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How To: Deal with different Client Characteristics

In this article I’ve written about some of the different characteristics of clients. Some clients are very specifically one type, while most are mixed. It will always be this way, as clients are as different as everyone else. The key is to be aware of the characteristics, and know how you should deal with each one of them. Not all can be treated the exact same way as you will often experience.

Picture by Lali Masriera

Some general tips

No matter which characteristics, you have to stick to some basic guidelines that will work with all clients. Be tidy with what you do, give clear messages, produce quality, keep deadlines and treat everyone with respect. If you succeed with that – a lot of the work is already done. It’s also important to remember to charge clients correctly. If someone require a lot of extra work or have special needs, this will take more of your time. Make sure to include all aspects of the project when billing. And if you decide upon a price before knowing the client, make sure to include a list of rates. You should also include a sentence informing the client that if extra work occurs or other costs are changed for you – there can be done adjustments to the final price. The usual rate is to set an offer with a margin of +/- 10% on the final bill.

SOME CHARACTERISTICS

Experts

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These clients can be both a curse and a blessing. Many times these can be “high-tech” creatives that are very familiar with your part of the work. They know what they want and many times ask for quite a few revisions before they’re happy. On the good side they can give very constructive feedback, be a gate to more clients and be good to have in your portfolio. Make sure you treat them as your peers and give them something they’re very happy with. Never let them feel that you’ve lost grip of the situation as they usually have many others to go to if you fail. Take the time to understand what they’re good at, and use their knowledge to your advance.

The Low-Techs/No-Techs

Picture by Yaroos Konkret

This type has little or no idea about what you do and how you do it. They aren’t technical at all and are not the types you set up a WordPress website for – expecting them to be able to update it. A positive thing about this characteristic is that these clients often trust your advice. A negative thing can be that they won’t understand how much work certain things take for you to get done and they will need a lot of following up.
Once you get these clients to trust you, they will most likely come back. It’s important to not talk over their head with a lot of difficult words and terms as this could drive them away from you.

The not so interested ones

Picture by Jean-Pierre Knapen

Clients with this characteristic will many times contact you to get something done, to then not follow up much. A good thing can be that you get a lot of creative freedom and generous deadlines. You have to be on their tail though, in order to make sure they get a product that they actually like. Ask specific questions and set up meetings regularly. Be careful not to put these behind on your list just because they don’t keep pushing for you to get done.

Paranoid and Sceptic

Picture by Bob Smith

This characteristic is often seen in clients that have experienced bad deals in the past. Your job is to follow them up often and give let them know that they’re important. Make sure to be extra clear in your communication with them and show them a good portfolio with references. Always keep deadlines. This is obviously important with all clients, but especially these. Give extra support and make sure to answer any questions they may have. If you can beat the deadlines and give them the little extra in form of a better product than expected at reasonable prices, you could be in for a long-term relationship.

Happy and Appreciative

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This characteristic is such a blessing to meet amongst all others. Don’t take these for granted, and remember to still give them your best effort. These clients are usually perfect to ask for references and can be key players on your road to success. As with the clients that aren’t so interested, these need to not be forgotten when setting deadlines. It’s easy if you have a busy schedule to always have these clients wait longer, but beware of the danger of this.

The ones who think everything is a good deal

Picture by Rob Owen-Wahl

Some clients say yes to your first offer, even if you may have priced a bit high to leave room for negotiation. They may have been victims of bad business in the past, paying a lot more than they felt something was worth. Make sure to take good care of them to show them that good quality doesn’t have to be extremely expensive. When they think your products are a good deal to begin with, they’re already very good candidates for long-term clients.

Everything is Urgent

Picture by Jenny Rollo

Today, with a lot of competition in the market, some clients have the habit of expecting everything to be done in no time. These can be very dangerous for your business as they will keep asking you to work quicker no matter how quick you are to begin with. Regarding of your number of current clients and projects, you have to give these clients a set date for when you can get a task done. Make sure this doesn’t hurt any of the other clients you have, and remember that you need time off to be able to produce good quality. Give them a deadline and tell them that this is what you can do. If they want your services, they will have to wait to make sure you give them the quality that they want. As long as you explain it properly, they will understand. And if they don’t, they’re really not worth getting burned out from.

