When starting out your business, you are very excited and you foresee a bright future for your business. You also had in mind that there will be challenges, and one of such challenges is here. DEALING WITH CLIENTS.

You are eager to have clients in your business to help it grow, but in the process, you will encounter different types of clients. All clients are unique, which means you need to figure out different ways to handle different clients. These are our talking points:

• The urgent client
• The “yes, no, maybe” client
• The “VIP” and its counterpart — “I have other options”
• The unrealistic client
• The micromanager
• The “What’s the weekend?” client
• The “NYCMNYD” (Now you see me, now you don’t) client
• The “behind the times” and the “viral sensation” clients
• The “I don’t’ really care, just do whatever you want” client
• The “I assumed this was included” client

The truth is this, no matter how good your product or service is, it is just a matter of time before you have your first encounter with the client from hell. You simply cannot avoid it. Here is one characteristic they have.

Typically they will want to take up all of your time so that you can focus on their project or issue, frustrate you and your team and haggle with you endlessly to get more than they paid for, or lower your prices.

Before we look at some types of clients and how to deal with them, here are some things you need to keep in mind when dealing with difficult clients.

1. Your most difficult clients will probably not generate the majority of your income. The 80:20 rule says that when it comes to client relationships, 80% of your resources will be used managing just 20% of your clients. Or, that 80% of your headaches will come from 20% of your clients. The clients that cause the most headaches probably generate about 20% of your revenue.
2. People may say that all press is good press, but, if you are just getting started, you don’t want bad reviews getting out about your business. Even just one bad review can greatly impact your ability to attract new (and better clients).

Knowing the above can give you an edge when dealing with some clients, but is it enough to help you with other types of client? Now at all. We are going to look at some types of clients and how you can successfully deal with them.

Read Also: How to Successfully Oversee Multiple Businesses at once

Here are the eight most common client personalities and techniques to get ahead of them so you can better your business.

The urgent client

Some projects genuinely need to get done fast, but the urgent client is a rebel without a cause. They want it done right away — even if there is no justification for the speed. Often, an urgent client’s demands involve sacrificing weekends or evenings and can often disappear after submission. This all results in a compromise of quality for the sake of a manufactured deadline. Here is their slogan:

“Can we get this all done ASAP? It’s extremely important because I have to submit everything by the end of the week and can’t miss the deadline.“

How can you work successfully with them?

Solution: Find out from the beginning if this is a matter of true urgency or client impatience. If there’s no real fire to put out, assure the client that you can create both quality and efficiency with just a little extra time. From there, create a deadline that meets everyone’s needs.

The “yes, no, maybe” client

Decisions, decisions. The “yes, no, maybe” the client will struggle with them all. They may try to rely on you to make all decisions, or they may feel the need to get third and fourth opinions, leading to delays and loss of direction. They also struggle with focus and will not offer feedback when needed. This can lead to mid-project directional changes, extending deadlines, or dissatisfaction with the final product.

Solution: Yes, no, maybes need a gentle but firm hand steering them in the right direction. Find a focus quickly, and keep written records to help prevent changes midstream. It’s important to have a clear “why” for decisions to help prevent wavering. Don’t be afraid to say no to last-minute course reversals that don’t make sense.

Follow up at clear milestones and interact at the end of each to ensure everyone is on the same page and on task. These clients more than any need you to show your expertise to create a successful working relationship and final product.

The “VIP” and its counterpart — “I have other options”

Every client is important, but the VIP wishes to be placed above all others. They tend to position themselves in a manner that demands your sole focus. This is most apparent in the frequent, often repetitive and unnecessary, communications, and typically come with an expectation of an immediate reply. After all, what could be more important? VIP status often goes hand in hand with the “I have other options” attitude. These are the clients who make you feel like you are always on the edge of losing the job if you do not meet their high standards. 

This group of people will always say “I decided to hire you for this, but don’t let me down because I can take my business elsewhere. I will pay for everything once the work is done.“

Solution: It is possible to demonstrate that your client is a priority while still setting boundaries and space for your other projects. By setting specific touchpoints with the client, you are acknowledging the importance of their project to you.

These specific appointments also set the appropriate timeframe for client contacts. You are most effective with a focused objective. At the same time, be prepared to walk away from these types of clients if they continue to make you feel inferior and don’t value your role.

The unrealistic client

This type of client is often a visionary — coming to you with lots of big ideas and expectations. The biggest obstacle is understanding what parts of the vision are reasonable and feasible within the constraints of timeline and budget.

