As I’ve been working my way around the Internet this summer teaching the fundamentals of the DYFR framework, I almost always end up getting asked the same question from people after I describe my method of writing proposals:

What if I can’t guarantee my client a specific return-on-investment (ROI)?

A quick refresher if you’re new: One of the concepts of the framework is to anchor your costs against what I call the Financial Upside of a project, or the long-term value of the project for the client’s business. This makes it so you don’t end up pricing yourself in a vacuum, but instead have something (ideally less than what you’re asking!) to contrast your price to.

Earlier this week, I dug up the first real proposal I’d ever written for a client. It was from mid-2006, and the project was a marketplace for doctors to virtually consult with their patients (back then, this client and I were apparently blissfully unaware of the many legalities around doing this).

So as an eager young freelancer, I felt it my duty to put together a proposal. The cursory reading I had done at the time on freelancing informed me that two things were necessary: a contract, and a proposal.

The issue was, I didn’t really know what my proposal should look like, or let alone what it should actually contain.

The iPhone 6 came out, and today millions of Apple aficionados will be swapping out the last best-phone-ever with the newest best-phone-ever. For many, this is the most exciting day they’ll ever have with the iPhone 6, shadowed only by “Keynote day”, when Tim Cook announced the phone and it’s features.

Likewise, your clients have times that they’re more excited about working with you and the project.

People are most excited about something when they express interest in that. When you have a prospective client email or call you, they’re at an emotional peak. When they agree to work with you, they’re at another emotional peak. And when you deliver them their project, they’re (usually!) at another emotional peak.

Today I want to talk about these three peaks, and how you can capitalize on them.

Most articles around the web that talk about small business cash flow or money management or whatever else tend to focus on one thing: “spend less”. Often the advice is around the importance of saving money (duh!) or reducing the number of lattes you drink daily (silly).

This is not that sort of article.

Today I want to focus on how you can get paid faster, get paid more reliably, and never need to worry about whether or not that invoice you sent out will arrive before the rent is due.

We all know how important communication is during the sales process, but for a lot of freelancers knowing how and when to followup is often a mystery.

After you first meet someone, when should you first contact them? How long should you wait before you followup with someone you’ve sent an invoice to? When and how should you pester clients over past-due invoices?

In this episode, I talked with Kurt Elster, an ecommerce consultant from Chicago, and we chatted about some of the communication systems he uses when working with prospects, leads, and clients.