The customer is always right, right? Wrong. Clients can make insistent requests that would actually be detrimental to their business or intention. This usually happens if the client is inexperienced or misinformed in your field of work. Sometimes the cause is simply bad taste. Most of us have probably encountered more than our share of these clients. You can recognize this type of client easily, especially when they’re telling you the following things:
“Can we put frames and flashing images on my website? I like the way they look.”
“Maybe if you use red, orange, and purple on my logo it’d look more harmonious and professional.”
“I want my business press release to start with a poem my 5 year old son wrote.”
Sounds familiar, right? Due to the destructive nature of these requests, I’ve learned to call these types of clients “Self-Destructing Clients”. They want us to deliver the best results, but their requests are preventing their own success. My experience with these clients taught me so many lessons that I now know how to nip the problem in the bud, fix existing problems, and communicate better. Hopefully, you can learn from my own experiences rather than going through that difficult road yourself.
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Recognize these clients before you sign the contract
The first thing you can do is to recognize the Self-Destructing Client the minute they walk into the door. If you do most of your work online, you need to do this within a couple of emails. For example, you may receive a query about your web design services. Your potential client might say “I want you to make me a page that looks like this”, with a link to a website that looks like it was made in 1997. It has a background MIDI file playing, flashing bright yellow cursive text, and frames. It would’ve given anyone conjunctivitis. Apparently, this is what your potential client wants.
Now, this request wouldn’t be a big deal if your potential client wanted a page where design wasn’t very important. However, design will be the primary factor if the client also wants a “professional look” that would make their business look established, as if it were a Fortune 500 company.
Obviously, either this prospect has bad taste or hasn’t been looking at websites of Fortune 500 companies. This person is obviously a Self-Destructing Client.
As you’ve probably noticed, it’s easy to spot Self-Destructive Clients based on their examples of the desired finished product. You can automate this step by including it in your standard client questionnaire. (You have one, right?) Apart from basic contact information, it should also include the following: “List down 3 websites/ illustrations/ articles that best represent what you want me to do:” Your potential client’s answers will give you a better look at their expectations and their understanding of what you can do for them.
Now that you have a Self-Destructing Client on your hands, what do you do?
If you haven’t signed the contract yet, it helps to educate the client about what’s best for her needs. You don’t do this by writing her a lengthy email that resembles a college course for your field. Here are some tips on how to show a Self-Destructing client that her requests are bad for business:
- Give it a polite start. Try to give your message in the most tactful way possible. “Although the examples you listed are great, they don’t seem to be the best solution for you right now.”
List the reasons why you think that your client’s examples aren’t ideal, and support your statements. Don’t just say “Because yellow text on black background hurts my eyes”. Not only is that insulting, but you’re also implying that she has bad taste. Instead, say “Other design options are better” and link to a study or news item that shows research about blue (or some other color) being the optimal choice if you want to give a professional impression. - Give your own examples of what would work best. At the end of the email, make your own example list of what will work better as a finished product (preferably, use similar companies or organizations).
- Make it short. Your client probably doesn’t have the time or patience to read a lengthy email. Plus, writing lengthy explanations can sound self-indulgent.
Doing this will gain your potential client’s trust, especially since you’ve just displayed that you are truly knowledgeable in your field. If she still hesitates, you can show her the work you’ve done for previous clients as “case studies” – and make them sound as good as they really are. “ABC Company wanted the same things you did at first, but I just applied my expertise and they’ve just told me a month ago that my redesign caused a 200% increase in sales.” Sometimes, educating the client and showing case studies is enough for them to go from self-destruct to success.
What if my Self-Destructing Client is very insistent on these absurd requests?
One thing you can do for stubborn Self-Destructing clients is to make them a deal. Tell them that you’re a real expert in your field and that you’ve seen good results repeatedly come out of your efforts. If they let you do it your way and they get the results they want – whether it’s sales, comments from visitors, etc. – then they get to keep the work you made. If they don’t get the results that they wanted, then you promise to redo everything their way, no matter how absurd the outcome (of course you don’t tell them the part about absurdity). Of course, this requires you to have the following things: a concrete way to measure results, unbreakable confidence in your own work, and the luxury of time to redo the project should they be unhappy with the results. If you’re delivering a high quality product, odds are they’d be happy with your work and recommend you to friends.
Making this kind of deal is only a great solution if you really know, whether from experience or hard facts, that you can deliver the results they want. Otherwise, this would be a very risky move. Be sure that you are informed, skilled, and determined enough to make it work.
Even if you offer potential clients this deal, some of them won’t want any part of it. In the end, either of you has to give in. At this point, it’s your call whether to accept the job or to tell your client that you obviously can’t give them what they want from you and that they should look for other freelancers who can. If you need the extra income, doing the job won’t hurt – just don’t add it to your portfolio if you don’t think it’s your best work. However, if you can afford to walk away from the job, I suggest that you do. Obviously, this person won’t trust your decisions and expertise. Accepting the job means encountering multiple frustrations along the way. In the end it’s a choice between money and your sanity.