Solution: Start with a road map from the beginning. Set a timeline of goals and projects, and set firm parameters on what can be accomplished within your given parameters. It’s important to validate the big ideas but ask “can we do this?” with our limitations to keep the focus on the attainable.

The micromanager

As experts in the field, we are hired to complete a job that our clients cannot complete themselves. A micromanager has a hard time acknowledging this distinction. They will try to stay on top of you throughout the entire process, often questioning tiny details, checking your work against their own experts, and wanting near-constant updates. This client is notoriously hard to satisfy, even when they hang on every detail from start to finish.

Solution: Much like the VIP, it’s important to set boundaries. Establish early on that you are the expert, and that your purpose is to take their vision and run with it in ways that they cannot. Instill confidence and trust with set checkpoints. While it’s important to hear them out, it’s equally important to remember that you are there for a reason.

The “What’s the weekend?” client

This client will send emails at 3am on a Saturday, and get upset when you don’t respond by 7am Sunday morning. They want to schedule meetings and conference calls after business hours and may even call you unexpectedly at 11pm to discuss their project. They want you to work holidays, your birthday and every waking hour of every day. This client can drain you and cause you to burn out if you don’t set clear boundaries.

Solution: Avoid giving out your cell phone or personal number to start with. The first time the client contacts you outside of normal business hours, don’t respond unless it is a complete emergency. During normal business hours, respond, but never apologize for “not getting back to them over the weekend”.

If the behaviors continue, don’t be afraid to let them know. The longer it goes on, the more probable it is to take a toll on your team.

The “NYCMNYD” (Now you see me, now you don’t) client

Tricky to detect, The NYCMNYD can often be mistaken for the urgent client at first glance. Instead, this describes a client that appears enthusiastic and ready to work out of the gate, only to disappear when questions arise or reviews are needed.

They will often reach out absentmindedly without a clear grasp of where the product is because of their disappearance. Be warned: if not handled properly, Thy NYCMNYD can easily turn into a postponer with delayed calls and meetings turning into confusion and missed deadlines. 

Solution: It is important to set expectations clearly and in writing from the beginning. A contract can often be the key to keeping clients and yourself on task and at the table. When the contact is waning, reaffirm that the timeline established is important to their success.

It’s also important to keep in mind that, while it’s important to follow up, do not waste your time chasing them down. Your time is equally important.

Read Also: Secrets to Home Business success

The “behind the times” and the “viral sensation” clients

These two clients are on polar opposite ends of the spectrum but with very similar results and solutions. The “Behind the times” client wants to stick with what they know. They describe themselves as “traditional” and are resistant to innovation.

The “viral sensation” client has the opposite problem. They want to jump on every trend, latching on to a meme or viral video and attempting to stretch their brand to fit in a box where it doesn’t belong. They envision an impossible outcome with a strategy that really doesn’t fit their company or goals.

Solution: While it may be counter-intuitive, both of these clients need the same thing: YOU. Explaining the why behind the channels and techniques that will work for them is important to push the traditionalists out of their comfort zone and to bring the virals back down to reality. Set the direction away from fads with focused content and an expert vision.

The “I don’t’ really care, just do whatever you want” client

This client wants to be completely handed off, that’s why they hired you. They won’t give you any information, even when you press them for it. This type of client can be a sort of gift horse. On the one hand, they may actually mean it and want you to take total creative direction, and go with whatever you say.

However, on the other hand, this type of client has a tendency to say this upfront, but once the project is complete, express their dissatisfaction and give feedback that would have been valuable earlier in the project.

Solution: Take advantage of the freedom, but always require clients to buy-in at critical stages of the project to prevent reworking. Suggesting a few options for the client, and asking them to select from the choices provided is a good way to do that. Also, always be sure to confirm everything in writing. Email is the best way to do that.

The “I assumed this was included” client

This client insists on getting more and more out of your team during every interaction. They want to meet or talk frequently to expand the scope of work. They may use words like “simple changes”, “easy to do”, or “its just a…”.

Solution: When work is started all of your clients should receive a work agreement. This document is a legally binding contract that details what work you will be performing for them. When your client asks to add on additional work outside of the original scope, agree to do it for an added upfront cost.

Conclusion

Customers and clients come in all shapes, sizes and personality types. The longer you are in business, the more likely you will come into contact with one or all of these types of clients. Good business development and leadership development requires that you learn how to handle all of these various situations in a way that benefits both you and your clients’ business interests.