

what's the conversation you've been putting off with a client right now

[ardenkova]

the thing about freelance communication is that nobody teaches you the actual words

like yes everyone says "set boundaries" and "charge your worth" but then a client asks for your rate at 11pm and you're just. staring at the screen.

i ended up writing out every message i kept avoiding. pricing replies. deposit requests. scope creep pushback. late invoice follow-ups.

turned them into prompts you paste into chatgpt, fill the brackets, send.

40 of them. $17. link in bio if you want them.

or don't. the free ones are there too. no pressure.

which one would you use first

[ardenkova]

a client once told me my rate was "a bit steep" for a logo

i said okay and explained what the rate covered

they hired someone on fiverr for $30

three months later they came back and paid my full rate to fix it

i didn't say anything. i just sent the invoice.

knowing your worth isn't a vibe. it's a business decision.

[ardenkova]

freelance things that are technically free but cost you everything:

— saying "just let me know!" at the end of a proposal — not asking for a deposit because you don't want to seem difficult — replying instantly so now that's the expectation forever — "happy to jump on a quick call" for something that was an email — sending work before the contract is signed because they seemed nice

the money you lose isn't always on the invoice

[ardenkova]

the freelance email that took me 45 minutes to write:

"Hi, just following up on the invoice I sent last week!"

that's it. that's the whole story. something about asking for your own money makes your brain go completely blank. like suddenly you forget every word you've ever known.

anyway. if this is you, you're not bad at freelancing. you're just bad at the part nobody taught you.

which email do you avoid writing the longest? the deposit ask or the late invoice follow-up? be honest