I overheard two businesses owners complaining about their clientele the other day. It can be frustrating, just like you- clients aren't alike. You will have clients who require extra hand holding and you will have clients who you never hear from, refuse to give you direction and then expect the world from you. Regardless, your clients pay your bills and you have to honor their work style just as you want them to honor yours.
To get a sense of the type of client you will soon be working for, and how to approach him or her, ask these questions:
1. What are your priorities and goals and what are your timelines.
Asking this question will help you understand what is important to your client and how fast the client expects you to work. This question series eliminates a lot of guess work.
2. What is your preferred form of contact.
I knew a lady who hated phone calls. Every week, on Friday, her servicing contractor would call her. He told me she always seemed annoyed but would insist on finishing the call. Finally, after this went on for months, the client asked him why he always found time to call her in the middle of her pedicure. The contractor assumed the client wanted phone calls and he assumed the date and time of the phone calls. Don't assume anything with clients. If you don't know, ask.
If you implement these two questions when starting to work with a new client, you will have a more positive working relationship.
Twyla Garrett
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