April 16, 2007 :: 4:29 PM
12 Breeds of Client
FreelanceSwitch has published a terrific article about the 12 Breeds of Client and How to Work with Them. They’re bang on; I’ve worked with every one of these people through the course of my career, and I still work with many of them.
I think they’ve forgotten one, truth be told - so I’m going to add my own…
The Consulting Sponge.
How to spot one:
The consulting-sponge client is eager to hear your opinions and has many questions, but ultimately doesn’t see your knowledge or expertise as something they should pay for. They will frequently phone or email with complex questions, wanting to understand every line in your proposal or work plan as well as you do and needing to comprehend everything you will do and how you’ll do it.
The Highs:
If you can find the time and patience to educate the consulting-sponge client, you’ll likely earn their loyalty - resulting in additional projects in the future. They’ll feel taken care of and appreciate your ‘transparency’ in your dealings, and they’ll be back again. They’ll also appreciate the education, and see you as an expert.
The Lows:
The consulting-sponge client can take up a lot of your time and blow your budget with the amount of talking and/or writing you’ll have to do. Moreover, when you try to bill for consulting time, they’ll balk - citing that explaining your proposals and plans and answering questions is either a cost of sales or inherently part of the project.
How to Work With One:
Build extra consulting time into your budget and don’t expect to be able to bill additional hours. Plan for enough time up front (not always easy on the first project with the consulting-sponge client). Be polite if the questioning goes too far, but be clear when what the consulting-sponge client is asking for too much. Put as much in writing as you can, so you can use it later when the question comes up again (and it will).
A consulting-sponge client can be a terrible drain on your time if you aren’t prepared for it, but every project will make the next one easier — since the consulting-sponge will remember what you told them last time. Make sure to charge enough for your time in the initial estimate, and you can carry that price-point through to future projects.
WELL DONE! That is fantastic!!
We’ve had so many suggestions to add, but I think this is the best so far. Makes me feel like we should do a rewrite of the list
Thanks Collis.
You’re welcome to swipe this one, if you guys publish an addendum to the list (or republish, or whatever).
[…] April 29, 2007 home :: blog archives :: credits :: about this site :: contact me « 12 Breeds of Client […]