Had a client mention this out of nowhere. Instead of admitting I was lost, I just nodded along.
After the call, looked it up and realized it’s like a preview of the invoice. Kind of makes sense now, but it caught me off guard.
Instead of using the term pro forma invoice, just create a regular invoice marked as draft or quote. It simplifies things. Clients typically prefer seeing costs upfront and focus on the numbers rather than terminology.
I use a template with “ESTIMATE - NOT A BILL” in huge letters at the top. Had a client accidentally pay an estimate once and it was a nightmare to fix.
Same info as a regular invoice, just zero confusion. Clients get their numbers and I don’t deal with explaining invoice jargon.
It’s easy to get lost on terms. Just say you learned and keep going. Better to ask than pretend.
Been there. Corporate clients love throwing around terms they assume everyone knows.
What works for me:
- Keep a running list of business terms I hear but don’t know
- Look them up after calls, not during
- Use simple alternatives when creating documents
Pro forma sounds fancy but it’s just showing costs before work starts. I send a “project breakdown” or “cost overview” instead. Same job, no confusion.
Next time just ask what format they want. Most clients don’t care about fancy terminology anyway.
Yeah I just call it an estimate - works fine.