How to create an ideal check list for you and your customers

Have you ever met a client who contacts you all weekend for special advice?

How about the customer trying to get your rates down because they have a "friend" who can do the same job for a fraction of the price?

Malicious clients exist, and your business will suffer if you decide to work with them!

All service providers have to start somewhere. Unfortunately, this is often where we get stuck. You say to yourself,

« Well I need the money, and it would be good to build my portfolio. What could go wrong ? "

The problem with this logic is that you have already defeated. The first decision you make as a young entrepreneur will be decisive for your decisions in the future. After all, every customer represents a possibility of money, and every customer helps build your portfolio.

The question is, what types of clients are going to be on this portfolio?

This is what you as an entrepreneur will need is an ideal checklist, or a list of criteria for every potential client that comes along.

Here is a tip : Make an ideal checklist today and leave the bad customers for someone else.

Why it's important to know who your customer is

As a business owner, you only have four resources to protect:

HIGHLIGHTS
Silver
EMPLOYER
Personal

Each of these is affected if you go for a low quality customer. Let's take a look at each of them in depth:

HIGHLIGHTS

Being a freelancer and running a small business requires a significant amount of your time on a daily basis. Most freelancers have a hard time balancing regular work and living, so the clients you choose shouldn't waste your precious time.

Say you have a customer who does not respect your time. They call you late when you are about to end the day and most conversations take too long.

What does this lost time do for your business?

It reduces your growth. That kind of time outside of design and development should be preserved for marketing, accounting, sales and support. Without that time, a business is bound to fail, all because of a reckless customer.

Silver

When you spend too much time on one or two clients, the chances of saving money diminish. This fits into the time point above, as your disrespectful customer is preventing you from dealing with new customers. Not only that, but your other clients will also feel overlooked, which could send them to other companies or freelancers.

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Another reason you need to know your customer is because they may not be paying you, or they are doing it too late. Money is the driving force that keeps your business afloat, and bad customers will sink the boat.

EMPLOYER

Do you remember how you need great customers to build your portfolio?

If that's the case then all the better, but What about when an uncontrolled customer lets go of you at the last minute? Then you have no money to post and no projects to post to your portfolio.

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The worst customers usually leave you with few results to show your efforts. They are reluctant to make decisions, slowly advancing the process. Many projects are never completed with these clients, or you have a junky result that you will not want to add to your portfolio.

Personal

This involves both freelancers and companies with employees. Imagine a situation where you are working a client because of the possibility of getting a decent amount of money. You don't have a perfect checklist for this client, so that client ends up being unreachable and unwilling to take advice.

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Of course, one of your employees is assigned to this account, which makes for a rather difficult working environment. Unfortunately, you hired this developer because they are brilliant, they work hard, and they are personable.

But this client changes that perspective. Now the employee seems stressed most of the time. They make bad decisions because they can't think straight and the project doesn't make a lot of money because it takes forever.

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A client is no excuse to test those you work with, and that includes your own sanity and work ethic.

Search criteria when speaking with new clients

We recommend that you make a list of around five to ten criteria when talking to new customers. It becomes your ideal customer checklist. This way you don't overwhelm yourself and get too picky about the selection process.

Criteria # 1: the customer is willing to invest in his business

Customers with budget problems are wreaking havoc on your own business. The first concern is whether or not they will pay you. Then you will be able to look for a company that will be willing to give you additional funds when needed.

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Complete a test to see how the potential client meets your budget needs. If they seem extremely concerned, you might have a problem.

However, your best bet is to make a payment agreement. Personally, I'd like to start with a down payment right after the bat, showing that they have some kind of capital. Then, depending on the service, you should get a written contract stating exactly when in the month that they are going to pay you.

Criteria # 2: Customer is ready to change their mind

When a customer asks you to make changes to or create a website, they will recognize that at some point their online presence will make it easier for them to review.

There is no reason for you to sit down and listen to the problems your client has had in the past. While hearing his yelling at the previous provider might boost your ego, it doesn't help the current project.

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This criterion goes both ways, because it is necessary to define a rule indicating that the whole point of the project is to make a transformation. It's also a good idea to ask your client what they want to transform. Ask them, “Specifically, why are you hiring me? Then, "What do you want to change / improve?" ".

Criterion # 3: the client is coachable and ready to learn

You can be the best designer in the world, but if your client isn't ready to take a lead, that's a lost cause from the start.

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We see it time and time again in sports, where a preliminary selection of talent has coaching issues. They eventually create a toxic environment in the locker room and negotiate or fall. Don't let your ballclub waste money on a poorly researched draft draft.

Criteria # 4: Customer is ready to make a decision (with you)

Talking on the phone with a client and not making decisions is a huge waste of time for both parties. This criterion provides that the communication is intended for decision making. In short, you don't talk on the phone with the customer just to hear them say they need to talk to their other business partners. Of course, sometimes this is required for bigger decisions, but if it has to do with web design, you are the leader and they are there to confirm your decisions.

A point must be established from the beginning. You should communicate with this person and only one person, and they should be ready to make decisions with you.

Criteria # 5: The customer respects your time

It may seem difficult to determine whether or not a client will respect your time at first, but we suggest to pass some tests during your initial interactions.

The goal here is to make sure your client will meet their own deadlines, show up on time for meetings (or phone calls), and deliver the required website materials. You can't make these discoveries before working with them, but you can run tests.

Start by organizing a face-to-face meeting or a phone call. Prepare an exact time and send them a preview of what you are talking about.

So…

See if they have reprogrammed themselves. (Several times?)
Did they come to the meeting / call late or forget about it altogether?
See if they are prepared for the meeting.
Do they have any questions for you?
Do they turn the conversation into a matter of several hours?
See if they are trying to get several people together on a conference call, which makes it difficult to communicate and make decisions.
Think of a few questions about your meeting summary. You can usually see if they've taken the time to look at your notes.

Is your checklist ideal for your client?

The whole point of a preferred customer checklist is to protect your valuable resources, regardless of the size of your business. This includes finding clients who respect your time and those who have a goal in mind when you hire.

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Recommended Resources

Find out about other recommended resources to help you build and manage your website.

Conclusion

Here is ! That's it, for this tutorial. We hope it will allow you to create an ideal checklist for you and your customers.

However, you will also be able to consult our resources, if you need more elements to carry out your projects of creation of Internet sites, by consulting our guide on the WordPress blog creation.

Feel free to share this article with your friends on your favorite social networks. But, in the meantime, tell us about your Comments and suggestions in the dedicated section.

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How to create an ideal "checklist" for you and your customers