When clients drag their feet
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- ohhhhhsnap
Not sure if anyone else here deals with this but I have a client who... annually for this particular (3 month long) project, perpetually drags their feet.
Already, 4–5 days late in contract signing, after the deadline on the contact. Pushing back dates on the contract that they agreed upon, not following up on emails.
They are a not-for-profit, I've yet to meet one that has all of their shit together.
What clauses do I need to have in place so that this isn't a head ache for me this year, where I'll be up late nights (which has been the case in the past). I have some delay clauses but are there any tips that you put into your clauses that might help me sleep at night. Thinking that I should add an addendum.
I like my sleep. A lot. Not to be a jerk but I'm not doing all nighters this year, for them.
- microkorg0
A clause allowing you to charge them more if they don't meet deadlines. Simple!
If you do this for next year then i'll bet anything that they don't stall in 2015.Let them know that by not signing off on work means that you have to postpone/turn down other work or have to work unsociable hours for a reason that is not your fault.
- microkorg0
no examples sorry
- mantrakid0
i would set up a payment schedule with them based on the timeline of the project, which essentially puts them into the mindset that you're serious about the timeline enough that you want to be paid at intervals throughout the projects duration, that should (be implied, but not specifically related to...) line up with the % of the work that is completed in those milestones. Then the onus is on them to get their moneys worth otherwise they are paying you for the project without it ever progressing.
even if it's a 50% deposit, 25% at 1/2 the work done, then the remaining 25% when the work is completed.. that covers you so if the project drags, the only $ that ever drags is that remaining 25%.
As for inspiring them to move forward with the project quicker, i usually find sending them invoices for amounts due usually do that quite well.
- I set them up with a 50/30/20, because of the lag last year. Good advice.ohhhhhsnap
- ETM0
Maybe not helpful, but after doing A LOT of not-for-profits in various fields early in my career, I refuse to work with ANY ever again. Too many volunteers and changing positions/committees/boards, sketchy budgets, they often have an overwhelming sense of entitlement since they are "doing good." Like 1 in 25 were good to work for.
More helpful, in my contract when deadlines are missed, the project gets held and pushed back into rotation once they get their stuff together. I no longer waste so much time constantly shuffling schedules and asking favours of other clients to accommodate ones that don't respect me or the task being done.
- VERY helpful actually. ETM that last ¶ is what I've been doing for years, and the $ isn't worth it. Thanks for the confirmation.ohhhhhsnap
- ETM what was the pivoting point for you?ohhhhhsnap
- Every client and account has maintenance and there are always issues. But when I actually crunched some numbers and saw what NFPs were dramatically reducing my revenue for time invested, I starting letting them go and replaced every 2 NFPs with one solid business client. The slow transition made it less stressful and financially viable.ETM
- numbers and saw what NFPs were dramatically reducing my revenue for time invested, I starting letting them go and replaced every 2 NFPs with one solid business client. The slow transition made it less stressful and financially viable.ETM
- replaced every 2 NFPs with one solid business client. The slow transition made it less stressful and financially viable.ETM
- At this point I only have 2 NFPs. They are good to work with and are not charities, but professional societies who actually understand business and value of people's time and skills. Actually 2 of my better clients.ETM
- actually understand business and value of people's time and skills. Actually 2 of my better clients.ETM
- nice ETM! looking forward to making new moves but in the mean time i'll do a bang out job with this ARohhhhhsnap
- meffid0
Poor account management.
- ETM0
Poor accounts aren't worth managing. Like poor employees aren't worth employing.
There is a point when I hope everyone realizes just because someone wants to trade their money for your time, doesn't entitle them to it. I evaluate a client before taking them on like they evaluate me as an option to do business with. And every year I evaluate again. Sometimes it's hard to have the balls to let clients go because you are not sure where the next one is coming from, but you may soon see how freeing yourself from a few bad clients a year can open up you and your business to previously unseen opportunities.
Bad accounts are anchors to growth. It took me almost a decade to realize that.
- There is a point when I hope everyone realizes just because someone wants to trade their money for your time, doesn't entitle them to it.ohhhhhsnap
- entitle them to it.
Love this.ohhhhhsnap - tx for your brilliance.ohhhhhsnap
- It's far from brilliance. It's just lessons learned. But you're welcome.ETM
- And I can only say what works for me. Plenty here have different, and successful methodologies.ETM
- monospaced0
Ah, the age-old quest to achieve the balance between standing up to your agreement (dick) and working on their terms (building relationships).
- You work for someone, do you not? Not your own company?ETM
- I do now, but I have done my own thing in the past, and I often take jobs on the side.monospaced
- I only ask because your perspective can become more polarized . You start out desperate then become very critical of everything you work with.ETM
- critical of everything you work with when you can acquire some success.ETM
- Then we all learn if we have what it takes to run a business or not. And you never feel like you know 100% or not :)ETM
- Okay, you do, I wasn't sure.ETM
- ETM0
To add, when I deviate from this, I usually get burned. The last 2 years I have been uber strict on this and it's been working well, for both new clients and finding people to work with on projects. With the exception of a person I collaborated with from QBN, I made exceptions because I believed in their online personality a little too much and it was just a little project. It was a huge mistake and I got burned.
- It was a good reminder to stick to my formula, without exception.ETM