YOU WON’T BELIEVE THE HIDDEN GEMS IN AN INTERNSHIP
November 13, 2024
A cool Monday morning, fresh cup of coffee in hand, crisp button up shirt, jacket, dapper gold tie… and a pair of fuzzy slippers! Yes! love working remote on Mondays! Life is good. I jump online to check emails.
BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ… BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ…
I hear my phone buzz and take a glance. I recognize the number. I roll my eyes and groan. Gosh! What now?
“Morning, Dave, how’s it—”
“Bryce, I’ve got a few questions about your proposal. My team and I are in the office waiting. See you in an hour.”
“Hey Dave, I’m not—”
Click! And just like that, my morning plans have abruptly changed. I quickly try and reach him. No answer. I reach out to his VA. No answer. This is the third time in two weeks Dave has insisted that we review my company’s proposal. It’s a no-frills contract with clear language spelling out the scope of work and all the costs. He said his legal team has already gone over everything with a fine tooth comb. I need the business, but I don’t need the headache. I feel like I’ve been caught in my own fishing net!
There’s nothing worse than working with a client that no matter what you do, it’s not enough. They can be nitpicky, overbearing, among other things. Here are a few warning signs that you’re dealing with a difficult clients and some strategies that we executed to work through.
1. Your client does not value your time
Clients who consistently miss meetings without a courtesy heads-up, consistently need to reschedule, miss deadlines on any “deliverables” that you need to complete follow-on steps in your business process, this can be an early warning sign that they do not value your time.
Our Policy. At the onset, we lay out clear expectations of what our clients can expect from us and what we expect from the client. We spell out our processes, provide a rough schedule of events, and list all the necessary documentation. We factor for the unexpected delays.
Our Actions. Everyone is busy, and things happen. However, our time is our most valuable asset. After the fourth reschedule and missed deadline, we informed the client that we were rescinding our proposal. This gave us time back for marketing and working with other clients.
2. Your client does not value your expertise
Clients who consistently nitpicks the details and the costs associated with your scope of work may be a warning sign. They may attempt to get “freebies” or try to purchase your services ad hoc.
Our Policy. Some clients may not be aware of your position within your industry. We show our clients proven results from other successful partnership, and the customer reviews. We educated them on industry standards and show them what “best” looks like.
Our Actions. We were transparent from the start. We walked the client through every phase of the process and explained pricing and lead time. We made it clear that our price was fair and firm.
3. Your client are still “thinking about it”
In our experience, when clients say “still thinking about it”, sometimes this means not now, no, or they’re bargain shopping.
Our Policy. It’s understandable and expected for clients to take time to fully digest a proposal before making a decision. Some decisions take time and we factor this into the timeline. We also factor in strategic times to follow-up with them.
Our Actions. When we here this, we acknowledge their need to think about it. We ask a few open-ended questions about their uncertainty, and provide insight as needed. We understand that “let me think about it” doesn’t necessarily mean no. Maybe we didn’t fully explain the proposal in language that the client feels comfortable with. But after the fourth or fifth follow-up and they’re still thinking, we have to assume the answer is no and move on.
Customers saying no is a part of business. Get used to it. You often get no twice as many times as yes. However, to prevent wasting time and resources with difficult clients, have policies in place. You can usually tell when a meeting is veering off the rails. Always remain professional, but firm. There’s only so much daylight to work.
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