What’s on the iPod: Spun by Grouplove
The Aussies are here! I’m writing this ahead of time because I expect to be either on my way to Manhattan or to the mountains and some hiking today.
I was thinking about the conversation around client expectations during projects or contract negotiations. Any client relationship is one of give-and-take on both sides, as it should be, but there are those rare situations in which the clients do all the giving and you sit there taking it. Time to stop that, don’t you think?
Here are a few things clients can’t do (or shouldn’t be allowed to do) when it comes to you:
Act like your employer. The rare few clients I’ve had who have questioned my hours or expected me to perform on cue surprised me. One client busted on me about taking a vacation – mind you, I’d waited two months to hear back from him (and I’m sure some of that included his own vacation), but I was supposed to drop everything and accommodate his schedule. When he said, “Didn’t you just have a vacation?” I was done with him. I hadn’t even said I’d be out for vacation – he assumed. Another client expected me to call their customers and interview them. It was framed as “optional” for us writers, but in a private moment, the manager let it slip that they were “firing” people who wouldn’t do it. I left shortly thereafter. I don’t work for dictators.
Dictate your hours. There’s only one thing expected of you that you’d better deliver — the finished project on time. What you don’t have to do is work weekends because your client can’t be bothered to plan better. In one case, I had a client (had being the key word here) who every year would ask if I was going away for Labor Day, or drop some other thinly veiled hint that she wanted me to work the long weekend. While I get that she had her hands tied on her side of the project, I wasn’t about to spend my last long weekend on a project that is notoriously months late every single year. Those three days wouldn’t have mattered to the end result one iota.
Miss deadlines. Actually, they can do this. You can’t control whether they’ll keep up their end. You can, however, make sure that doesn’t mean you’re running to catch up. Each time they miss a deadline, inform them that your own deadline has been adjusted to allow you enough time to do the job right. And if it applies, revise the project timeline and send the new one to your clients. It’s a visual reminder of why they need to meet deadlines, too.
Expect you to drop everything. I have had a few clients whose needs come up quickly and can’t wait. That’s understandable. What doesn’t work is when a client comes to you with a project and wants it done NOW, even if you’re in the middle of another client’s project. Your choice — tell them when you can get to it realistically, or charge them double for the pleasure of your full, immediate attention. Chances are slim they’ll need it that immediately once they hear the new price.
Tell you what to charge. This one has me shaking my head every time it happens, and it happens a lot. Some clients are under the mistaken impression that they’re paying X, so that’s what you’ll be charging. I had one client react to my fee by saying “Ooo, you’re going to have to lower that fee.” I responded something like “You’re going to have to come up in what you expect to pay.” That’s not their business to tell you what you can and cannot charge. It’s like going in to your doctor and saying “Ooo, not happy with that copay. You need to cut that down a few dollars.” Where would that get you?
Not pay. Someone mentioned this week that some so-called “expert” writer said that writers should never chase an invoice because it’s unprofessional. Absolutely not true – what’s unprofessional is a client who avoids paying. Yes, you can and should chase an unpaid invoice. Otherwise, why are you in business? To give your work away for free? No way. Put together your payment-chasing process and follow it to the letter.
What else can’t clients do when it comes to working with you?
10 responses to “What Clients Can’t Do”
I like this post! When I was first starting out, I set my fee and went to look for clients, and had one (now client) ask if I could go a little lower on my fee. It was disguised as a discussion and I agreed since I didn't have many other clients at the time, and I didn't know much about negotiating. I see now — months after the fact — that I shouldn't have caved for only a few extra cents!
When I work on weekends – which I do more often than not – I do it either so I can squeeze in more work or because I took a couple hours off mid-week. But I don't let the clients know I worked weekends – or evenings – on their projects or they'll start to expect it.
My dad, who was a freelance graphic artist, always said if you turn something in ahead of deadline, the client will come to expect that and try to rush projects through.
Actually, I've had clients try to do all these things… I've said no in every case… I've also had them ask for their money back when I'd done what I was asked and they didn't like it. I said no since there was never a guarantee… good stuff, Lori
Paula, a longtime biz partner of mine taught me the same thing in one of our many discussions about client management. I know there's a lot of talk about "underpromise-overdeliver," but the safer plan is "promise-deliver."
And LW, how in heaven is it smart to never chase an invoice? I mean, you don't have to go all Captain Ahab or anything, but honestly, I wonder how some people manage to stay in business operating like that…
Trying to "sell me" on the upsides of working from home and using them to justify paying crap.
Making me feel guilty for wanting to earn a fair wage.
Constantly screwing me around with respect to payment. Once or twice, maybe, but to have to chase down every invoice gets old pretty quick.
Jake – I was the one who told Lori I'd read a blog post where the "expert" said it was somehow unprofessional to chase invoices. Someone had tweeted the link, and I didn't bookmark it so I have no clue where it was. Read it over a week ago, too.
If I remember correctly, somewhere it noted he had a background in publishing. Think maybe he was on the wrong end of payment chasing at one time or another? He tried arguing that spending time chasing payments made you look desperate for money and you should instead focus on the next (non-paying?) assignments. Hogwash.
I think I commented and forgot to post it properly. Oh boy!
Anyway, what I said was:
Not chasing invoices? It's professional TO chase invoices. It shows you value your work and time and refuse to work for free.
As for working weekends, when I've asked if a deadline had any wiggle room, a few editors have given me a weekend. I'm pretty direct: "Thanks for the additional days. However, I'm not available that weekend, so is the following Wednesday OK?"
Goofs.
Allie, I think you could also argue that it was merely a few extra cents. The client felt like he'd "won" and you got the gig. If it wasn't much, I think that's fine. If he wanted you to cut your fee in half, then it's an issue.
Paula, this is so true. The minute you turn it around instantly, they come back with those 24-hour projects because hey, you've done it once for them. If I finish something early, they get it with a caveat –"I was able to give it additional time because my current project has stalled…." Whatever the situation is. That may help block the notion that it's going to happen every time.
Anne, just once or twice have I had a client refuse to pay or just simply say "We're not going to use it after all, so we'll just forget this invoice." (Actually said it just like that.) I just chase it anyway — I did the work, and if you don't like it, you have to allow me the chance to fix it.
Jake, I think he's in business because he acts like an expert and passes along bad information. I'd never tell someone not to chase an invoice — that's just career suicide for them (and for me).
Gabriella, exactly. How can you survive if you allow everyone around you to just forget to pay?
It's interesting to see that freelancers in different fields face similar challenges when dealing with clients.
I'm a freelance translator and I blog about client education. In July and August I wrote two posts about what I call "client etiquette," divided in DOS and DON'TS:
http://www.translationclientzone.com/etiquette/dos
and
http://www.translationclientzone.com/etiquette/donts
Perfectly in line with what you say here, right? I actually started reading your text thinking you were a translator, since I got the link though a colleague's tweet. 🙂
Either Olga or Catherine, I'm betting. Nice having you here, Bianca.