Learning from Difficult Clients.

Actually, this blog post should be titled, how not to be a difficult client? In my recent personal freelance experiences, I have the great opportunity to work with a few big and small entrepreneur clients.

All have a need to have a problem solved through visual solutions to help promote their personal brand or business but as many of my fellow freelancers know the process can be hindered, derailed or business relations damaged through difficult or project micromanaging clients.

In the next upcoming post series TITLED: “Working with difficult clients”, I will share my personal experiences in dealing with difficult clients and how we can work together to get you the results you expect for your visual or marketing campaigns and graphic design needs.

Here is my recent story. A client. Let’s call them Client-X asked me to create illustrations for their children’s book a year and a half ago. The illustration can be a long, detailed, and costly process depending on the design style and need. During the initial project brief, I asked and documented specifically a set of questions about the number of chapter illustrations they needed to be created for each short story in the book. There was a total of seven illustrations needed by the end of the year 2017 along with the cover design.

All of the images we agreed upon and that Client-X signed off on during the process were approved as they were completed. Fast forward to today December 2017. During the assets check to make sure I had all of the images ready to place in the layout Client-X realized that they needed three additional illustrations plus a cover adjustment.

We went back and forth on the details, sketches, and comps on those late additions that ended up delaying the project launch to mid-2018 and costing the client time and money, and some admitted embarrassment for not providing or knowing of the additions needed to complete the book in 2017.

I learned that to avoid delays, headaches, confusion, and strained client-designer relationship is that this can be avoided through the initial briefing of the project. Getting all the details and making any adjustments to the briefing early ahead of a due date.

I ended up rushing to complete additional illustrations and the client ended up with an additional cost. I personally ended up frustrated and annoyed with the project but determined to make it shine with pure professionalism. Even adjusting some of the time tracking costs to keep them happy because they are an excellent on-time paying client.

Even though this may not seem like the extreme example of a difficult client I have also had the familiar horror story of a client not paying at all for months of completed work. That client was dropped after numerous incidents of late or no payments. Sometimes I can be just too nice. Especially when I started out.

But I’ve learned for this and other experiences how to work with all types of clients and it really just comes down to listening, documenting the details or needs, and forward communication on pricing and delivery between both parties. Also, to say no sometimes to a project offer. It’s not about the money every time but rather am I excited about the project from the beginning? What other solution can I offer if I can’t take the project? The goal is a happy returning client a successful project that we both can be proud to show and represent both our brands.

In the next post, I will share more specific advice from my personal experiences and other professionals on how to avoid this and other designers, client issues that can derail a project, or ruin a business relationship, sometimes beyond the repair of our reputation’s?

1. Communicating clear details during the initial project brief. Get it in Writing!
2. Keeping the client engaged during the project phases.
3. Following up on the project result or ROI and additional client needs?
4. Saying no to projects that don’t excite personal creative passion, business goals, or purpose.

If you also are a designer?

What are some of your client horror stories or if you are or have been a client what are your experiences with that designer?

Have they been professional in fulling your design needs or have you had to drop them because of poor service or project quality?