ilise benun on problem clients for revolve-final
TRANSCRIPT
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advice, accountability and assistancefor creative businesses advice, accountability and assistance for creative businesses
Problem Clients: How to Spot Them and Turn Them Into Good Ones
with Ilise Benun @MMToolbox Illustrations by Iain Keith Murray @IainKeith
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Ilise Benun • Mentor and business coach exclusively for
creative professionals/agencies
• Host/Co-Producer of “Creative Entrepreneur” track of HOW Design Live
• Author of 7+ books
find us: marketing-Mentor.com + @MMToolbox © 2014 Marketing Mentor, Inc. find us: Marketing-Mentor.com + @MMToolbox © 2015 MM Toolbox, Inc.
All 7 books available on Amazon.com
find us: marketing-Mentor.com + @MMToolbox © 2014 Marketing Mentor, Inc. find us: Marketing-Mentor.com + @MMToolbox © 2015 MM Toolbox, Inc.
Business advice, accountability and assistance exclusively for
creative professionals.
find us: marketing-Mentor.com + @MMToolbox © 2014 Marketing Mentor, Inc. find us: Marketing-Mentor.com + @MMToolbox © 2015 MM Toolbox, Inc.
Quick Poll 1. Do you have a problem client right now? 2. Have you outgrown them? 3. Have you accepted them? 4. Do you like them?
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“Problem clients” vs.
“Clients with problems”
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Avoid “problem clients” &
Charge more to “clients with problems”
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Are you the real problem…
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By enabling bad behaviors
and not setting expectations?
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5 types to watch for 1. The Chaotic Client 2. The Cheapskate 3. The Clueless Client 4. The Jerk 5. The Big Bore
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Which one are you?
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#1: The Chaotic Client
• Frantic • Frazzled • Disorganized • Overwhelmed • Mixed
messages
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• External: Chaos in the corporate culture. • External: Unrealistic demands/expectations on them. • Internal: No organizational skills or self discipline. • Both: they pay no consequences.
What could be happening:
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1. Be generous: give them structure. 2. Have a process and enforce it. 3. Say, “Yes, but…” instead of “No.”
If you say yes, you must…
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#2: The Cheapskate
• No budget • Haggling • 5 & 10-ing • Careless
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When they won’t give you the budget… • …they may not understand what’s involved. • …they may be embarrassed by their budget. • …they may be pressured to do more with less.
What could be happening:
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1. Educate them -- demonstrate what’s involved. 2. Work with them -- adjust the scope of work. 3. Be generous – to a point. 4. Don’t be a doormat.
If you say yes, you must…
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#3: The Clueless Client
• No plan • No content • No goals • No budget
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- He wasn’t exactly clear on what materials he needed. - He wasn’t organized - Had no marketing plan - Content wasn’t ready. - Needs help with messaging. - Has unrealistic goals - No budget established, says he doesn’t know what these projects cost. - He says he’s picky. Am I confused due to lack of experience? Is this a messy client? Normal?
Marlena’s prospect:
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• Amateurs running businesses without guidance. • People in jobs they aren’t qualified for. • Lots of layoffs == no replacements! • Younger and younger workforce. • All = Higher demands on you.
What could be happening:
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1. Determine they can be helped. 2. Be generous: educate them. 3. Gently insist on including decision-makers. 4. Establish clarity – over-communicate.
If you say yes, you must…
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#4: The Jerk
• No courtesy • No “other” • No respect • Saboteur?
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• They have little power – even if they’re in charge! • Office politics and job frustration. • Problems at home. • General bad attitude.
What could be happening:
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1. …not react emotionally. 2. …not take it personally. 3. …not jump to conclusions. 4. …be generous: put yourself in their shoes. 5. …be accommodating yet firm. You don’t have
to help everyone.
If you say yes, you must…
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1. Take time to figure them out. 2. Listen for what’s really going on. 3. Shift to their “frequency.” 4. Be the one who “gets” them. 5. That’s rare and engenders loyalty.
Variation: “high maintenance”
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Variation: the unresponsive • Remember it’s not about you. • Call rather than email. • Make sure they understand your urgency. • Send a “Everything Ok?” message with a threat to call. • Let it go, if possible.
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#5: The Big Bore
• No interest • No chemistry
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Quick Poll: Mix and Match 1. Chaotic client? 2. Cheapskate? 3. Clueless? 4. Jerks? 5. Chaotic cheapskates? 6. Clueless cheapskate? 7. Chaotic clueless cheapskate?
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How to eliminate problem clients You need: • Self respect • Strength of character. • Strong positioning • Proactive marketing = a full pipeline • A process for weeding out the duds • And confidence to walk away.
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1. Needs it yesterday. (Chaotic) 2. No previous experience with someone like you.
(Clueless) 3. Expects you to drop everything. (Jerk) 4. No connection/chemistry (Big Bore) 5. First question: how much is…? (Cheapskate)
Red flags to watch for
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Turn them into good ones
in your mind.
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Resources
ClientsfromHell.net (web site & podcast)
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Marketing-mentor.com
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Ilise Benun • Reach out to me:
• @MMToolbox
• (201) 653-0783
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Revolve (Karl, Chelsye, Catherine & team) +
Illustrator, Iain Keith Murray @IainKeith
Thank you