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02/21/2006: "Clients Who Want to Tell You How to Do the Job and What to Do With Them."

If you're a copywriter or consultant or someone who deals with clients, you've no doubt had clients who think you can't make a move without them. No doubt they know their business and you certainly need to take their knowledge into consideration. But you do that anyway. Right?

Some clients tend to think they know everything and they feel the need to keep their eyes on you and their hands around your throat. Who needs 'em?

Here's what I do when I sense that a prospective client is going to be way too high maintenance for my taste. I simply tell him that I run the show where the copywriting is concerned; that I educate him on how to use the copy to its best advantage; that I gather all material in my own way.

Then I make him an offer to do the job at a price about twice what I would ordinarily charge for a regular client who would not be apt to give me near the trouble and demand nearly so much of my time. In other words, an intelligent client who knows when to leave a professional alone. I still give the hard-to-deal-with client his value because he'll want more of my time then an average client. I'm simply making sure he pays for it.

I do this for two reasons. First, if he still wants to hire me (and in a way I hope he doesn't) he pays a fair fee for it and I get paid for his high maintenance. Second, I make it very easy for him to turn me down and save me what would probably be a future of problems and the need to take lots of aspirin.

This usually only happens with businesses where you have two or more very big egos in business together. You find yourself in the middle of these massive egos and you never can really please either one because they're trying to prove to each other how important and how valuable each is. He does this by nit picking consultants and outsourced help and attempting to micromanage --- something I do not allow.

As I've said in this space before, most clients are great people. They know that I know my job and they let me do it and we're both happy. But there are a few clients who can make your life a living hell. You know them. You have them or have had them. Am I right? Those are the clients that you're really better off without. But if you must take them on, get lots of cash to pay you for all the trouble you're in for.

The thing about money is it makes being miserable more tolerable. And you're going to be miserable if you take these clients on. So get paid damn well.