If you work in any field, it is likely that at some point in time you have had to manage a bad client. If you are in the freelance business, you must learn how to deal with bad clients or projects in the beginning and also how to avoid taking on bad projects in order to succeed.
If you think of the management of your business as a medical practice, the idea is to practice prevention. You need to learn how to avoid bad projects. However, if you already have a bad client on your hands, you need to learn how to manage the situation effectively.
You may want to simply avoid contact with the client and give up on the project altogether. However, this is not necessarily the best way to approach the problem because chances are high that you will encounter this client or one like them again. Instead, you need to learn to recognize the symptoms of the particular “disease” and learn how to deal with it.
Prevention
The first steps you need to take in order to avoid a bad client is to prevent your client from becoming a bad client. This can be done in several ways. Many of us have been taught that the client is king and that we need to serve them in any way that they demand. However, working with a client is collaboration and there are expectations that need to be met by both the provider (you) and the client.
Here are some of the symptoms of bad clients that you want to avoid:
1. Making late payments
2. Demanding “extras” that are not included in the price
3. Asking for free features
4. Telling you how to do your job and questioning your expertise in all areas of the project.
5. Not adhering to your work schedule
6. Attempted plagiarism.
The key to avoiding all of these problems from the start is communication and education. You need to inform the client from the start what exactly they should expect from you and what you expect from them.
Everything needs to be clearly stated and understood before you ever begin a project with a client. Never assume that a client should just know what to expect. If you are not clear from the beginning you can expect bad things to happen.
Some ways you can educate your clients on what you do and what you expect from them are through your website, through documentations, and through a reward system.
Your Website
This is your first line of defense against bad customers. Your website should be designed to be completely informative about what you do and how you do it. Keep your website clean, simple, and informative.
You should describe yourself and your expertise. Include the hours you work and all of your skills and techniques. You can also include any awards you have received and all of your accomplishments.
Your contact page should be your first form of communication with your potential client. Include a list of projects, pricing, and deadlines you can work with.
Useful Documents
Provide other documents such as a frequently asked questions page, a pricing page, timeframes for specific types of projects, and payment methods. These documents will help clarify any questions that a client may have.
Rewards
One of the best ways to keep good customers coming back and to give a new client an idea about your business is to offer rewards for things such as paying on time. This will help you prevent potential problems that could arise and also allows you to retain customers by rewarding them for being loyal.
Conclusion
If you are working as a freelancer, your job is already difficult enough with the time spent trying to build a reputation and maintain a client base. For this reason, if you can do the little things to help weed out potentially difficult clients your job will become much less stressful.
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