I love my current clients – this isn’t about them. But in the past, mainly when I was a freelance journalist, I have had to deal with a few clients that were very difficult:
- Asking for more work without paying more
- Paying very late
- Insisting on changes even when I had strongly recommended against them
- Being uncommunicative or hard to reach
- Epic delays in giving feedback
- Feedback that was difficult to implement or (sometimes) understand
- Insist on impossible deadlines, even while delaying their own part in the process until the last possible moment
- Getting me involved in their office politics
Usually, bad clients and bad projects involve a combination of these problems. They cause me a lot of stress.
In a couple of cases, I’ve walked away from clients or projects, even at the risk of a big cut in my income, because the profit : pain ratio was too bad. I made these decisions based on emotion – the pain side of the equation – and I only came up with the idea of this ratio the other day.
Certainly, I can tolerate a lot more stress and inconvenience when I’m being well paid. I’ve heard this described as an ‘arsehole premium’. Ultimately, though, even the best-paid projects become too much if they affect your personal life or threaten your professional integrity.
The profit : pain ratio gives me a way to think about these situations in a more rational and less emotional way. What are your red lines? How much pain will you accept before you walk away from a project? What do you do when clients don’t treat you right? What’s your profit : pain ratio?
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Matthew,
I have a “rule of three” that I try to apply. I ask these three questions:
1/ Does the assignment give me an opportunity to do some good work?
2/ Will I be well paid?
3/ Will the client be fun (or at least easy) to work with (and I mean “with” not “for”?)
If I can answer “yes” to two out of three, then I’ll take the assignment. If not – or if I have gut-feeling doubts – then I won’t.
Good point.
Bad clients should definitely be paying more, and some of them are so bad, there’s not enough money in the world…
More seriously, it seems my reactions to customers at the sales stage are so transparent, that I always end up with the nice clients.
In one year I’ve only had one painful client, who didn’t even pay. I think that’s an OK rate.
That said, I think clients have every right to postpone feedback until the last possible moment. I’ve been on their side and I know the pressure you can be in. As a professional, I feel keeping my times up to mark is required regardless of what the client does.
If things get delayed, it’s the client’s responsibility.
Matthew
Your article is very relevant to me too this week. I’m less choosy than usual as the recession bites for us Brits. Neil’s ‘rule of three’ is spot on.