Ideal Client Vs. Ideal Questions
Most freelancers like to think of themselves as a worthy investment. As we do more work, we get more experienced. In that process we learn to »understand« clients better. We pride ourselves how sometimes we can even guess what they’re thinking and what they really want – better even than themselves. And WHEN (not IF) things go sideways, it’s become an Olympic discipline to find as much blame in our clients as possible. Our ideal clients should know our true worth, right? Now, let’s stop to think how much of that mindset is actually just made-up bullshit that enables us to continue feeling good about ourselves? Most people lack the humility to admit when things could have been done differently. That connects way back to our earliest childhood, or rather how our early interactions with our parents made us feel. Emotions, when we didn’t feel good enough to be liked or loved, still reign in our subconscious minds and influence our spontaneous decisions. The intensity of our defensive mechanisms varies from person to person, but let’s be honest, as it applies to all - no one likes to be wrong. Not being right can hurt really bad.
We are professionals.
But in reality - it’s not about us at all. Our clients want us to elicit change for them, and it’s why they are prepared to offer us something in return. How much, depends on their perceived need for that change. If we read their needs wrong, it’s easier to believe that we’ve been swindled in some way. But isn’t it usually our own self-absorption, why we misread a situation? Isn’t it the quest for respect, affirmation, glory and sometimes, the need for money, the actual reason why we jump the gun and take on a project without first understanding its most important aspects thoroughly? When things aren’t communicated properly, it’s us that’s the problem - we are the professionals, despite the fact that a specific client is a pain in the ass or is holding back information. It’s our job to adapt and learn to ask the right questions, even if it’s just to catch a red flag that would’ve been overlooked otherwise. Although we all want to prove how great we are, it’s never our client’s job to help us do that - it’s always been the other way around.
Take time to listen.
I’m no stranger to getting burnt on projects, and it took a long time for me to understand that perfect clients don’t exist by themselves. However, they can become ideal for us, if we take the time to listen first. Sure, by doing that, a lot of projects won’t pan out, but in the long run, that’s actually better for all parties involved. After all, since we didn’t have the project’s budget money (or a better reputation) just minutes ago, nothing really changes for us if we “miss out” on that particular project (the idea behind that sentiment was brilliantly said by Chris Do in one of The Futur’s videos). So maybe, rather than loosing energy by trying to find perfect clients, whose projects will »finally« allow us to show our greatness to everyone, we can try focusing on helping our clients grow instead. Only when we’ve overcome our limitations and grown ourselves, can we start to help others get there, too.
