Hello,
In the beginning of this week, I had a open and truthful conversation with a set of people who either own a digital marketing agency or provide marketing consulting.
Many of us, including me, got battered due to PANDEMIC.
So, we tabled few critical questions that would help us, survive and sustain, probably help us grow.
One of the questions is how do we handle our CLEINTS better?
Each one took turns to answer that question as truthfully as per their experiences and observations.
Then there is a brilliant discussion happened on the what kind of clients to have.
I am just enumerating the list of characteristics of a client we COULD have.
Here goes the list.
- The client clearly defines the scope of engagement, the objectives to manifest and the Key performance Indicator to measure the progress.
- The client helps and supports us earnestly to do our effort and implementation to best of what we can.
- The client accepts and acknowledges a good effort, a milestone and a win.
- The client works with us with all support if we have a loosing situation (or we are unable to meet the set objectives) and sees us more as a partner rather then a replaceable vendor.
Source: https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/d/dream_client.asp - The client gives time and intellect to understand and to accepts the SCOPE CREEP, should there be one.
- The client approves and pays all the invoices as per the agreed payment schedule and helps us have better cashflows.
- The client, on a regular basis, entertains (and sometimes encourages) thoughtful conversations and thoughtful disagreements.
- The client celebrates the wins on a regular basis.
- The client respects the work being delivered, giving the critical business insights where ever is necessary.
- The client is compassionate with the team that is working on their project.
- The client, when ever requested, gives good references.
- The client DEMANDS excellence and matches their side of the game to that higher expectations.
- The client appreciates that we are a business too, and we too have our profitability expectations.
After enumerating the list of characteristics of an client, we audited our top clients against these characteristics.
That exercise was a epiphany for me, to know who are my ideal clients and who are my TOXIC clients.
Source: https://hyken.com/customer-experience-2/customers-arent-worth-business/
That was that.
If we are a bird of similar feathers, I wish you a great number of Ideal clients.
Tathastu (So Be It!)!