When people first launch a business, they often rationalize poor decisions to earn money. They take on clients covered in red flags. They lower already reasonable fees. They agree to projects that require magic wands to genuinely achieve success.
Generally speaking, PR firms mean well and persuade themselves their talents and hard work can earn news media coverage for even the dullest, least motivated and most clueless of clients. Unfortunately, any success we achieve under such circumstances is fleeting and offers us little in value in the long run. You can only pull off so many magic tricks before the client goes poof and vanishes. Over the years, we’ve met some of these clients. Some even hired us despite our better judgement. Some offer us scenarios we’ve heard too many times before, but they believe their story is one of a kind.
Save yourself time and money and exert some quality control. Here are 11 types of prospective (and incompatible) clients we’ve encountered that should lead you to head for the exits.
- The Gift Card Givers – They request your time, show you around and detail the project, then ask if you’ll accept payment in the form of gift cards to a sushi restaurant. Some instances are suited for bartering, but if you plan on giving gift cards as payment, at least make them good for our favorite grocery stores.
- The Middle Micromanagers – These gatekeepers micromanager projects, only to lead you to create something that the ultimate decision maker disproves of, making you appear like you just don’t “get it.”
- The Promisers – They try to persuade you to work for free in exchange for being part of their future team when their company really takes off.
- The Detached – They bring nothing to the table ever, except some quirky personalities, asking you to make magic with practically zilch to work with.
- The Narrow Minded – They define success so narrowly, placing unreasonable limitations on your ability to help achieve their goals.
- The Negotiators – They ask you to lower your normal fees then pay late, don’t pay at all or request to scale back projects to avoid paying practically anything.
- The Big Talkers – They insist their new products and services are revolutionary and will topple industry giants, while you believe they are overcompensating and your Google searches show they are full of it.
- The Weirdos – They say something so strange at the initial strategic meeting that you never truly feel the same about your business relationship with them.
- The Undeciders – They can’t decide who does what even at their own company, and when you present them with opportunities, they blow it by turning the approval process into an act of Congress.
- The Freeloaders – They request a quote but never commit, instead asking questions and requesting feedback on their own work to learn more and more about your expertise without ever intending to hire you.
- The Know-It-Alls – They only seek order takers and when you offer reasonable recommendations, they politely request you shut your mouth and simply stick to their plan. What they really want are inexpensive interns to boss around.
These kind of clients will keep you in the red and make every day feel blue.