Micro Managing

Picture by Ivan Soares Ferrer

Some clients want to monitor your every move at all times. They could be used to doing this with their employees or just be afraid of being scammed. Remember that this is not personal. When you make an offer, make sure to include rates for support and additional revisions of the project. By working hard, keeping your promises and giving them quality, you should be able to earn their trust completely. Show them that you’re always a step ahead – by having thought of all aspects of the project. Make sure to get the required creative freedom to produce something that is yours and not only theirs. Suggest new and innovative ideas when possible, and be prepared for discussions on these. Read up on their company info to make sure you understand where they come from.

Indecisive / illogical

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While some clients are very specific about what they want and need, others can be in the exact opposite of the scale. Indecisive clients can give you a lot of creative freedom, – sometimes a bit too much. By including them more into the project, you can give them the feeling of having made more decisions and in that way get them more involved. A lot of times you will have to break down the project into smaller pieces to get proper feedback. If for instance the project involves making a website for them, you could start off by making a couple of different layouts. Then have them chose one of those. Then provide color-schemes that you discuss with them to have them make a decision. Take charge of the situation and claim answers. Sometimes these clients have an idea but can’t translate it into words or actions. This can be a huge challenge for you, so remember to have a couple of options ready to show them.

Shy and Quiet

Picture by Colin Brough

These are often the characteristics of a client that doesn’t necessarily have a lot of say regularly. Maybe it’s the secretary of a bigger company that you’ve been set to work with. Usually when they’re shy and/or quiet  it can be because they feel a bit out of their element and insecure. You should immediately aim to gain their trust by being friendly, polite and also decisive. Include them from day one and make sure to raise their confidence by explaining the things you do really well. This way they will be able to bring it further into their company. Make sure to not take their being shy as being uninterested, that is rarely the case.

Low Budget

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A client on a low budget can be very challenging. Dealing with them can be done with a number of approaches. My first tip is to make sure that they get what they pay for, not by giving them low quality – but by explaining to them how much you can do for their budget at your rates. Having them understand that quality will cost more is usually the biggest challenge. Make offers that are easily understandable and make sure to include your rates along with an estimate of how you would usually price a project of that type. If they have a budget too low to get an end result you could stand behind – make sure to tell them. Saying NO is allowed and it’s better than doing something you’re not proud of. Give a good price but don’t under-price yourself. If you treat them well by being honest, that can actually be what flips them to your side. Encourage them to get offers from others so that they can compare to see what these things usually cost.

Filled with “Bad Ideas”

Picture by Bartosz Borecki

Some have a lot of specific ideas on how they want things done. This could be things that aren’t doable at all or things that are in strong conflict of your perception of a good end-product. Your client is the one that pays the bills, never forget that. But also remember that you are the one who is the “expert” on what you do. Finding a balance can be hard. To make your clients get the right sort of ideas, it can be a good plan to show them similar solutions from your portfolio. A well made portfolio can often trigger the clients creativity and help them to chose something close to your previous work. If the ideas still are too far out compared to what you are comfortable with doing, you should consider not taking on that project. It still has to be said though, that most of these clients get contact with reality when they’ve seen your portfolio and similar designs/products that their competitors have.

Never Happy

Picture by Bob Smith

Occasionally you’ll run into those clients that aren’t happy no matter what you produce. Changing this attitude can be hard – sometimes impossible. As long as you make sure to do what is decided upon to agreed times, your conscience should be clean. The approach with these would be best by trying to include them and involve them so much that they feel they’ve made a lot of decisions on the project. Be aware that the “never happy” attitude could be related to them being busy, being afraid of scams or just that they’re shy. Do your best (as you always should), treat them with respect and the rest is up to them.

Picture by Fleur Suijten

Those were some of the more common characteristics I’ve seen in clients this past decade. There are many more as well, but I think these cover some of the most important ones. Remember that many clients are a mix of many different characteristics. By finding out a bit about what they’re like, you’ll be better able to serve them in a way that makes them want to continue choosing you for their projects.

We would love to hear your comments on this post. Maybe you have something to add or experiences to share. Don’t forget to share this post if you’ve enjoyed reading it. Thank you for reading and good luck with those clients!