Are You Red-flagging the Wrong Prospects?

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Credit: Luke Hoagland on Flickr

Are you always on the lookout for bad clients? Knowing what to recognize ahead of time can save you tons of grief, wasted time, money, and frustration. But it can also make you jaded and keep you from exploring otherwise valuable client relationships. Are you being too picky about the clients you take on?

Most of us know the tell-tale signs of a bad client. Many freelancers stay away from penny-pinchers, online auction sites, start-ups, or clients that ask for work on spec. While some of those can be deal-breakers, are we being too picky and missing out on the good stuff?

Explore What the Client has to Say

Sometimes you can sense where a prospect is going from an email, but it may take a call.

I never go out of my way to recruit a start-up business, but it’s inevitable that many reach out to me. I listen. You may not think a start-up owner has a lot to offer pay wise, and they may not know much about marketing standards, but they can also have a decent amount of money to share and realize the importance of marketing.

If I notice that they see how important marketing collateral is, I’m more open to taking on the job because I can likely sell them on more collateral in the future. Sometimes you can sense where a prospect is going from an email, but it may take a call. Let them know you’ll review what they had to say and that you’ll be in touch.

Take the Client up on Additional Work

You have probably heard that red-flag prospect saying, “If you work for me now, there’s going to be plenty of work in the future.” Yep, we’ve all heard that one. What happens? The client doesn’t contact you for more work and you let the lead go. That can be a huge mistake. By following up, you can remind the client that they wanted more collateral and sell from there, “We’ve got your website done, now how about a brochure?”

Don’t Shy Away From Kindness

The point is, we become very distrusting as freelancers–usually for good reasons. Try to keep an open mind.

I used to think people that were very nice (I’m talking over-the-top nice) were a little much. That sometimes signals a red-flag to me because their request is usually followed up with an, “I need that done by later today.”

Recently, a client approached me for a small job and my first impression was that he was overly wordy and may be high-maintenance. His English was a little broken and that can represent a huge challenge for anyone. But I took a chance on it and responded when he called. I just finished the project and he was such a nice guy. You never know where that relationship can lead. The point is, we become very distrusting as freelancers–usually for good reasons. Try to keep an open mind.

Forget the Project

Sometimes a client comes to you with a request for a service you may not particularly enjoy. But in saying no to the work, you can lose the opportunity to have a client that could turn more work you like your way. Look at where the client comes from–if it’s a marketing agency, he could pass your name around the office and you could get more work from it.

Red-flagging is a great process, but make sure your process is really working for you. It’s good to be cautious, and you know I’m a huge supporter of having boundaries. It’s also good to make sure that you’re not turning away good business.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by Luke Hoagland.