Comments on: It’s the Ethics, Stupid! Saying No to Client Work.

By: Jendi

Jendi — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:37:19 +0000

I’d like the client to like me also.
I want to know I can accomplish something.
I hope that I’d do what you did.

Jendi’s last blog post..Win A Ticket To The Hot Summer Seminar Series

By: Terri

Terri — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:38:30 +0000

This past year I made a big mistake in taking on a client even though I had a bad feeling about it from the start.
I was suggesting we do an eCommerce website that would bring in more business for her little flower shop than she ever imagined possible, but the sales process itself was GRUELING. I could see how good the business and marketing strategy was for her, but she just didn’t get it. She needed so much convincing that I should have just stopped pursuing her, but it was hard because I knew it would benefit her if she would just trust us.
So she did, eventually, but she never stopped being difficult. She was the most needy, uncooperative, and time-consuming client I had ever had. I should have taken a clue from how much hand-holding she needed just to sign the contract.
That client ended up cancelling her contract with our firm because she claimed “my son designed a site for me for FREE that I like better” AFTER we had done 2 months of eCommerce construction, graphics and SEO. She also demanded a FULL refund of the deposit. *sigh* but you live and learn right?
Please take the advice in the above article, choose your clients wisely.

It’s in EVERYONE’S best interest.

By: NatalieGreen

NatalieGreen — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:32:02 +0000

This past year I have made it a practice to get rid of any work that isn’t working for me in any capacity.

I am finding that when you take a deep breathe, be true to yourself and move on from the negative clients, you open yourself up to those that are a better fit.

I know that sounds very new-agey but it’s only when I ignore that and stay with someone for the $$$ it’s a recipe for mediocrity, stress and a dollop of irritation on the side.

NatalieGreen’s last blog post..MISTAKES and REPURCUSSIONS

By: Roberta Rosenberg

Roberta Rosenberg — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:57:36 +0000

@Jada – Client doesn’t have to love me (well, maybe just a little), but respect the work, expertise.

@Tom – Maybe I’m lucky. Not too many sleazoids come a calling, but I’m always agonizing the “No, I’m sorry. I don’t believe I can help you.” with the good guyz & galz.

@Lorraine – When a start-up comes to me with nothing – or worse, a site already done & paid for that’s not producing – I have to get strategic. “I need 100 paid subs in 30 days.” “Sorry, I can’t help you. I need 3 months to rebuild your product and site from scratch.”

I want some of current clients to rethink DM. With so little mail in folks’ mailboxes, it would definitely get noticed.

@Anna – I feel your pain. TRULY. When I tell clients they’ll need to keep tending to their sites, blogs, etc. they’re always astounded. “I thought we were done!” “No babe, we just got started.”

Marketing. It isn’t a project. It’s a process.

By: Anna

Anna — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:20:52 +0000

I had a client who is a professional Fitness Trainer and wanted a CMS website on Fitness. We created a full website with all kinds of extra features, bonuses, and backend setups, social networking setups, etc. The client expressed that he understood that he would have to use what we created but that it was being set up so that he could make the best of it.

He then refused to follow even basic instructions on his next steps. He added one or two posts to his blog in the next 3 months. He did not read the emails I sent him and then asked questions that I had already answered. He did not read or follow the instructional PDF I sent him on how to get started on driving traffic to his site. He demanded that I spend hours on the phone explaining things to him verbally (instead of reading or responding to emails) and then did not follow my advice. After 3 months of doing nothing, he wrote to me demanding that I get his website ranked highly (for a competitive field like ‘Fitness’) and said that I didn’t help him enough to get his website going.

My response is simply that I will never work with the client again. It wasn’t because gave him a lot of extra free services that I wasn’t paid for. It wasn’t about the money. It was that it was a waste of time – why build an oven for someone if they are never going to turn it on? In the long run you feel you wasted your time. Even if he had paid the full price, I would feel I had wasted my time.

So yes – I COMPLETELY understand.

Anna’s last blog post..My Favorite Since 2006 – Personal Review