6 Signs You & a Potential Client Might Not Be a Great Fit

As a business owner, you’ve probably heard the horror stories or experienced them yourself.

Clients who refuse to pay that final invoice. Who disappear. Who are never satisfied. And maybe after your work together is done, they speak badly about you whenever they get the chance.

Ouch! This stuff sounds scary.

I often thank God that so far, I’ve had amazing clients! And I know I might be jinxing myself, but I can’t help but sing it from the rooftops.

(Disclaimer: I give THEM 100% of the credit for being the amazing pros that they are! That’s all them.)

But for me to have this roster of considerate, respectful, communicative clients, I’ve had to do a lot of saying, “No thanks, I don’t think we’re a good fit,” even though very early on I definitely could have used the business.

I hope you’re giving yourself permission to do that, too.

It wasn’t that I didn’t treasure the opportunity to get to speak with them, or that I took their interest in working together for granted. Not at all! I just had a feeling that one or both of us would feel disappointed in the end.

And if that’s how I felt before we even started our work together, I had to give myself permission to let us both be free to find our ideal working situation.

For a while I was simply going off of my instincts. Then I realized I did have a few rules I’d been following, without realizing it, when it came to vetting potential clients.

So I’ve distilled them into a list of warning signs to share with you.

6 Signs You and A Prospective Client Aren’t a Good Fit

1. She’s a bargain hunter.

If the only thing a potential client is interested in is your rate and whether she can snag a deal, this could be an early sign that she might not value your time and work. If she isn’t looking to invest in quality services for her own business, you two might not be a very good fit. After all, you are quality!

If someone is set on the cheapest option, she can hop over to Fiverr, etc. And who knows, she might just find the high-quality, very-low-rate freelancer she’s looking for. Send her plenty of good vibes, but also hold out for clients who value your time.

2. She’s holding auditions.

“Can you write me a sample first? If I like it, I’ll pay for it.”

What the heck?! I cannot even be nice about this one! I’ve squeaked out a respectful email to potential clients who’ve made this request but…oh my goodness. That was some of the most difficult writing I’ve ever done!

You’ve got a portfolio. You’ve got testimonials. A client you’re meant to work with will be happy to get to work with you (or pay you for a trial assignment) and won’t make these kinds of requests!

3. She stands you up for your consult call or other meetings

This one is tough, because life absolutely happens! Sometimes something comes up and people just can’t keep commitments.

But you’ll be able to tell by how she handles the missed call or Skype appointment whether she has the makings of a respectful client who values your time and appreciates the fact that this is your livelihood!

4. She has some money issues.

This one is also hard sometimes. But can I be honest? Often, clients who don’t pay aren’t evil people. Not at all. They just aren’t in a financial place where they’re able to pay you what they’ve promised.

I personally think very few people are out to get us or rip us off.

But your business is important. Do not feel bad about listening out for early signs that someone’s financial situation isn’t ideal for investing in your services.

I’ll give you an example from a while back. I spoke with a prospective client who told me many times on our initial consult call that he was on a really tight budget. This alone isn’t a bad thing, of course! It’s honesty, which I appreciated.

Then he wanted to space out the payments in a customized way — basically creating a very extended payment plan, which I didn’t feel comfortable with.

In my mind, these were two signs separate signs that in the end he might not be able to pay me, as much as he wanted to. I had to follow my gut — I didn’t think we’d be a good fit.

5. She doesn’t know enough about what she wants.

This is another one that often isn’t the potential client’s fault at all! Maybe her vision for what she wants is just too vague. Maybe in a few months, she’ll be your dream client.

As a copywriter, I love talking to potential clients and brainstorming about what might be best for them! But by the end of our conversation, I at least like to be clear on whether she’s looking for a sales page, an email campaign, etc. Working together is impossible if we can’t nail down the deliverables I’m going to create.

And the truth is: If potential clients don’t even know what they want, you’re sure to disappoint.

6. She has unreasonable expectations.

This will be specific to your industry, but you’ll know it when you see it! For me as a copywriter, it’s a request for an email campaign that gets a 90% open rate. A 4,000-word sales page by tomorrow morning. That kind of thing.

It’s easy to say YES to everything, especially at the beginning. And at first, it even feels good. But you owe it to yourself to stick with clients who make owning your own business fun and energizing!

Isn’t that what it’s all about?