No matter how hard you try you will always have those clients that you just can’t stand, obviously once you really make a name for yourself you can really pick and choose yours clients. But sometimes you just have to deal with them, in chapter 7 the author talks about the difference between a good client and a bad client. Sometimes what you would think of as a bad client might actually be better for you as a designer. Someone who has more of an opinion then you might like verses someone who approves everything and doesn’t even seem to care. Right off the bat you might find the client that approves everything to be easy and “the best type of client” but really these people don’t push you to do better work. A client that has an opinion is going to pull your best work out of you.
TREAT YOUR CLIENTS LIKE YOU TREAT YOUR FRIENDS!
This might not be entirely true, but really what it means is treat your clients they way you would want to treat your friends. But also remember that they are clients and to keep a safe but close distance to them so there’s never an opportunity for the client to use this to their advantage. This doesn’t mean that you might not become friends with some of your clients in the future, apparently this happens all the time. Clients still need to know that this is a business connection first and there are going to be disagreements as well. As a young designer I am starting to get some great Freelance opportunities, of course this is from word of mouth and friends and family. But I have definitely noticed that it is important to hold clients that are friends in the same light as you do strangers. If you start giving them deals then its to be expected.
Once you have a client hold on to them, that is probably one of the most important keys in a design career. Repeat clients are always going to be your best because the first job you do for them is always the hardest. You learn from the client the first time around, so any time after that there won’t be certain problems that might have come up the first time. Keep your clients informed with changes in the business, even if it is just a hired new talent because they might be interested in working with them.
Well we know that it has to happen sometime within your career of owning a studio. The hardest thing you have to do sometimes is letting a client go (well sometimes it might be the easiest thing you do). Obviously there are going to be clients that just push your buttons too much, you have to make a smart decision for your studio and for your other employees. It might be easy to let go of a client that is just horrendous but there are occasions when you need to let a good client go as well. If a client can’t pay their bills, get rid of them right away at least that way you won’t completely ruin the relationship if you waited and it got really ugly you might have to bring a lawyer in. If that happens and later down the road the client picks himself back up, you might not have the opportunity to work with them again.
