Good Client or Rotten Client - How Freelance Designers Can Tell Before They Accept the Project

When considering a new car you kick the tires, you look under the hood. When you consider buying some fruit, you smell it and you squeeze it. But when you’re considering on whether or not to work with a client, how do you know what to look for?

I doubt that squeezing a client or trying to look under their hood would be considered good business practices, or acceptable no matter where in the world you live. Still, the client is looking you over in deciding whether to hire you or not, shouldn’t you be looking at her/him trying to decide if you want to work with them?

If you’re wondering what criteria I look for in decision whether or not to work with a client, I’ve included a quick sample below.

The client:

• Is excited about the project, rather than feeling, "I guess I have to hire a freelancer"
• Has done some homework in finding the right person - they’re engaged in the process
• Seems genuine and friendly
• Is expecting good results from the project. She/he is expecting this project to help their business grow.
• Is looking for someone to come along side them, consult them and advise them instead of, "I have a project that just needs done, can you do it?"
• Trusts their freelancers because she/he knows they aren't an expert in this field. No closet designers.
• Sees the value of what an expert marketer and designer can do for their company. Instead of seeing their project as an expense, they see it as an opportunity to grow their business.
• Understands that sure, you can try to do everything on your own but savvy business people (including freelance designers) know that building a team of support professionals is much more effective than trying to do everything yourself.

What do you look for in your clients? If you haven't identified what you're looking for, how do you intend on finding them? Take some time today and tomorrow and think list out what you're looking for in a client - it'll make it a lot easier for you to determine if you've found the right one as you meet new people. Avoid kicking clients in the shin and or squeezing them to see if they are good - no matter where in the world you live, this approach probably won't be appreciated :)

New Books, They are On Their Way:
Hey thanks for passing the blog along for others to read, as well as the additional comments - both a really appreciated. I am working feverishly on getting the books, Verbal Judo for Designers, and From Zero to Graphic Design Hero - Getting Your First Clients ready for distribution as quickly as possible.  If you've ever been frustrated by difficult clients, or you didn't know how to handle a tough situation and felt like you were taken advantage of - Verbal Judo for Designers was written for you! And From Zero to Graphic Design Hero - Getting Your First Clients, well this is pretty self explanatory...the 5 page, step-by-step marketing calendar has gotten some good reviews so far. Look for these to become available at the end of the first quarter this year.