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Are your clients from hell or heaven?
Working with clients can be a nightmare or a bliss. I’ve experienced both. A client relationship, like any other relationship, thrives on respect, honesty, trust, and open communication. The goal is to help each other so that both parties win in the end. As a freelancer, you provide a service, and in return, you get paid. Ideally, this is a win-win scenario. Most of my clients are a dream to work with—clear briefings, prompt communication, and same-day payments. But sometimes, you encounter difficult clients who don’t have your best interests at heart, and the experience can be gruelling. Let’s discuss some common problematic client behaviours and how to navigate them.
1. The client that always think they know better
Discussing a project with a client can be incredibly stressful when they think they know your job better than you do. For example, as a designer, hearing the infamous request to “make the logo bigger” can be disheartening. You know the appropriate size for a logo, based on your training and experience. They hired you for your expertise precisely because they don’t have it. However, out of financial necessity, you comply, even if it means sacrificing your creative vision and enthusiasm for the project. This might sound dramatic, but for those of us who deeply care about our work, it’s a real frustration. It’s painful to see creative work undermined and professional advice ignored. The world would be a more beautiful place if we let experts do what they do best, don’t you think?
What to do:
If the requested modifications are tolerable, go ahead and make them. However, if the changes significantly compromise the quality of your work, consider whether you want to associate your name with the project. You might complete the work without attaching your name to protect your brand. While it might seem unethical to allow poor work to be released, if you don’t do it, someone else will. You can also try to educate your client by providing articles and insights that support your original approach. Remember, art may be subjective, but there are principles and standards, just as there are rules in experimental jazz.
2. The client who doesn’t know what they want
Another type of challenging client is the one who only figures out what they want after you’ve showed it to them. This means you’ve already invested hours without proper compensation, essentially creating the briefing for them. This situation is very frustrating, especially when clients use vague terms that don’t help you understand their needs.
What to do:
To address this issue, take the time to ask as many questions as possible before starting the project. It’s crucial that the client clarifies their vision and requirements upfront. Ask them for references on what they like and dislike, the project’s goal, and whether it’s a well-thought-out idea or just a friday afternoon notion that didn’t really have roots in the first place. With this detailed information, you can create a comprehensive briefing and begin your work without wasting time.
3. The client who doesn’t respect your time
Then there are difficult clients who think they’re your only priority. They assign you a project today with a deadline of yesterday, showing no regard for your schedule or planning. You know the type—they need immediate attention and expect you to jump through hoops to deliver. Another kind repeatedly schedules meetings to discuss a quotation or seek advice on matters beyond the project scope. Finally, some clients start a project and then leave you waiting for feedback, stalling progress because they’re too busy. Uhu.
What to do:
We don’t need time vampires in our freelance lives and must protect ourselves from them. Discuss timelines at the start of the project and be upfront with yourself and the client if you can’t meet them. Ask clients to send their questions via email before scheduling a meeting, which will save you time in the long run. If you need to rush or work weekends, charge the client accordingly—it’s not your fault they didn’t prepare properly.
4. The client who haggles over price
We’ve all dealt with clients who want your skills but can’t afford them. They try to haggle, offering countless reasons why their price is fair. I’ll never forget a client who said, “Steve Jobs did jobs for pennies before he got famous.” The audacity. They would profit from my work, but I was expected to do it for free. Where’s the logic in that? Many difficult clients also promise exposure as a reason to lower the price. It frustrates me just writing about the fact they exist. We freelancers work hard and go above and beyond for our clients. Is it too much to ask for proper recognition and fair compensation?
What to do:
There are many ways to offer solutions to your clients. You can provide payment instalments, request a percentage of their profits from your services, or create a bulk discount system. However, if your client continues to haggle despite these efforts, it’s not worth it. Be honest and let them know they simply can’t afford your services. If they still want to work with you, propose a reduced project scope to fit their budget.
5. The client who pays late (or not at all)
After completing a project, you send your invoice, but sometimes clients need reminders or fail to pay altogether which I simply call criminals. I’m fortunate that most of my clients settle their invoices on the same day, and I thank them for this graceful gesture every time. However, one client operates with terms that require payment within a month, which I’ve accepted for the sake of maintaining a good relationship, though I still find it strange. At the supermarket, I can’t take groceries and pay a month later, so why should client services be any different?
What to do:
Being paid promptly after completing a job is a sign of recognition and respect for the work done. To ensure this, it’s crucial to have clients sign a contract or quotation before starting the project that involves the payment terms. This provides legal protection in case of any issues. If you find yourself constantly sending reminders for payment, complete the current project and consider not taking on new ones from that client. Another effective practice is requesting a 50% upfront payment to maintain healthy cash flow during the project, with the remaining 50% due upon project completion.
The unicorn client
The perfect client is someone that knows what they want from the start, provide a thorough briefing with clear specifics to avoid any guesswork, allow creative freedom for you to thrive in your work, and pays the same day! I dream of this client. Have you ever encountered one of these rare unicorns?
Compromising as unicorns don’t exist
I often wonder whether artistic giants like DaVinci, Picasso, or Van Gogh for example ever faced compromises. Can you imagine someone saying, “Yes, the Mona Lisa portrait is fine, but could you add some mountains in the background?” Alphonse Mucha, renowned for his commercial floral posters, actually disliked creating them; his true passion, exemplified in works like “The Slavs in Their Original Homeland” was very different. He had to compromise his artistic integrity to make ends meet.
I’ll admit, I’m stubborn myself. At times, I find myself in a tug-of-war with difficult clients: they pull one way, and to safeguard both my creative vision and professional standards for all creatives, I pull back. While this can be sustained for a time, persistent and draining tugging often signals that it’s better to part ways. Your relationship with your client should be a joyful one where both parties have the best interests for each other, if that’s not the case, both will loose.
Compromising is a skill and a choice (meaning you don’t always have to!)
It refers to the process of reaching an agreement or settlement in which both parties involved make concessions or sacrifices to achieve a mutually acceptable solution. If your work holds deep personal value, compromising may not always feel feasible. For many creatives across music, art, design, writing, and photography, this balancing act between artistry and livelihood can feel like a curse.
I know this might sound depressing to a lot of you creatives, so I will try to put a positive twist on this. While we may not always appreciate the corporate world, it’s an environment we depend on as much as they depend on us. Non-creatives play a crucial role—They are the ones that make your tools, your paint, your paper, your screens, your headphones, your softwares, and whatever else you need to keep your creativity going! They are people shipping it to your favourite creative shop in your town so you can purchase it and so much more that we forget to appreciate. They’re not all bad and adversaries.
When compromise enters the picture, it’s essential to remember it’s a two-way street. Both you and your client must strive to find a mutually satisfactory solution. So your client also needs to make an effort towards you. Don’t you forget that.
Conclusion
Bad apples exist everywhere, including in the business world. It’s essential to protect yourself from difficult clients and learn strategies to improve these relationships, ensuring you can enjoy your projects without unnecessary hassle. Effective communication, clear agreements, and setting boundaries are key to maintaining a positive working environment.
I’d love to hear about your experiences. What’s the worst client situation you’ve encountered, and how did you handle it?
