Last time I wrote about picking the ideal client and serving that market. I'm sure if all of the readers of this blog got together in one room and talked about all of the bad clients we've had, we would be there for a long time.
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Last time I wrote about picking the ideal client and serving that market. I'm sure if all of the readers of this blog got together in one room and talked about all of the bad clients we've had, we would be there for a long time.
The worst client I ever had was a boat builder. Enough said, huh? I knew this client was likely to be difficult because when I was working for his neighbor (the second most difficult ever), he would come by and watch and critique us during our installation. I promised myself during that time I would not work for him, but he called six months later during the holiday season. The urge to hustle a quick job and make extra money got the best of me-and so did he after the job was done. He stopped payment on my initial deposit check before he called to complain and then still expected me to come back and fix a laundry list of problems. The lucky part for me was that under the law, the client made a material breach of contract and I no longer had an obligation to him.
It would have been really easy to get into a battle with the client, but to me it was easier to learn from the mistake and go find better clients. Better clients put you in a great mood; you don't have to struggle to get paid and they respect you as a professional. Better clients are the ones who write you five-star reviews on the Internet without you even asking for a review.
Once you determine who is an ideal client and start to appeal to that market, it sets you up for a cycle of continued success. We recently had a client who approved our estimate. Before even starting her project she already referred us to a coworker, and we got that job, as well. It wasn't because we were the cheapest, but we showed the most interest in making sure all of the little details of the project were handled correctly. We even custom-fabricated a small piece of trim around the stair skirt boards that was missing-something that we had pointed out during the estimate.
Paying attention to details that the client doesn't know to ask and then bringing that up during an estimate is generally the biggest key you have in setting yourself apart as a professional. The other key is that you have to deliver every bit of that level of service afterwards. This economy has certainly created a lot of opportunity for the professionals in our field, because most of the competition is in such a panic to stay busy that they have forgotten how to communicate thoroughly during an estimate.
When your mind is too busy thinking about what it will take to get a job, then you may end up buying a job sort of like I did a few years ago with the boat builder. Anyone who reads the Hardwood Floors magazine blogs has a leg up on the competition. It shows that you care to educate yourself and be better at your business. Keep that in mind and let your right customers know that without being arrogant. It will pay dividends during the tough times.