Featured in this week’s episode of The Productive Designer, host Crystal Collinson talks about her recent experience on firing a client.
We never go into a project thinking about how and when we would need to fire a client. Join Crystal in this solo episode as she discusses her recent experience firing a client and the lessons learned.
Crystal emphasizes the importance of establishing a clear direction. Set of rules that can make your collaboration successful from the start right to the end. She shares that if your client is unsure of their goal, we must guide them in order to clarify the end objective. As obvious as this may be, clarifying the desired end goal upfront is so crucial. It puts you both on the same page from the beginning.
Some clients just do not communicate effectively. Their communication style may be by bombarding you with many requests that you need to complete immediately-everything is an emergency. Others do not know what they want and are unable to articulate it clearly. It is the responsibility of the project leader to get this information out of the Client’s heads and into a clear scope of work.
There is a saying “we teach people how to treat us”. This method not only sets the boundaries for the Designer and the project scope of work. But it’s also the best way to meet the Client’s needs and expectations. Clearly communicating a detailed process and workflow will help clients understand how the project will progress.
Learning the type of client that you should or shouldn’t work with will help to hone in on the early warning signs. And to know if the partnership will be a good fit or not. As a business owner you must be careful in choosing the right clients not only for you but for your team as well. The wrong client puts a drain on time but company morale as well. Ideally, we want to address creative differences early. Firing clients should be a last resort. Establish a defined direction, set specific boundaries and deliverables upfront.
So join Crystal as she shares how she’s dealing with difficult client situations like fire a client that drains your energy and motivation. Then, “Do something today that your future self will thank you for” and set a process for managing your clients and your boundaries.
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Resource mentioned:
The Wonderful World of Difficult Clients [Infographic]
