If you’ve been a freelancer for more than two minutes, you’ve seen a posting like this on one of the many online forums for independent professionals:

“I have a client who contacted me to redesign her web page. The project started off well but now it’s a disaster. The client keeps asking for more changes, and it’s taking more of my time than I budgeted. I have tried to schedule a call with her to wrap things up, but she won’t respond to my e-mails. I need to finish this project so I can get paid!”

While we need our clients, there’s no doubt that some are tough to handle. Let’s talk about two types of challenging clients and how to deal with them.

The “Just One More Thing” Client

This is the example I gave above. Some clients just aren’t ready to let a project be done. They keep asking for one more iteration, and it can be frustrating if you can’t call a project done and get paid. Here are some strategies for dealing with the never-ending project.

Get a Deposit Up Front: Many first-time freelancers do all the work first and then send an invoice. This is a big no-no. Instead, ask for a deposit of 30 to 50 percent of the project value up front and then (depending on the size and length of the project) milestone payments over the course of the engagement. That way you’re not left holding the bag when a client is slow
to close out a project.

Agree on a Clear Scope of Work: It’s tempting (especially when you’re going through a dry spell) to just say yes to any project that comes along without worrying too much about the details. But without a detailed list of deliverables, a limited number of changes, and a clear definition of the final output, you’ll be stuck in an endless revision loop.

Don’t Give Away Your Time: If you feel like a client is continuing to ask for work that’s outside of the scope, you don’t have to say no, but make sure you get paid when you say yes. When the client asks for an extra revision, respond (politely) with an hourly rate and an estimate of time.

The Poor Communicator Client

A good client engages with you and communicates in a way that helps you move the project along. Unfortunately, not everyone is a good communicator. Some go dark for weeks, allowing a lovely project plan to lapse because you can’t move forward without their feedback. Others send you long, meandering e-mails that don’t address any of your questions. And some are just downright rude and abusive. Dealing with a poor communicator can turn an otherwise fun project into a nightmare. Here are some tips for staying on track.

Schedule a Weekly Project Call: For projects that last more than a couple of weeks, you need to have a regular check-in. This call should have an agenda (created by you) and include everyone you need input from to move the ball forward. After the meeting, send around a list of action items and expectations so you can clearly show what you need.

Don’t Let a Client Yell at You: When you are the business owner and the project manager and the person creating the deliverables, there’s no one else to help manage the client relationship. If your client is upset, you’re going to get the call. But that’s no excuse for letting a client behave in a less than professional way. You can politely end a phone call if a client is clearly over the line or end a contract if a client sends you an email full of personal attacks.

No matter what kind of difficult client you’re dealing with, the key to resolving the issue is to keep your cool and stay focused on the facts. While it’s tempting to respond to a rude e-mail with an angry response, it will only escalate the situation. Your goal is always to clarify the facts and manage the situation so you can move forward in a productive way.

You can’t always control how your clients behave, but you can set boundaries. Having a clear scope of work, regular communication, and milestone payments will help you stay on track. One of the biggest differences when you transition from working for a company to working for yourself is the fact that you end up wearing all the hats, from marketing and sales to project management to accounts receivable. But if you have good systems, including specific proposals and a clear scope of work, you’ll be able to manage the toughest client.