How to ask for a deposit without losing the client

State the deposit in the proposal, not in a separate awkward email. Fifty percent to reserve the slot is standard across freelance disciplines and surprises no one when it sits next to the scope.

Tie the deposit to something the client gets: a reserved start date, locked pricing, discovery scheduled this week. A deposit framed as commitment reads as professionalism. Framed alone, it reads as distrust.

Collect it with a link, not an invoice chase. OfferWise proposals carry a pay-deposit button tied to the exact percentage, so approval and payment happen in one sitting.