You've heard the warnings, the red flags
and the cautionary tales of working with bad clients.
But what about the good ones?
How do you know when you've landed yourself
a rockstar client that you better hold
onto tight and never let go?
Well, in this video
I'm gonna share the 5 client green flags
so that you can tell the good ones from the bad ones
every single time.
Stay tuned.
(upbeat music)
Hey, posse, what's up?
It's Alex coming to you this week
with a brand new video that was actually inspired
by an email I received just a few months ago.
Here's a look at it right here.
So this posse member was asking for tips
on how to tell the good clients from the bad clients
and what are some red flags to look out for?
Well, I already have a tutorial where I talk all
about the red flags to watch out for
when looking for a job as a freelancer.
But this request really got me thinking about this topic
from a different perspective,
because the truth is not every bad client
will be a red flag client
and taking on a client just because they didn't display
any red flags does not guarantee that you'll have a good
or even pleasant working relationship with them.
So doesn't it make more sense to spend your time
identifying the green flags that really clue you
in when you've got a great client
on your hands with long lasting potential?
Yeah.
That's a way better use of your time and energy
if you ask me and over my decade in the industry,
I've really gotten pretty good
at noticing the subtle signs of an amazing client.
So that is what we're talking about today.
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Alright, with that,
let's jump right into green flag numero uno.
They're responsive and not just
when they need something from you.
From the very beginning
before you ever start working together.
If they're quick to respond to your emails and questions,
then you probably have a great client on your hands,
because plain and simple,
it's easier to work with clients who get back to you.
Hmm, go figure.
There is nothing worse than waiting weeks
for clarifications on project scope
or not hitting the deadline because you're still waiting
on the information you requested or not getting their notes
and feedback and revisions back in time.
And in my experience, the clients that don't respond
to your messages in a timely manner
usually don't pay their invoices in a timely manner either.
So this is a huge one to look out for.
Now a really quick disclaimer before we move on,
business owners are very busy people.
So don't expect a response from anyone on the same day,
especially if you're sending cold emails
or at the early stages of client acquisition.
In this case, I would say a reasonable
and respectable timeline for a response
for a potential client is about three business days.
And once again, once you start working together,
I would expect a quicker response time than that.
Alright, now moving on to green flag number two.
They're respectful of your time and your energy.
The best clients out there will ask you what your capacity
is before assigning you any big projects
or setting unrealistic deadlines or requesting a meeting
from you 30 minutes from now.
They're aware of the fact that they're likely
not your only client and that you do in fact,
have other obligations and deadlines to meet besides theirs.
These clients will actually encourage you
to take your weekends off.
They won't be sour or sassy if they message you
on a Saturday and don't get a reply back until Monday.
And probably the biggest green flag of them all,
when you tell them you have a lot
on your plate and they reach out wondering
if they could help lighten your load
or what they can do to better support you.
They don't get angry, dismissive, or argumentative.
You see the best clients are the best clients
because of the way they treat you.
They recognize your humanity and that you're not perfect.
And they treat you with respect, empathy, and understanding
and not like some word producing robot
that just like works on command.
So with that said, if you do tend to make a habit
of missing deadlines or continually coming up
with excuses to not get your work done, it may lead
to some frustration on their end about your performance.
And for good reason.
A good client can only respect your time
and energy as long as you continue to respect theirs.
So this really is a two-way street.
Remember that.
Alright, moving on to green flag number three.
They work with you on payment and prices.
So good clients won't waste anybody's time
with price haggling or ridiculous negotiations.
Trust me, they just want the job done now
or at least quickly.
They won't try to lowball you
or try to get the best deal.
And in my experience,
the best clients out there will accept your rates
and fees without too much objection at all.
Because the best clients understand what good copy is worth.
They understand that good copy is worth the investment.
And they'll happily pay for the experience
and talent of a copywriter who gets it.
And let's be honest,
the clients that price haggle are almost never enjoyable
to work with, because they usually just
don't understand the value of copywriting.
They don't understand the importance nor its purpose.
They think you just write words
on a page and how hard is that?
So these are usually also the clients that will argue
with you on why you did it this way or that way
or why they need six emails,
instead of just the one that they initially asked for.
Now, again, there are some exceptions here, right.
Some businesses, usually the ones that are just
getting started or are relatively small,
genuinely can't afford to pay high copywriting fees.
But that doesn't mean they are a bad client.
In fact, I've worked with many amazing small clients
that couldn't pay me the fees I wanted.
So I really had to use my best judgment.
And you should too.
If a client is asking you to lower your rates,
just really check in with yourself and ask,
Hmm, does this project still feel great?
Do you resonate strongly
with their brand mission and values?
If so, then it's worth some negotiating to see
if you can really settle on a price
that you'll both be happy with.
Now, I have never had a problem
with lowering my rates slightly to help out a business
that's doing good things in the world
with a mission that I support and resonate with.
Alright, now moving on to green flag number four.
They don't expect anything for free.
Now this one is twofold, right.
Because a lot of clients tend to ask you to
complete a copy test before hiring you.
And that's because rather than just reading
through the samples in your portfolio,
a copy test really helps potential client visualize
how your skills will translate into their brand.
How well you can capture their voice, et cetera.
So this is a really normal request
but a good client won't expect you to spend more
than maybe 15 minutes of your time doing a test for free.
A great client on the other hand
will actually offer to pay you a fair rate
that's the equivalent of what you would charge
in real life for that test or for that asset.
Now that leads me to something that freelancers
are all too familiar with.
Scope creep.
Sure, don't get all worried
if a retainer client requests an additional ad
or an email from time to time
but they shouldn't make a habit out of it
or try to add a bunch of responsibilities to your plate.
And neither should you.
Remember, these boundaries work both ways.
So this one actually goes back to green flag number two,
being respectful of your time.
If you and your client had agreed to retainer rate
for a certain amount of hours
or assets or a clear scope of work,
and then they suddenly have the need
for a million things outside of that scope,
then they should first have a conversation
with you to see if you have the capacity to take on more.
And second, if this keeps happening,
they really should renegotiate your rate
to include the new agreed upon expectations.
Alright, with that,
let's move on to probably the most important green flag
of them all.
Number five, they're prepared.
They know what they want
and they have the information you need
to complete the project,
because we have all had that client.
The one that says, oh, I don't care.
You just do whatever you think.
Or the one that sends over a brief
with five different directions on it
or the one that can't answer any questions
about what they're actually looking for,
because they just don't know and don't get me wrong.
I absolutely love to have creative freedom as a copywriter
but when they come to you unprepared or indecisive,
it usually only means one thing for you as a copywriter.
A lot of revisions, like a lot.
A client who isn't clear on what they want
usually signals plenty of frustrations
and miscommunications ahead.
Whereas the client who knows exactly what they want
can communicate clearly with you,
is able to answer your questions and can provide you
with all the information you need is a big time
and a big headache saver.
Alright, guys, I hope this video gave you some good tips
for spotting great clients.
So what green flags do you usually look for
when working with clients?
Comment below and let me know
and I will see you next week with a brand new video.
Until then, I'm Alex.
Ciao for now.
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There is nothing that boils my blood more
than douchey scam artists who try to take advantage
of fresh freelancers,
hungry to begin their entrepreneurial journey.
In this video I'm exposing six common freelancing
red flags to watch out for.
So you can get paid and not played.