ORM - How to tell who the perfect client is?

I've been working with ORM lately and had a question for the people who've had more experience screening clients. What are some things you'll want to know for sure before signing a client? What are some questions to ask the client to determine if they will be a good or bad ORM client, and is there anything they need to do on their end before I get started on my end? I've heard talk here on bhw to avoid the people worried about price, and focus on the people worried about their reputation and their businesses' success. Obviously there is no way to know for sure, but avoiding the most difficult clients in the beginning will clearly be a good way for me to spend my time.

Unhappiness comes from unmet expectations. Before getting into the deal, try to get an overall sense of whether they have a grasp on the value that comes when you deliver on your promises. Like you mentioned, if they keep going back to price they probably aren't seeing the value being added or they could just genuinely be trying to get the best deal possible. Now if they just like to knit-pick on things, that's a good indication they'll be a difficult client in the future.

Practicaly, you can ask them about other services they've purchased or other people they work with (not IM related). Do they have nice things to say about those people? Did those partnerships go well? Or can you almost already hear their complaints about you when someone else asks them that same question in the future about your partnership?

There are more facets to the answer, but hopefully that is a good start in thinking through this.

Be clear on what they will get, find out what they want, and be clear on your pricing.

If something doesn't feel right then don't worry about not taking on a client.

I wrote about this a couple months ago at the Huffington Post. I'll have a followup post in the next month or so.

For me it comes down to experience and your gut feeling. If you have talked with the client on the phone you'll get an idea of their temperament and personality. Look for genuine and nice people.

@KraftyKyle also has great advice below.

KraftyKyle said:

Unhappiness comes from unmet expectations. Before getting into the deal, try to get an overall sense of whether they have a grasp on the value that comes when you deliver on your promises. Like you mentioned, if they keep going back to price they probably aren't seeing the value being added or they could just genuinely be trying to get the best deal possible. Now if they just like to knit-pick on things, that's a good indication they'll be a difficult client in the future.

Click to expand...