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I once had a client insist that she couldn’t engage in financial transitions while Mercury was in retrograde. In other words, she couldn’t pay me until the planets realigned themselves. While she did end up paying (about two months later), this situation highlighted just how precarious my income was.
At the time, I had no contracts with any of my clients. I relied entirely on them sticking to their word. I was traveling the world and working with clients from different countries, and I realized I really had no idea what to do (or if there was even anything I could do) if they didn’t pay me.
I learned the hard way about spotting problem clients before they drain your soul and empty your bank account. Though I was left more than a little jaded, one benefit of these hard-won lessons is that I can share them with other freelancers and hopefully help others avoid the mistakes I made.
Whether you’re offering commercial real estate for rent in South Melbourne, providing legal services in New York, or traveling the world as a digital nomad, the tips below have been designed to help you spot and deal with nightmare clients.
Here are seven battle-tested strategies to protect your business from clients who should come with warning labels.
1. Pay Attention To How They Value Time
When a potential client sends you an “urgent” email at 11 pm (or even 4:59 PM), clearly expecting an immediate response, they’re showing you exactly how they’ll behave throughout your entire relationship.
These time-boundary crushers often start with “quick questions” that evolve into midnight phone calls about their sudden creative epiphanies. Set clear communication hours early, and pay attention to how they respond. Someone who respects your boundaries during negotiations will likely respect them during the project.
A more subtle variant of this to look at is how they value their own time. I had a client once who would ask for meetings on the weekend and who answered emails at odd hours of the day.
When I respectfully declined a Sunday meeting invite and asked for it to be scheduled within my work hours, she was happy to accommodate. But here’s the thing: she told me she’s always so pressed for time, she’s pretty much always working. And as our professional relationship continued, I found I was constantly getting last-minute work from her that had to be done within unrealistic time frames.
She was a lovely person, but her lack of respect for her own time meant she really didn’t have the ability to respect the time of others. It’s up to you whether you’re willing to step into client relationships like this. However, I can tell you from experience, they will end up eating into your boundaries.
2. Beware Scope Creepers
Some clients have a special talent for turning a simple website update into a complete brand overhaul—while expecting to pay the original price.
Listen carefully for phrases like “while you’re in there” or “it should be easy to just add.” These innocent-sounding words often precede the most expensive free work you’ll ever do.
How can you avoid scope creep? Create detailed project scopes and make sure your contract specifically addresses change requests and their associated costs (more on contracts in point 6).
3. Trust Your Gut In Budget Discussions
When someone spends 20 minutes explaining why they can’t pay your full rate but promises “exposure” or “future opportunities,” run. Run fast. The clients who haggle hardest about price almost always demand the most work and create the biggest headaches.
Quality clients understand that expertise comes at a cost. They might negotiate, but they won’t try to convince you that exposure will pay your mortgage.
4. Check Their Communication Style
Pay attention to how potential clients write emails or conduct initial calls. If they can’t clearly express what they want during the honeymoon phase, they won’t suddenly become better communicators once you’re working together.
Look for people who can articulate their needs, respond to questions directly, and maintain professional courtesy even when discussing challenges.
5. Research Their History
A client’s past behavior predicts their future actions with stunning accuracy. Search their business name plus words like “lawsuit,” “complaint,” or “review.” Check their social media interactions with other businesses.
One negative review might be a fluke—a pattern of complaints is a five-alarm fire you should avoid. Also, notice how they talk about their previous service providers. If everyone they’ve worked with was “terrible,” guess who’s next in line for that label?
6. Get Everything in Writing
That lovely phone call where you and the client agreed on all project details? It never happened unless you documented it. Some clients have an amazing ability to forget conversations that don’t align with their current wishes.
Create detailed contracts that specify deliverables, timelines, payment terms, and what constitutes project completion. Send recap emails after every major discussion. Your future self will thank you when the client swears they never agreed to that timeline.
7. Watch for Respect Indicators
Notice how potential clients treat everyone they interact with, not just you. Do they talk over people in meetings? Dismiss others’ expertise? Blame everyone else for their problems? These behaviors rarely improve once they’re paying you.
Look for clients who value professional expertise, respect boundaries, and understand that successful projects require mutual cooperation.
Implementing these strategies might mean turning down work—and that’s okay. The time you spend avoiding nightmare clients is an investment in your business’s future and your mental health. That dream client who showers you with compliments but raises three of these red flags? They’re not your dream client. They’re a nightmare waiting to happen.
Remember: difficult clients don’t always start out difficult, but they usually do give subtle signs that they’re going to be problematic. Your best defense is a strong screening process and the courage to say no when red flags appear.
Your time, expertise, and peace of mind are valuable resources. Protect them as fiercely as you protect your business’s bank account. Because sometimes the most profitable client is the one you never take on.
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