Freelancing GREEN FLAGS: 5 Signs You've Found The Best Client

You've heard the warnings, the red flags, and the cautionary tales of working with bad clients. But what about the good ones? How do you know when you've landed yourself a rock star client that you better hold on to tight and never let go? Well, in this video, I'm going to share the five client green flags so that you can tell the good ones from the bad ones every single time. Stay tuned. Hey posse, what's up? It's Alex coming to you this week with a brand new video that was actually inspired by an email I received just a few months ago. Here's a look at it right here. So this posse member was asking for tips on how to tell the good clients from the bad clients and what are some red flags to look out for? Well, I already have a tutorial where I talk all about the red flags to watch out for when looking for a job as a freelancer. But this request really got me thinking about this topic from a different perspective. Because the truth is, not every bad client will be a red flag client. And taking on a client just because they didn't display any red flags does not guarantee that you'll have a good or even pleasant working relationship with them. So doesn't it make more sense to spend your time identifying the green flags that really clue you in when you've got a great client on your hands with long lasting potential? Yeah, that's a way better use of your time and energy if you ask me. And over my decade in the industry, I've really gotten pretty good at noticing the subtle signs of an amazing client. So that is what we're talking about today. But first, if you're new to the crew, welcome. Right here on My channel. You'll find the techniques, tools and tutorials you need to start and scale your business with crazy good copywriting, branding and marketing. I put out new videos every single week, so make sure you subscribe below. And don't forget to hit that bell to be notified when my next video goes live. All right, with that, let's jump right in to Green Flag Numero Uno. They're responsive and not just when they need something from you from the very beginning before you ever start working together. If they're quick to respond to your emails and questions, then you probably have a great client on your hands because plain and simple, it's easier to work with clients who get back to you. Go figure. There is nothing worse than waiting weeks for clarifications on project scope or not hitting deadline because you're still waiting on the information you requested or not getting their notes and feedback and revisions back in time. In my experience, the clients that don't respond to your messages in a timely manner usually don't pay their invoices in a timely manner either, so this is a huge one to look out for. Now, a really quick disclaimer before we move on. Business owners are very busy people, so don't expect a response from anyone on the same day, especially if you're sending cold emails or at the early stages of client acquisition. In this case, I would say a reasonable and respectable timeline for a response from a potential client is about three business days. And once again, once you start working together, I would expect a quicker response time than that. All right, now moving on to green flag number two. They're respectful of your time and your energy. The best clients out there will ask you what your capacity is before assigning you any big projects or setting unrealistic deadlines, or requesting a meeting from you 30 minutes from now. They're aware of the fact that they're likely not your only client and that you do in fact have other obligations and deadlines to meet besides theirs. These clients will actually encourage you to take your weekends off. They won't be sour or sassy if they message you on a Saturday and don't get a reply back until Monday. And probably the biggest green flag of them all, when you tell them you have a lot on your plate and they reach out wondering if they can help lighten your load or what they can do to better support you. They don't get angry, dismissive or argumentative. You see, the best clients are the best clients because of the way they treat you. They recognize your humanity. Humanity and that you're not perfect. And they treat you with respect, empathy and understanding and not like some word producing robot that just like works on command. So with that said, if you do tend to make a habit of missing deadlines or continually coming up with excuses to not get your work done, it may lead to some frustration on their end about your performance. And for good reason. A good client can only respect your time and energy as long as you continue to respect theirs. So this really is a two way street. Remember that. All right, moving on to green flag number three. They work with you on payment and prompt prices. So good clients won't waste anybody's time with price haggling or ridiculous negotiations. Trust me, they just want the job done now, or at least quickly. They won't try to lowball you or try to get the best deal. And in my experience, the best clients out there will accept your rates and fees without too much objection at all. Because the best clients understand what good copy is worth. They understand that good copy is worth the investment, and they'll happily pay for the experience and talent of a copywriter who gets it. And let's be honest, the clients that price haggle are almost never enjoyable to work with because they usually just don' understand the value of copywriting. They don't understand the importance nor its purpose. They think you just write words on a page and how hard is that? So these are usually also the clients that will argue with you on why you did it this way or that way, or why they need six emails instead of just the one that they initially asked for. Now again, there are some exceptions here, right? Some businesses, usually the ones that are just getting started or are relatively small, genuinely can't afford to pay high copywriting fees. But that doesn't mean they are a bad client. In fact, I've worked with many amazing small clients that couldn't get pay me the fees I wanted. So I really had to use my best judgment. And you should too. If a client is asking you to lower your rates, just really check in with yourself and ask. Hmm. Does this project still feel great? Do you resonate strongly with their brand, mission and values? If so, then it's worth some negotiating to see if you can really settle on a price that you'll both be happy with. Now, I have never had a problem with lowering my rates slightly to help out a business that's doing good things in the world with a mission that I support and resonate with. All right, now moving on to green flag number four. They don't expect anything for free. Now this one is twofold, right? Because a lot of clients tend to ask you to complete a copy test before hiring you. And that's because rather than just reading through the samples in your portfolio, a copy test really helps potential client visualize how your skills will translate into their brand, how well you can capture their voice, et cetera. So this is a really normal request. But a good client won't expect you to spend more than maybe 15 minutes of your time doing a test for free. A great client, on the other hand, will actually offer to pay pay you a fair rate. That's the equivalent of what you would charge in real life for that test or for that asset. Now that leads me to something that freelancers are all too familiar with. Scope Creep. Sure, don't get all worried if a retainer client requests an additional ad or an email from time to time. But they shouldn't make a habit out of it or try to add a bunch of responsibilities to your plate. And neither should you. Remember, these boundaries work both ways. So this one actually goes back to green flag number two, being respectful of your time. If you and your client had agreed to a retainer rate for a certain amount of hours or assets or a clear scope of work, and then they suddenly have the need for a million things outside of that scope, then they should first have a conversation with you to see if you have the capacity to take on more. And second, if this keeps happening, they really should renegotiate your rate to include the new agreed upon expectations. All right, with that, let's move on to probably the most important green flag of them all. Number five. They're prepared, they know what they want, and they have the information you need to complete the project. Because we have all had that client. The one that says, oh, I don't care, you just do whatever you think. Or the one that sends over a brief with five different directions on it. Or the one that can't answer any questions about what they're actually looking for because they just don't know. And don't get me wrong, I absolutely love to have creative freedom as a copywriter, but when they come to you unprepared or indecisive, it usually only means one thing for you as a copywriter. A lot of revisions. Like a lot, a client who isn't clear on what they want usually signals plenty of frustrations and miscommunications ahead. Whereas the client who knows exactly what they want, can communicate clearly with you, is able to answer your questions, and can provide you with all the information you need is a big time and a big headache saver. All right, guys, I hope this video gave you some good tips for spotting great clients. So what green flags do you usually look for when working with clients? Comment below and let me know and I will see you next week with a brand new video. Until then, I'm Alex. Ciao for now. All right guys, if you enjoyed that video, make sure to check out the next one from me right here, here. And you can click right here to get a free gift. There is nothing that boils my blood more than douchey scam artists who try to take advantage of fresh freelancers hungry to begin their entrepreneurial journey. In this video, I'm exposing six common freelancing red flags to watch out for so you can get paid and not played.