How to Protect Yourself from Bad Clients

Рет қаралды 22,590

Күн бұрын

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The dream client rarely exists. So when we do find someone who wants to hire us, we think, "I can make this work." But we overlook the potential problems and unexpected costs they might create. In this clip, Emily Cohen explains what red flags to look out for in clients and how to protect yourself when you do work with them.
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Пікірлер: 83

@linmonPIE 4 жыл бұрын

The worst clients are the ones who are convinced they're Da Vinci, it's just that they don't know how to use the tools to make their vision come alive. And they want to art direct you the whole time.

@iunderstanphotography2780 4 жыл бұрын

I can see why this would be irritating

@eliprenten7066 4 жыл бұрын

Mission impossible

@RuanMMarinho 4 жыл бұрын

That’s such a bad way to do it lol. I “think I’m too expensive for you” way to put ego in front of your services. The right way to do it is “we’re not the right fit for the goals you’re looking to accomplish” 👍

@emmanuelpuzynin1574 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I thinks this is better

@gillianthedesigner 4 жыл бұрын

I mean 5:12 she kind does that. It also depends on who coming to you. The title is reg flag clients, so red flag clients (usually a pain to work with) sometimes really don't care about goals. If I said that they kind of try to get me to change my goal. Sometimes it easier just to scare them away with a higher price.

@RuanMMarinho 4 жыл бұрын

Gillian Biernat that’s a good point I get they’re red flag clients but also who in the real business world there is no place for ego or “scaring people away” with your price. Those are armature moves that will prevent you from scaling into a business you’re proud of. It disgusts me when people say that as if Jeff bezos is saying amazon is to expensive for you don’t use our platform 😂 lower the ego and grow no need to put out how cool you are by your pricing point

@samheedy 4 жыл бұрын

She seems like a narcissist. Sometimes you need that in business I suppose

@piercesokoleoko1899 4 жыл бұрын

Saying this kind of statement ‘I think I’m too expensive for you’ is very rude and it gives me huge red flag - you’ll always want more. I have two words that describes this perfectly - being greedy. You choose what you want to have but you always show who you are by your actions.

@annefloreskepu 4 жыл бұрын

I'm an HR consultant and working with people who aren't the main decision maker is a MASSIVE red flag for me!

@lucasmoreno5330 4 жыл бұрын

I told a client NO recently. Surprisingly they came back with more money and and an extended deadline. I still said no as the budget didn't equal the expectation and having been down this road many times, it never has a good ending.

@DemetriPanici 4 жыл бұрын

Julian potatoe that’s an amazing story

@lucasmoreno5330 4 жыл бұрын

Demetri Panici lol you’re welcome. It will form the intro to my autobiography

@winstonzeb2842 4 жыл бұрын

I honestly raise my fee more than 10% for "red flags", but I love that!

@alexairplanner Жыл бұрын

Do you charge $200k for a logo though?)

@jsm2687 3 жыл бұрын

Just cancelled a contract with a client who thought $1500 for a logo was too much for a company that earns millions annually. Toxicity at its finest.

@EveningLightDesigns 4 жыл бұрын

As soon as I see or hear a red flag, I politely tell them I'm not a right fit for them and move on. This gives me more time to work with clients who I value.

@KabbaModern03 4 жыл бұрын

As a freelancer, I hate working with indecisive-defensive clients.

@gerrimiller3491 Жыл бұрын

Being a Private Duty Nurse, i asses the clients attitude, level of care and adjust my rate this way. My presence, skills and kindness is of value. Sometimes clients are pure wicked

@thefutur Жыл бұрын

Yes. They are sometimes.

@MortazaMehrnia 4 жыл бұрын

I have been dealing with 2 bad clients in my last two projects. Bad clients just waste most of your time. Now I know how to deal with them. Thanks Chris

@tropo100 4 жыл бұрын

I would love to have a client...

@DemetriPanici 4 жыл бұрын

tropo100 And so you will!

@Rassy_ 4 жыл бұрын

With this market, dont wait for them to get to you... get to them then after a good work, the rest will follow

@STUDIO-514 4 жыл бұрын

Do you ever worry that your clients may see these videos and end up firing you? Your clients watching may not know they are "bad clients" and assume they are. They might leave these conversations feeling that you are trashing talking them. I think there needs to be a balance because not all bad clients are bad just ignorant to certain aspects they need more insight on.

@DemetriPanici 4 жыл бұрын

Jaime Rodriguez that’s a good question and insight. I feel like they gain more than lose them from the exposure of the video giving them validity!

@MelbourneArchviz 4 жыл бұрын

I agree but at the same time I applaud her for her courage. we need to borrow some of that courage I wish I still had a lions' heart. almost 25 years freelancing and I don't fight back anymore.....

