Robert and I were talking the other day with
our writer about working with clients and I remembered that when I first
started I would see clients whenever they wanted to meet. I was, after
all, new to the business of sole proprietor and felt I needed to meet every
expectation of each and every client. That meant late nights, weekends
and early mornings. I remember one particular occasion when I was asked
to meet with the clients early on a Sunday afternoon. It would mean I
would be driving out to the construction site which would take about 50 minutes
each way. I was excited about doing the whole house but the client
had yet to pay the retainer I had asked for the project. They told me the
check and signed letter of agreement would be with them on that Sunday.
So, without another thought about it, I made the appointment. The day
dawned bright and clear and I was looking forward to seeing how the project had
progressed since our last meeting. At this point I already had about 2
hours invested without seeing a dime of income. It had also been my
practice to meet with clients the first time at no charge. But, that's
another story.
I met the clients at the appointed time and we went right to work. We
spent about 2 hours going through the roughed-in 4,500 sq. ft. home and I was
lavish with my ideas for the job and very open about resources and the
like. After all, I had the job, didn't I? At the end of the meeting
the clients thanked me for my time and started to get into their car. I
asked about the letter of agreement and they said they had decided to use
another designer and, although they liked many of my earlier ideas and would
incorporate them into the working plan, just wanted to hear more of my ideas in
case they wanted to share them with the new designer selected. Well, I
was dumbstruck. I didn't have a snappy retort and simply stood there as
they drove away. I considered torching the place but decided
better.
What I did decide was Never on Sunday. I also decided not to let myself
be walked on again by prospective clients. It became the policy of my
firm not to meet with prospective clients except during our standard office
hours. By demanding the respect I and my team deserved as professionals
we were able to more accurately qualify new clients. As the years
have rolled by I have certainly met with clients on Saturday, early evenings
and early mornings. Just never on Sunday. It has given me
the time away from the business I need and, at the same time, made me far more
aware of the value of my time when working with clients. Clients
have far more respect for those of us who set certain parameters as to how we
will do business. Consider how you might use the same principal in your
business.
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