The 6 Types of Bad Clients and How to Spot Them
Congratulations! You’re a freelancer working as your own boss and you’re ready to get out there and start finding clients! Clients are wonderful and we love them! As freelancers, we need clients in order to do our jobs; they are the people who hire us, the people who we work with on a daily basis, and really, they are the reason we make money.
Clients are so so important! But as any freelancer knows, some clients are better to work with than others, and having a bad client can make your life pretty terrible. We’ve all worked with amazing clients, and we’ve all worked with people we’d rather not remember. The thing is, as a freelancer, you actually have a lot of freedom to choose who you will work with, and there are ways to avoid working with difficult frustrating clients.
The biggest way to avoid these not-so-amazing clients is to be able to recognize them and politely turn the project down BEFORE you’re already into it. That’s why I’ve created the list of six client types you should avoid as a freelancer. These are all types of people I’ve had to work for in the past (and types of people I try to avoid at all costs!)
I really hope you enjoy the list!
1. The Indecisive
How to spot one: This person has no idea what they want and has a hard time making decisions and articulating their needs. Classic phrase of an indecisive: “I’ll know it when I see it.”
The problem: As a freelancer, it can be difficult to create work for a client that satisfies their needs, is the client doesn’t even know what their needs are. When a person has no idea what they want, then it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to create it for them. These clients always take up the most of your time and are never really 100% satisfied with the finished work (because they still don’t know what they want.)
How to avoid them: If you hear the words “I’m not sure what I want… but I’ll know it when I see it” you are probably talking to an Indecisive. Either turn the project down or make sure to set extremely clear expectations and boundaries at the beginning of the project so you don’t end up doing a million revisions for free.
3. The Influencer
How to spot one: Similar to the cheapskate, this person wants you to do work for cheap because it’s “Good exposure.”
The problem: Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with people and businesses who are influencers online. I have a lot of friends who are influencers and who are great people, but I’ve also been approached by potential clients who want me to do work for them for free because they are “Instagram famous.”
How to avoid them: Doing this kind of work can be tempting and can seem like a way to get famous quick, but don’t fall for it. If the person really values you as a freelancer and business owner, they won’t ask you to work for free.
5. The Scope-creeper
How to spot one: “Just one more tiny thing….”
The problem: The Scope-creeper is a pretty common client and a difficult one to spot right away. This is the person who is always asking you for just one more little thing but not actually offering to pay you more. The problem with the scope-creeper is that they are often very friendly and nice and difficult to say no to.
How to avoid them: When dealing with a scope-creeper it is important to very politely (but firmly) stand your ground. If they ask you to do something that was not part of the original scope of the project, very kindly say no, or let them know that it will cost extra. If you give a Scope-creeper and inch, they will take a mile.
2. The Cheapskate
How to spot one: This is the person who asks you to do work for a much lower price than you’re worth...or for free.
The problem: Chances are, if someone is trying to get you to do the same amount of work for less money, they don’t value you as a freelancer and business owner. Cheapskates also tend to be high maintenance. They don’t value your time and talent, and expect you to do more work for less money.
How to avoid them: If someone asks you to work for a lowball price or for free JUST SAY NO. It’s completely fine to negotiate a lower price where you do less work, but understand that the cheapskates are almost always the most demanding clients who expect to get a lot for nothing.
4. The “Jerk”
How to spot one: The person who is never happy.
The problem: Some people cannot be pleased. Alison Falukner of the Alison Show explained this well, her theory about Jerks is this: if you’re going about your day and you meet one person in your entire day who is mean, chancer are, that person is the jerk. But if you’re going about the day and every single person you meet is mean, then it’s likely that YOU are the Jerk.
How to avoid them: if you receive an email from a client that says something along the lines of “every designer we’ve worked with has been terrible” or “none of the freelancers I’ve worked with have been good” then there is a good chance that this person is the Jerk. This person cannot be pleased. Politely say no and save yourself a world of trouble.
6. The Deadbeat
How to spot one: The person who takes FOREVER to pay you.
The problem: The problem is obvious. You did the work, you want to get paid, and this person comes up with every excuse for why they can’t pay you yet.
How to avoid them: This client is the worst of the worst, but there is a super easy way to avoid them. Have your clients pay you BEFORE starting the project and you’ll never deal with another Deadbeat again.
So there’s my list! I really hope it’s helpful! Just remember, good clients make all the difference between being excited to work, and dreading getting out of bed. Be picky when you are deciding who to work with! And also, always say thank you and show your appreciation to your GOOD clients! They are the ones who make our jobs awesome!
If you enjoyed this list, please share it with a friend, and leave a comment if you’ve ever had experiences with these types of clients or if there is another type you would add to the list!