For last week’s BMGChat, we discussed a few client types and/or styles who are less than easy to handle. However, the reality of “doing business” is that we can’t always be super-selective when it comes to clients. So, here’s the rest of our “Tough Client” list!
Client Client #6: The Paranoid Client: The paranoid client will often not want to even discuss their project without getting you to sign a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA) and be prepared for drafted agreement to be heavily pitched in their favor. These types of clients are usually large companies or corporations. The up-side? Both parties will be protected, and both parties will be held to their word. If you don’t get a lawyer to look at the agreement and you sign away, it could be very expensive. They can be nit-pickers and make the job nearly impossible to complete. How to deal? If they have funds to draw up a personalized legal agreement, they should also be willing to pay you equally well for your work. The bottom line, get a lawyer to look it over. If it’s worth it, go for it!
Tough Client #7: The Appreciative Client: When dealing with the appreciative client, everything is great–always! They will shower you with praise and make you feel like a million bucks. Obviously….this client is the preferred of the “Difficult Clients.” Every conversation is easy and encouraging. The only draw-back to this type of client is that they can get so caught up in how “spectacular” the project looks, that they forget you need some of their direction and input in order to make it a true success. Stay on your toes, listen to this client, and ask challenging questions to get their real feedback. Enjoy the compliments and lavish praise, but stay grounded.
Tough Client #8: The Doormat Client: The client who puts up with anything and just keeps coming back. They are usually very unassertive and seem to be content waiting for ages for you to get back to them or accepting of less than perfect work. The doormat client is often also very appreciative which is always nice. It’s also relaxing to have a client who doesn’t mind waiting around. However, it can bring out the worst in freelancers. Without the pressure of a potentially angry client or some form of accountability, freelancers can become lazy and wind up taking advantage of the client’s passive nature. Look at this client as a particular challenge to yourself: it requires great discipline to make sure that you stick to your timeframes and deliver the goods.
Tough Client #9: The Budget Client: The truth is that some clients are just much tighter than others. The budget client can be the result of doing a friend or a relative a favor, or just some other client that’s strapped. They will most likely be easy to work with and appreciative of the work you’re doing for them. However, you should protect yourself financially. Make sure you receive a down payment before you even start the project, and set up a payment plan that covers you each step of the project. This way, you won’t invest tons of time and money of your own and have to wait days, weeks, and even months for the client to pay up.
Tough Client #10: The You Should-Be-So-Lucky Client: This client is much cooler than you and they know it (ie. music, film, and fashion industries). The fact that you have a chance to work with them is pretty much a gift from god. And when thinking of how your portfolio could be seriously beefed up by this client and how much business that could generate for you…it kind of is a gift from God. With this type of client, you’ve got to put things into perspective: How bad do you need an amazing client for your portfolio? Do you have the time, energy, and resources to deal with a client like this? (Because most likely, this client isn’t going to pay you very much–it’s a favor, remember?) If you are doing it for the portfolio reason, great. Any other reason and you’ll almost guaranteed wind-up very disappointed and frustrated. Choose your Should-You-Be-So-Lucky clients carefully.
To end, I’d like to repeat what was said during last week’s chat: “All in all, working with tough clients isn’t necessarily worst-case scenario. When doing a business deal with one of these types of clients, focus on the positive aspects of that relationship. Give the client an extra dose of patience and understanding.Your special attention to detail and perseverance could win you one of the most loyal clients of all time.”