Source of Title Forums: 10 Tips on Hiring Your Clients

The following is a borrowed entry from the blog ( www.horsepigcow.com ) of Tara Hunt, marketing guru and inspiration for Title Camp.

I was going to attempt a brief bio on Tara but saw a few lines in her words that will give you a much more concise - and colorful - picture than I ever could:

Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and raised in small town Alberta [on a farm] [with cows], I am the least likely city girl you will ever meet. Yet, the bigger, the smellier, the more crowded the city, the happier I am. I prefer city scapes to mountain views and I think the most beautiful thing in the world is old, slightly broken down city architecture.

I currently live in San Francisco, California. I've been living a huge adventure lately. My blog usually lands me in hot water, but in August 2005 it landed me a fantastic job in California...where I worked until recently - leading the marketing efforts at Riya. Independent once more...I don't know what is in store yet, but dammit...I'm excited.

And now my favorite Tara-ism, atttributed to Bruce Cockburn lyrics:

"The trouble with normal is it always gets worse."

If you or someone you know needs a marketing professional, make yourself look good and get in touch with Tara.

10 Tips on Hiring Your Clients

Although we've been in business for a mere 4 months, I previously ran Rogue Strategies for 2 and a half years, so some of these lessons I'm relearning. As well, some of these were contributed by really smart entrepreneurs I know. We found them really useful, so hopefully others will, too:

Make a list of at least 10 criteria a client has to meet. Stuff like: share the same core philosophies of blah, blah and blah; not try to haggle on the price; and be commited to his/her end of the work; etc. Know your own deal breakers.

[thanks Jen!]
Know that the issues you have during the negotiation process are issues that will carry through the rest of the relationship. These aren't necessarily deal breakers, but they will inform you of what to be aware of in the future.

[thanks Lane!]
Be clear on goals. Ask your potential client: "When this has been successful and we sit down for drinks and reminisce about the success of this project and relationship, what does it look like for you?" It really helps to understand what to work towards.

[Lane again!]
Don't ignore red flags. Everything may appear to align, but if something seems 'off', pay attention and follow the lead. It is better to part amicably in the beginning than messily later on.
Avoid working for friends and family. This may seem really tempting, but it is not a good idea. Even the simplest thing like a homepage redesign can drive apart the closest friendship. If you have to help a friend out, do it for 'trade'.
Heed the warnings of others. Really. If you need a 'second opinion', seek it, but when a previous relationship has soured, it's good to find out why...even if it is only to help you avoid the same pitfalls. Especially beware, when someone says, "They don't pay their bills."
Set expectations from the start. Don't start out by dedicating 40 hours per week when you've contracted for 5. We like to go above and beyond, but setting expectations like that up front can turn out to be frustrating for you and your clients.
Don't undervalue yourself. It is tempting to give 'deals' and set yourself at a lower rate than you need to in order to 'ramp up'. Don't. Instead, be objective about it. Take a look at industry standards (especially for your geographic location) and calculate what the cost of running your business is. You can't help anyone if you are starving. Ask around at cost structures, too. We use a monthly retainer system, which works pretty well for us and most of our clients - but never haggle over hours because, inevitably, they vary and they are paying for delivery, not clock-watching.
Don't take on a 'bad fit', even if you are really, really broke. I say that you should go into a little debt before you take on a client that doesn't fit these criteria. The right one will come along if you are doing things right (if not, that is a whole other story, but you can always go back to working for 'da man). Taking on a problematic client out of desperation puts you in a terrible position. You are begging for heartache and/or abuse.
Never be adversarial. Ever. A relationship that starts out on a bad note will continue on that same note. Win-win is the way to be. If someone feels slighted, things will never be right. Even when a client has disappointed me or been a problem later on in the relationship, I've always tried to come at it from a win-win perspective. I'm never wishy-washy, but I do want to end things well and it is easier to get a positive outcome if one approaches the situation from an empathetic point of view.

It's a two-way street. We look at bringing on new clients like a partnership...like they've joined the wider team. We actually introduce all of our current clients to new clients and make them interact and collaborate with one another, too. This way, they can talk about us behind our backs. ;)