[Build Backlinks Online] The Clients I Can't Afford To Take

Build Backlinks Online has posted a new item, 'The Clients I Can't Afford To
Take'


Posted by Bill Sebald
This post was originally in YouMoz, and was promoted to the main blog because it
provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are
entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc.

Creating demand where none currently exists is the expertise of a bullshit
artist. Some in sales would take offense to that statement; some would agree.
Where I believe this talent fails is with a particular kind of recurring revenue
service consulting and agency work. Inevitably you run out of steam and alibis.
If you cant produce what you promise, you either have to pack up your wagon and
flee to another dusty town (which, lets face it, is how some SEOs and digital
marketers practice), or suffer sleepless nights worrying about facing your
clients in the morning.

Personally, I dont like traveling. I also really like my sleep.

This is a post about how I choose better clients. It starts with introspection,
and ends with a connection. For each of these tips, Im thinking specifically of
a client I let walk away. If a strong partnership is what you seek, then you
have to be able to decline potential clients. The customer is not always right.
Sometimes theyre downright dangerous.

Now, I know this isnt possible in every company. An agency I worked with rarely
says no to work. Bad clients pile on and contribute to driving away employees in
routine mass departures. When I was worked there relationships got contentious,
and frankly, I didnt see a lot of flawless consulting happening. The phrase we
used around the office to convince ourselves this was normal was, thats agency
life.

I came to learn that wasnt agency life.

To remind ourselves of some of the marketing ideologies we learned in college;
most retailers employ the marketing department philosophy, whereas search fits
the marketing concept. In SEO marketing we want to answer the searches being
made more often than any other task, which may not fit nicely into a clients ROI
demands. Luckily, this is something we can get ahead of with early, open
communication with the prospect. Sometimes you're able to reset expectations,
sometimes not (where I kindly refer them to someone more of their mindset). It's
important to ask goal-oriented questions here, and give a real thought to what
you're positioned to achieve. What do they consider success? Does it match your
beliefs? Have they had SEO before, and what were their frustrations? Are you
better for them? Can you help them help you help them?

If you can truly embrace what you are as a service provider, and nurture deals
accordingly, youre in a very fortunate position. If you can perform SEO under
the auspice of what is required for the client, instead of what the client
thinks needs to be done, youre well on your way to a successful partnership.

Clients I Avoid

Sometimes you need to cut the line before you reel in the catch. Once the catch
breaks the water line, do you see a snagged horseshoe crab? Cut it. Did you pull
in flounder? Invite me over for dinner. Im a student of psychology and naturally
think I size people up pretty well. There are basically three traits (or
character flaws) that I am on high-alert for. As soon as I hit one, not only do
I feel compelled to be reserved, but I close up sometimes prematurely. Here are
some of the personality types I avoid, and some tips on uncovering their true
identities.

(Caveat: First impressions arent always accurate. First impressions should not
the last chance to make a good impression. Its very easy to misread people. I do
keep that in the back of my head, just to balance me out.)

The Egomaniac

Some prospects may want to impress you. Sometimes they routinely impress
themselves. Personally, I find them awfully hard to communicate with. You know
the traits they ask you questions only to cut you off and answer themselves.
They are micro-managers. They brag incessantly about their past experiences.
They believe theyre the only one that can truly defeat Superman.

Theyre the type of person to say, I didnt get to where I am by not speaking up.
While on paper that sounds like a good trait, these can also be the people who
have trouble accepting someone elses expertise. They may not see the value of
your otherwise salient recommendations. They tend to only respect other
egomaniacs

But sometimes this is a front. Sometimes the egomaniac is socially awkward. A
good skill in business is recognizing emotions, character flaws, and humanity
when it really exists. Sometimes the egomaniac thinks he needs to be a killer. I
have seen this disguise many, many times in my career.

I remember a client who managed to take down an entire marketing department
with a previous agency. He was a product of a big name business advisor firm
(name left out to prevent lawsuits) and drove some of my co-workers into therapy
honestly. There may have been no pleasing him, but the powers that be refused
to cut ties. We werent able to do what we knew was best; we ultimately became an
order taker for someone who wasnt an expert in our field, but thought he was.
This guy may truly be a serial killer at large.

Alternatively, I recall meeting with a prospect that ran an unimpressive
ecommerce business. During the initial meeting I found myself listening to an
hour long diatribe about him and how he shaped the company into what they are
today. Interesting and something worth knowing in detail down the line, but I
was there to talk about how I could help with their SEO. After finally asking
two questions, in which I maybe got three words out, it was pretty clear this
wasnt going to be a productive meeting. Still, I stayed with the pitch process.
Fortunately I made the right move, as this marketing director turned out to be
more bark than bite. Weve had a pretty successful three year run together, once
the pretences went away.

I need a point person I want to spend time with. If the real soul of the point
person and company cant be lured out quickly, it may be a dead deal for me.

What to Do

Embrace the company culture and teams personality. Try to be yourself, not who
you think they want you to be. Ultimately you want a partner and a friend, not
just a client and paycheck. If you dont have an egomaniac account manager, this
relationship could go down in flames.

Make it personal, but dont take it personally. I always try finding something
in common with the prospects. Its a sales tactic for sure, and an ice breaker,
but I find it useful to quickly peel back the personality layers. I try to see
who they really are. I remember a client pitch where I learned the CMO was in a
Philly band. Knowing the band, and playing music myself, we were able to connect
on a non-business level. I know this is a crazy concept for some agencies that
prefer to be more formal, but It really helps you understand the personality and
temperament of the people youre going to be working with.

