Client selection is key to success at work | Dec 16th 2006
Although my workweek is dominated by my laptop, I start most days with a good old fashioned notebook and pen. I’ve found the best way to manage my work load, is to handwrite my to-do list over and over again each morning. I cross off what I’ve completed the day before (with any luck) and start with a fresh piece of paper and a new list each morning.
This very mundane system of keeping track of projects, deadlines, phone calls and tasks is the latest iteration of my valiant attempt to stay organized. And since I’ve been spending so much time on writing out my tasks each day, I’ve begun to realize my list is just a smaller component of a much larger issue.
At the root of my daily string of tasks is a client list I’m constantly working on refining and developing.
I’ve written in the past about learning to say no to taking on new clients or projects when I’m over capacity and how important it is to part ways with clients that aren’t a good fit. But the biggest takeaway for me in 2006 is realizing I still need to learn how to screen and select clients — and weed them out — before I become fully engaged with them.
Selecting clients who ultimately provide consistent long-term projects I actually enjoy working on, but do not become so overwhelming they crowd out my ability to take on new work and keep up with my existing responsibilities, is no easy task.
Often unpredictable
For one thing, there’s often no way to predict how much a project will grow and change from the day I sign the contract to three months later when some key internal resource (on the client side) has quit or an agency wins a huge new account it needs immediate assistance with.
On the other end of the spectrum, it’s very typical for a project that seems much larger at the get go (based on my own estimates or the client’s stated needs), to be smaller and shorter than planned.
Selecting clients that are a match for my needs, skill set and project preferences influences everything in my life — from how my workday is structured, to the amount of flexibility I have with my schedule in any given week right down to the amount of time I get to spend with my kids.
Ideally, I do not want to get stuck working on deadlines every weekend or more than a couple of nights a week. Likewise, I do not want, or need, a client that requires me to check in every day and report on my whereabouts. If I was happy with that arrangement, I’d have a day job.
Trial period
The bottom line is there’s no way to completely avoid working with companies that turn out to be a poor match for me. That’s why I often propose 30- or 60-day trial arrangements with new clients to see how well we work together and if I am indeed a good fit for what they need.
A key takeaway for me in 2006 is that I have to start trusting my instincts with new prospects more, so I can avoid wasting time with companies that ultimately would be better served elsewhere. Only then will my endless task list be consistently filled with the kind of work I love to do.
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This article was published in the Poughkeepsie Journal on December 9, 2006