Ever had a disrespectful client?
As our club chatted before a lesson, one of our members told us she’d had a frustrating incident with a client that morning.
“She shouted at me, and told me she expected me to be on call at all times, working for her whenever she needed me.”
This client had treated this highly experienced and talent communication professional and business owner like a member of staff ready to drop everything at the whim of a slave driver.
But we’re nothing like employees.
As comms freelancers, we don’t have the benefits like employees – clients don’t pay us while we holiday, contribute to our pensions or even offer us security.
But there are some benefits we DO get.
We get to set the terms of how and when we wish to work. We don’t have to get involved in an ‘always-on’ culture, or have to tolerate rude and selfish behaviour from colleagues we’re stuck with.
We get charge for the value of our work, for the expertise and experience we bring. Not just the time it takes us to do the work.
We get to forgive our clients and partners when they have bad days, but not be a doormat, or risk one energy-sapping client impacting on all our other work.
We get to give clients a clear understanding of where our boundaries are – what we will and won’t engage with – and the client can agree, or can choose some other freelancer who is willing to be treated disrespectfully.
Sometimes, you have to dump a client, knowing that the loss of revenue is temporary, and that you will soon replace them with a new client who excites and respects you.
So you spend less energy on life’s rotters.
And more time working in a business you love.
Grow your business with work and people that satisfy and reward you.
You don’t just want more clients. You want more clients who respect your time and expertise.
That’s what Comms Business Club is all about.