Red Flags: When to Say "No" to a Potential Client

1152462_dangerIf you’re a freelancer, learning when to turn down a potential client is crucial to your success. The wrong client will be a drain on your resources, sapping your energy and taking time from those with whom you work well. Over on A List Apart, Greg Hoy has written a useful article entitled “Getting to No” in which he lays out five warning signs that a prospect is not someone you want as a client:

  • The never-ending contract revisionist. Beware the prospect that keeps making revisions to the contract — it’s likely they will show similar goal post-moving tendencies during the project.
  • The giant project team. Large project teams can lead to extended timelines and compromised results.
  • Mr. or Mrs. Vague. If the prospect can’t provide a detailed description of what it is they’re after, they’re likely not engaged enough to produce a good result.
  • The prospect with ants in their pants. If the client is proposing unreasonable project deadlines, you need to understand why that is.
  • The vanishing boss. You don’t want to have the boss disappear while you’re working on the project, then suddenly appear later on to tell you that what you’re doing is wrong.

If you’ve been a freelancer for any period of time, chances are you’ve already come across some number of these prospects. Hoy provides detailed description of each warning sign and helpful suggestions as to how to avoid or mitigate each of them. While considering a potential new client, you should also bear in mind the red flags that Celine wrote about in: “4 Signs That Your Potential Clients Aren’t Interested (and What to Do About It)“:

  • It’s been a week since their last email.
  • They keep asking for more of your previous work.
  • They ask you to make “samples.”
  • The project is all talk and no action.

Celine also provides recommended fixes for each of these situations, but sometimes you just have to accept that a client is going to be too much of a problem and is not worth taking on. Even in a down economy, a problem client is not worth wasting your time on when you could be directing your efforts more productively elsewhere.

What red flags do you look for when taking on a new client?

photo credit: Stock.xchng user asifthebes

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