I’ve seen many projects turn problematic, and the big messes – ALL CAPS emails, big delays, and shouting matches over the phone usually don’t come from clients that start out bad.
No, they come from fuzzy project negotiations—at least for me. To be frank, I nodded through the kickoff, skimmed and signed the agreement, and let that “it’s just a quick fix” remark slide.
Que over-delivering, late payments, and resentment on both sides, desperately trying to clean it up mid-project.
No, thank you.
Here’s what worked for me:
Rule 1: Clarity is an asset, and a part of what I get paid for.
Rule 2: The Client needs to be walked through the process like a friend through a fire:
– “You have a scope doc, use it.”
– Repeat the timeline until they can say it
– Use numbers and links to ground the phases
– When they say “no need, we trust you,” clarify harder
Finally, it’s very important to nip vague or minimizing language in the bud. In other words, if you hear the phrase “just do a [x],” take it as a clear sign they don’t expect to pay what you are worth. That needs to be clarified right away, as once the trouble starts, it’s almost impossible to solve 95% of the problems amicably and to mutual satisfaction.
Client satisfaction is a worthy goal, but it doesn’t start with doing great work. That’s the finale. The path toward a happy client starts before you do anything at all.