It’s no secret that success when launching a new product directly depends on how it will satisfy the needs of customers. To minimize risks and costs at the start, you need to conduct in-depth consumer research, which will give you an understanding of the market and open your eyes to the real picture.
Not all clients are worth fighting for. Here are some signs that the client will bring you more problems than money.
Everything is “simple” and “quick” for the client. You have probably met clients who “urgently need”, for example, a “simple site”, or a “small grid”, or “quickly licensed”. Some people think it’s easy because they have no idea about web design, networking, or licensing. Others are simply trying to save money by devaluing your work. In any case, you need to explain to the client, without going into technical details and the specifics of the work, why the implementation of the project takes as much time as you need and why the project costs as much as you said the first time. Look at his reaction and decide what to do next.
The client promises new projects. Some clients try to lower the price by promising you long-term cooperation. It’s up to you to decide, but if this is a pilot project, no one can guarantee that you will ever meet the client again. If he really intends to work with you on a permanent basis, and you feel that he has good potential, work with the client great. Long-term cooperation should be mutually beneficial, right? But it’s better to implement a pilot project, and then decide whether to continue cooperation with this client.
The client sets unrealistic deadlines. Be wary of clients who need to get things done ASAP. Sometimes, in order to complete his order on time, you need to sacrifice the current work (and other clients). If the customer asks for a pilot project to be completed within a short time frame, for example, you present yoga studio software, it is likely that subsequent projects will have the same time frame. Find out what caused such haste and whether you always have to work in emergency mode.
The client is not satisfied with your prices. If the client is trying to bargain, that’s fine, but if he accuses you of overpricing, it’s bad business. The client must understand that you set fair prices based on the scale of the project. It is likely that your competitors may have lower rates, but this does not mean that you are cheating him. Setting the contract price is one of the most difficult parts of the deal, but it is a good test of your ability to communicate with clients.
The client terminated the previous contract. You will probably be told only one version of what happened, in which the perpetrator will naturally be guilty. Although, perhaps, it was so. Ask why the client terminated the previous contract. Is he dissatisfied with your work? Does he have high demands or unrealistic expectations? Or he was not satisfied with the terms of the contract and the agency tools? Or maybe these are the requirements of corporate policy, which the high authorities imposed on him and your work have nothing to do with it? And does he use apps for consultants? Find out what went wrong so you don’t become the next one to blame.
You don’t understand what the client wants. You are an experienced IT specialist with many successful projects behind him. You communicated well with customers and always understood their needs. Then why, even after several meetings, you can’t figure out what this new client wants? A client who cannot clearly communicate their goals and expectations will be very difficult to communicate with at all stages of the project. Are you ready for this?
The client disappears from time to time. It is difficult to work on a project without feedback from a client who disappears for weeks or even months. This usually manifests itself already at the stage of negotiations. Does the client always answer your calls and how quickly does he respond to your messages? Do you feel that he applies Email marketing automation tools? Perhaps he has applied to several IT companies and chooses where it is cheaper, or he is just very busy. If you still decide to work with such a client, discuss the schedule of your meetings in advance.
The client asks to complete a trial task. I don’t see anything wrong with a trial assignment when it’s meant to be a small, paid pilot project. Or even a free project to help you understand the client’s needs. For example, auditing and IT infrastructure as a pilot project is good because you can fix all the shortcomings found for the money. On the other hand, if a client wants to take a look at the design of their site before signing a contract, chances are that you will be wasting your time and resources for free. The client must make his choice based on your reputation and work experience, and if he wants you to do a large amount of work, agree on an advance payment. The sooner stakeholders start working together, the better (for everyone).
The client is terribly disorganized. Avoid disorganized clients. In order to implement the project on time and within the budget, a clear organization of work and constant interaction between the contractor and the customer are necessary from the very beginning, use the best WooCommerce plugins. If the project plan is not approved for a long time or the client does not provide the necessary data, it is likely that the project will be derailed, and you will remain to blame.
Final Thoughts
Trust your intuition, especially if you’ve had experience working with problem clients before. If the client exhibits the above symptoms and you feel that something is wrong, it is better to abandon the project. But in any case, the decision on further relations with the client remains with you.