Maybe its not your call to accept or deny the egomaniac, micro-managing client.
In some cases you can still make it work. Communication (and some good habits)
can go a long way in getting the client to bond with you, without you throwing
away any integrity. Weve all had a micro-managing boss at one time in our lives.
Take some learnings from that experience. There are plenty of great tips online
for that problem that can be leveraged with a micromanaging client:


http://blogs.hbr.org/hmu/2011/09/stop-being-micromanaged.html


http://www.thedailymuse.com/career/how-to-manage-a-micromanaging-boss


http://michaelhyatt.com/micromanager.html


http://nahidc.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-to-deal-with-micromanaging-boss.html



The Dictator

Some clients (think they) know exactly what they want. That can be a good
thing. Sometimes though, they dont want it the way you deliver it. Its vital to
know when you simply cant deliver. How can you under-promise and over-deliver if
you arent structured to meet their simplest expectations? Have you ever gotten a
hamburger right at McDonalds when you told them to make it special? No its
impossible. The employees have panic attacks behind the grill. Its not how
McDonalds is built.

I had one prospect reach out to me about six months ago. We had worked together
in a small capacity before. He told me precisely what he was looking for he
required someone to manage a department that needed to communicate with the
Sydney office at 6 am, and required I hit a certain goal each month. This was a
goal I not only didnt believe was reasonable, but probably impossible (not to
mention the only time Im up at 6 am is when I havent fallen asleep yet).

My services arent excessively flexible by design I simply cant answer all the
demands of most dictators. My services have a specific design with defined
specialties. I know my teams strengths and weaknesses. I know my plan in and
out, and would have struck out with his needs. I had to face the facts and let
that prospect go, even though it was a nice payday.

What to Do

Try to break the well take anything model. Thats how people get hurt including
your employees. A clients SEO and digital marketing need has become ubiquitous.
Maybe theyll be open to your specialized take on their business?

Never over-promise. Never wear a hat you dont own. Stay calm. SEOs are in a
great position already, with a great inherent value. Sometimes there are other
providers who can do a better job than you in a certain area, so why not let
them? Build some relationships between other service providers and create
friendly-competition. When a client says "I want this," say "we do this." Keep
it professional and offer to help them find someone who fits their model.

This may create serendipity and good karma. Ive actually gotten referrals from
prospects Ive turned down. Not often, but its the magic of networking,
relationships, and good deeds. Never underestimate the power of serendipity:


http://moz.com/rand/manufacturing-serendipity/


http://www.openforum.com/articles/8-ways-to-cultivate-serendipity-in-business-and-life/


http://www.greenlaneseo.com/blog/2012/09/creating-your-own-seo-serendipity/



The Negotiator

Its great to be on the payer side of negotiation. I find negotiating deals
quite fun. But when the tables are turned, and Im the service provider, I flex
very little in price. Its less because Im a jerk and more because of my respect
for my work and values.

Wharton grads are taught to believe in what theyre worth; anything less and
youre potentially softening the product. When a client tells me his budget is X,
and I need it to by upwards around Y, the negotiation needs to stop. This was a
huge lesson I learned after years of thinking about cash flow, and not quality
of life.

I recently had a prospect that came to me and asked if I was available for
consulting. As I always do, I brought up the budget question early on. He said,
I can spend about $300 a month. Now I know some SEOs can stretch that and get
rankings. Im always impressed by these guys, but at that rate, I would fall on
my face (and my sword). Id fail at providing the only values I know how to
create. Id be scrambling to get good work done, and in the end, it would
probably not be worth the aggravation after taxes.

Still, I tried to help him find someone who was better suited, while advising
that his monthly fee was more likely to attract amateurs that might cost him
more in the end. He was able to come up a little and I was able to refer him to
another local SEO who fit his needs much better. Again, investing in
serendipity.

I cant say this enough - Take a bad deal financially and you will pay for it.
Ive never seen a need to pad the price for negotiation in our industry. Were not
selling used cars here.

What to Do

Dont budge unless youve priced yourself out of the market. Also, dont risk
putting yourself in a bad relationship because you settled. It doesnt tend to
work out in marriage, government, or business.

Clearly display all the items a client could be getting in an engagement with
you and encourage the prospect to see the value if they pay up instead of going
with an amateur. If you have a price youre proud of, then you should also have
results and confidence to stand behind.

Some agencies find it very difficult to talk about money, as it gets slipped in
as a line item at the back of a proposal. These proposals are often written
after hours of conversations. I propose you bring the money conversation early
to qualify your prospects. I go so far as put my rates and packages right on my
website and always encourage my prospects to review those pages in an
introductory email. I dont like wasting hours on a deal that was never meant to
be. Ive found this to be a very positive technique to getting deals signed
quickly, as some clients prefer the openness and honesty. Not everyone likes
haggling, and will happily pay a price when they know its fair.

Conclusion

Sometimes a bad client can teach you how to be a better consultant, but I dont
wish a bad client upon anyone. In my 10+ years of consulting, Id like to think
the lessons I learned (some of which Im sharing here) can really be learned
through some tough and common sense.

Agencies are busy places, but you need to take time (off-sites work nicely) to
really figure out what your service model is. Whether its from the top down, or
just your specific department, having a thought out manifesto on the clients
youre not going to take could be transformational to the success of your
consulting business.

Oh, and if by chance you encounter a hybrid of all these client-types above,
the only tip I have is flee. Ive yet to find any way to tame this three-headed
egotistical, dictating, negotiating creature. Thats schizophrenia on a level I
cant even comprehend.
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