Creative Powerhouse shows you how to learn from the lessons, recognize red flags, and avoid the painful experience of bad clients.
WARNING SIGNS
Wisdom comes to those who have experienced some of life’s most painful lessons. Unfortunately, many amateur digital marketers ignore all of the red flags and forage full steam into many avoidable mistakes.
Most of the time, these mistakes stem from having unrealistic expectations which results in productivity nightmares and the client demands which take up too much time. It is hard to trust your intuition or to be picky about who you work with when you are just starting out in your careers.
Seasoned professionals have honed their instincts, know how to turn down lucrative projects and can fire clients when they begin to take advantage of your abilities.
EXPECTATIONS
Problems stem from differing expectations between the client and you, the digital marketer. It is important to set the expectations from day one, and work towards achieving manageable goals.
Never tell your client that you are available to them at any time as that is not a realistic promise to keep easily. Accept responsibility when other projects get in the way of clients who are under similar deadlines.
ACTIONS/RESULTS
Your clients will appreciate when you are absolutely clear on expected actions and results. It is a good habit to be proactive and never complacent with every client’s deadline.
Always keep contact with clients after achieving their goals and be clear on what they are going to get. Clients will appreciate the needed attention and the clear explanation on deliverables.
CLARIFICATION
Do your homework (aka due-diligence) prior to taking on new clients or prior to starting a new project. The work that you do before projects begin is worth its weight in gold.
Have a complete understanding of who the client is, what their needs are, and what you’re able to provide them. Not doing so puts you at considerable risk of failure and establishing a negative reputation in the marketing community.
BUDGETS
It’s easy to become overworked and even easier to allow yourself to be under-compensated for the work. “Working yourself to death” as they say, is never a good idea and knowing that you can’t make every client happy is crucial to your own happiness.
Proposals should include a full list of your services and you should try to stick with the agreed upon plan. Money doesn’t solve all of your problems so if you are feeling overworked but properly paid, you may find it necessary to turn away income.
KNOW YOUR WORTH
Digital Marketers are in high-demand right now, so be sure to get paid what you deserve. The only way to know your real worth is to continually assess your skills, and conduct research on your industry’s salary ranges.
No one owns you. You decide when to stop service or ask for more money. Ethical business people understand this better than anyone else.
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Look for Part II of How to avoid the painful experience of bad clients! blog post coming soon to chrisfry.org.
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Infographic
The following Infographic is intended for the digital marketing freelancer or small startup design shop who seeks to avoid bad clients or learn what to do with them. This infographic chunks-out small pearls-of-wisdom to remember.
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