@jamilgotcher5456 4 жыл бұрын

@@MelbourneArchviz Yeah, one of my client's employees didn't show up for a headshot photoshoot where I photographed several of their employees back to back and my client sent me an email asking about rescheduling his headshot and they phrased it by saying "Colby didn't show up for his headshot and we need to reschedule him, so do we just eat this?" Since they are repeat customers and I have an ongoing relationship with them, I'm the one that ate it, I basically had to set up just for that one that didn't show up and I had to pay for my studio time. I always consult my Dad when stuff like this happens and he advised me to just go ahead and do it. But I wanted to say, I've been giving you guys a break on the additional headshots whether you had 2 people or 10 but I didn't.

@thefutur 4 жыл бұрын

I used to worry about that, but it's never happened. yet more people call us because of our video content now.

@STUDIO-514 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for everyone’s responses! Super insightful

@veronicabryant2646 Жыл бұрын

I recently had to fire a client who told me I was slow, unfit and performed in an unacceptable manner. It made it easy to let go of them as they were telling me I wasn’t the good fit for them. I wanted to stand aside and let them find that great cleaner out there who will perform for them the way they want.

@bradhouston4734 4 жыл бұрын

This is tricky. I have found that when I have been in roles where I had a solid amount of client business coming in that I could then recognise what the bad clients looked like and fire them. But when I have been in roles where I was struggling for clients, then I just had to put up with things that I didn’t like!!

@RoneyNgala 4 жыл бұрын

Nice tips and wording there, particularly on how to "fire a client". Learning to say no, especially when the relationship becomes personal and toxic to your professional undertakings is the right thing to do. This is the best content I've come across esp. at this moment.

@rickdg 4 жыл бұрын

It would be nice to have more content addressing those clients who have clients who have clients who your work actually is meant for.

@sica7093 4 жыл бұрын

"fire one client a year" she talks like most graphic designers aren't being underpaid.. honestly, I find it so arrogant to give that as a tip i'm sorry

@raindropsneverfall 3 жыл бұрын

I agree. It seems really arrogant and conceited to advise someone to fire one client a year. I'd fire a client if I really couldn't find any viable solution to the problem.

@maimohamed3590 4 жыл бұрын

Yes I said "no" to 2 clients recently who were so annoying,nosey n details freaks , it was a enough red flag to leave and I'm so happy ro do that , so couple of days after I got a new decent client in the middle of nowhere which was so good , thank god😁✌✨ So don't be afraid to say no and move on

@KgosiDube 4 жыл бұрын

I had a mentor who taught me a lot of things but she was also my client. She was insanely a bad client who is always trying to be perfect and she was never grateful for anything. She used to tell me to cut clients who are like her, and I applied that teaching to her. She offered to pay more but I still said "NO" due to her behaviour. I was sad. However, I had to do it so that I can focus on more grateful people who are paying 10x more than what she was paying. Oh! I also found mentors who are 10x better than her with experience, expertise and more things. We have over 7.7 billion people in the world. Learn to say "NO" to these bad clients.

@sajidah5278 4 жыл бұрын

Really helpful except overcharging clients who take their time on the phone. Sounds really immature and unprofessional. Just tell them “hey, I have ____ minutes to talk. What are the main things we want to cover?”

@michaelmatzat1099 4 жыл бұрын

I like the point of clients not replying to e-mails or just talking way to long instead of getting to the point. That said she raised like five red flags for me in this video.

@DemetriPanici 4 жыл бұрын

Michael Matzat lack of response means not having a prepared vision or plan and that’s always a red flag 😂

@VKIID 4 жыл бұрын

I have taken the 'price to client' model very much to heart since I found this channel years ago. Now if only I had more clients come my way that fit these levels. Though the red flag tier model is a good point and it makes the flags a lot more bearable.

@DemetriPanici 4 жыл бұрын

Maxxify enough money to silence the doubts 😂

@VKIID 4 жыл бұрын

@@DemetriPanici Preeeeeecisely

@theoriginalabimation 4 жыл бұрын

I'm having such a rough time with my latest client. Was just out of uni when I took the work. Knew the company personally. I was meant to be 2 weeks in and out, basic contract to complete 4 bits of work but they keep changing their minds and I have none of the work officially complete. My contract has me trapped and so every time I try to fire them I'm told to "toughen up"... I dunno what to do to get out anymore.

@samheedy 4 жыл бұрын

You need to have a change order contract. For every concept change, you'll charge them a fee. Else, they're just making use of you. I've been at the end of this, trust me it's not nice.

@rome229 4 жыл бұрын

Saying i'm too expensive for you isn't exactly a good way to handle business.

@thefutur 4 жыл бұрын

you ever try it?

