My first client (who I will leave un-named for obvious reasons) turned out to be not-so-great. The work was not what I expected after we set the plan in place. They never paid what they agreed to. I spent months spinning my wheels on their project, but we got nowhere. Yet, I have much for which to be grateful to them.
First of all, I knew these folks at my old job, and when I told them I was leaving, they said, "Are you doing something on your own? If you do, we want to talk to you." I did not know at that time what I was going to do, but hearing those words from a business associate was a terrific vote of confidence in my half-baked plans.
Secondly, the slow unraveling of the relationship was a wake-up call about clear communication up front. We had a lovely contract in place to "keep the lawyers out," as the client said, but there was never any statement of work or outcomes or measures that I find so critical to my clients today. I knew we needed that kind of document but thought the relationship would make all of that "stuff" work out. Now, I protect the relationship with my clients by making sure of that "stuff" up front and in writing.
Finally, if something about the relationship with a prospective client feels off, I listen to my intuition. I set my intention, after my first client, to only work with wonderful people. I like to work with people who seek better communication because they want to positively impact the world for themselves and others. The people I work with have integrity and care about doing the right thing. I have been fortunate enough to have found dozens of such clients in my ten years.
In some blogs to come, I will mention some of these wonderful clients by name not only to thank them for their business, but also for being such great people. It is ironic that I owe a debt of gratitude for all of these great clients to the one who wasn't so great. So thank you un-named client, you set me on the right path.
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