@VKIID 4 жыл бұрын

Love the Vexels sponsor spot! Willing to bet its the same guys as Pexels, just because it sounds and looks the same

@Trazynn 4 жыл бұрын

When I was starting out, I had a client for whom I made a brochure in Indesign. Then finally they asked if it could be done in MS-Word. I gave in because I indeed hadn't been clear in how I would deliver. So I did, all my work got degraded in this process of course. But I was proud of what I could manage to get out of this software Then it turned out that they wanted it in an older MS-Word version than I made everything in, frigging Word 2003 which didn't have all the graphic features I already exhausted in the newer Word. It became nearly impossible to do and by the end my work looked like garbage. Still. Lesson learned. It's absolutely tantamount that you're pro-active in fleshing out the agreement with your client. Never assume your client knows what they want or is clear about their intentions.

@WoodieLanderos 4 жыл бұрын

Love the hook.

@thegemstonegallerytgg 4 жыл бұрын

Best content Creator...love u

@tottedo 4 жыл бұрын

I was kept on the phone by a client for hours on end throughout the course of two months for a branding job. In the end the project didn't go ahead and I ended up firing the client. Never again.

@thefutur 4 жыл бұрын

live and learn.

@curateddaisies4128 4 жыл бұрын

Do you bill for phone calls? I.e 1 hour on the phone is included in your fees, extras are billable at an hourly rate.

@kimkimiaroch7117 3 жыл бұрын

this is the nicest video i´ve seen.

@chipsandtea455 4 жыл бұрын

I tried to turn down an old client that is very satisfied with my work, I am just not interested in their product and style anymore, nothing wrong with them, I raised my rate and recommended someone else, well, they came back and said that the rate is quite high but they will try to save money somewhere else so they can pay me instead T-T

@TBEASTchannel 3 жыл бұрын

😭😂😂😂😂

@tareqyosef 4 жыл бұрын

some clients tell you that they had a bad experience with freelancer before you . i usually ask them how much they paid him and the clients go speechless. "KO "

@zuzahicks2913 4 жыл бұрын

"Can you fire me, please?" :)

@MelbourneArchviz 4 жыл бұрын

I once told a client I don't want to work with them in the future and the F words started raining from his filthy mouth! then their minion said when I told them about the disrespect that it is my fault for saying I don't want to to work with them. What do you do with that? I appreciate most of the advices here and I thumbed up but in Lebanon where I was born if I do that to a client I will get punched. If I tell a client you cannot afford me they will shoot me.

@iunderstanphotography2780 4 жыл бұрын

wow, I guess you'll have to do it a subtle way

@thefutur 4 жыл бұрын

learn how to say No in a way that doesn't disrespect people.

@cynthiacolli3842 4 жыл бұрын

I think there are vast cultural differences around the world in 'the conversation' that is had when you want to stop working with someone. Calling people out for their behaviour is a big no-no for some cultures. It seems ok in this woman's culture, and that's great. This is also a relationship, the client and YOU, so it's helpful to see it not just as 'bad client' but poor fit/unsatisfactory relationship/not mutually beneficial. My red flag is when I'm told it's 'a quick simple job, it'll take you just 5 minutes!' Argh I LOATHE that. Instant 'no' from me.

@k0mmunicat0r 4 жыл бұрын

Oh, firing a client is so satisfying....Yum!

@DemetriPanici 4 жыл бұрын

Mirza A. Baig nothing feels better 😊

@Dhmnh91 4 жыл бұрын

Can you lower the volume of the bg music in the next videos pls? It’s 8min video not just 1min so it’s hard to concentrate with the music

@ALMBusinessInstitute 4 жыл бұрын

Yes!! NO is a complete sentence!!

@thedrukninja 4 жыл бұрын

Do you charge your clients 'high price' thinking about what you can get from them annually or just price them for a one-time commitment?

@purnimakumari2157 4 жыл бұрын

👍🏻

@YawMoney 4 жыл бұрын

God is a designer

@RaySchwarz. 7 ай бұрын

If you're an actor you should be firing production companies and studios as clients. They're used to telling talent no but it works both ways. Sylvester Stallone said no when they wanted to buy the "Rocky" script with the provision that he would NOT play Rocky. He got a lot further with no than he did with yes. P.S. You're also allowed to raise your fees even going so far as charging A-list celebrity millions!

@saampeter 4 жыл бұрын

Cutting a client or Increasing the Price on red flag? Which way? Genuinely confused!

@thefutur 4 жыл бұрын

increase the price by 10% every time you spot a red flag.

@smriti24x7 4 жыл бұрын

The Futur So I'm a freelance writer but usually in my case, they ask for the price upfront. How do I raise per red flag in this case? PS- your video was super engaging and you seem like such a cool person to work with :)