In our infinite search and endless attempts to land projects and close clients, it’s often that we will forget our leverage and stance in the industry. Remember that you are the service provider and that you have the right to reject any potential client. Not accepting a project may be detrimental to your wallet and bank account for now, but by accepting the wrong client, you could potentially be harming your reputation and financial stability in the long run.

The following lists five types of clients that you will need to reject because their money isn’t worth the trouble they may have in store for you.

1. The Beggar

The beggar is easy to spot and is usually one of the easiest to reject. They can come in many forms and although they are usually easy to spot, they can be deceiving and manipulative. Beggars are clients that keep on asking and want the most bang for their buck. They will ask for discounts, free revisions, or may even have the nerve to ask for free work in return for the promise of potential future work.

You need to reject the beggar because more often the not, there will be no future work. These are usually egotistical clients who feel like they deserve special treatment. Move on. The time you will be wasting with these clients will set you further back and will take time slots that you could potentially be filling with more valuable clients. Furthermore, the longer the project lasts (and trust me, it’ll usually last months) the more motivation you will lose, and in the end, you will half-ass the project.

How to: It may be hard to reject beggars, especially the ones that are more difficult to spot because all you can think about is the future work that they are promising you. They may seem nice and genuine, but you simply can’t take the risk. If they can’t afford you, then the both of you simply need to accept that. You can reject them by simply saying that they will need to pay full price for the project, and once they’ve proven themselves as a loyal client to you, you can extend future discounts to them when they produce solid leads.

2. The Know-it-all

The Know-it-alls (KIA) are the ones that think they are above you. These are clients that usually have some sort of experience in the field and will approach you as if they don’t need you. Stop here. Let’s take a reality check – if they didn’t need you, they wouldn’t be talking to you in the first place. The KIA will be a pain in your ass simply because throughout the project they will change their minds over and over causing you to revise the concepts a million times before they are satisfied. Their standards are usually too high and often don’t even know what they want. The KIA is usually easy to spot because they will use lots of jargon, and will seem disinterested in meetings and conversations.

You need to reject the Know-it-all simply because they aren’t worth your time. The most successful projects are ones in which both the client and designer are happy to work with each other. If your client questions everything you have to offer and doesn’t take your creative input, then the project won’t last long and you’ll eventually give up. It’ll be detrimental to your reputation because The KIA will use every ounce of influence they have to make sure you don’t succeed. It simply isn’t worth the risk.

How to: It usually isn’t hard to reject Know-It-Alls simply because from the get-go there will tension and animosity. Just tell the client that although you appreciate their interest, you simply can’t take on their project at the moment. You don’t need to say why, and you definitely shouldn’t lie (because they will make sure that you go down in flames). If you’d like, you can go ahead and refer them to any of your industry friends, but make sure to give them a heads up that the referral is a KIA and that they will need to handle them with care.

3. The Family Member

I have a strict rule in which I do not mix business with family. As tempting as it may be to work with family members, I’ve always found that it causes a lot of unnecessary drama and you don’t have to bend your rules. If you do decide to work with a family member, make sure that they understand you won’t be giving them any special privileges and you will treat them as you would any other client. It may be hard for you or your family member to understand this, but trust me when I say this will be the best decision of your life.

Rejecting the family member may be difficult, but it is necessary. Family members will usually expect that they receive special treatment. Not only will you be obligated to provide discounts, you’ll also most likely be summoned outside of your working time.

How to: It’s always tempting to work with people you know, and your family is usually your first target. This is okay when you’re first starting out, but once you’ve developed a reputation and you’ve got a steady stream of clients, working with your family members may be hard. If you need to reject them, just tell them that you simply don’t do business with family. If they continue to persist, you can meet them half way by accepting the project, as long as they understand they will receive no special privileges and that you are to work under your design process.

4. The Hermit

These are clients that refuse to adhere to your design process and your working policies such as sending down payments. I’ve dealt with potential clients who will never send a down payment because they feel extremely insecure. If you have a reputation and you are a working professional with a past client list, you can let them know that you are a trustworthy person and that it’s policy for you to accept only a down payment. Hermits are clients who live in their own world and will refuse to acknowledge the traditions of another. They will try to take charge in the project and it’ll make it extremely difficult for you to do your task and complete your job.

Rejecting the Hermit is simple, but important. If you don’t, you will spend hours arguing with your client and you will have bad vibes until completion. This is because the Hermit will feel as if you’re constantly trying to take advantage of them, or you are questioning their authority.

How to: You can reject a hermit from the get go. Simply tell them that it’s policy that you secure a down payment. Let them know that down payments are considering binding payments and that the both of you are safe. Contracts make it a lot easier.

5. The Mirage

Mirages are clients that seem too good to be true. They are the ones that pretend to be some huge corporation with lots of money in their pockets and ready to hire, but oddly are on a tight budget, tight deadline, and won’t send down payments to protect themselves. Until you actually see the money in your bank account, I’d be extremely cautious. They use plenty of plural words like, “We are…”, “We this…”, and while it’s plausible that there may be more then one person behind the mask, they are usually all talk. Avoid the clients who look big, but have no budget, and worse, won’t even adhere to your policies.

Mirages are important to reject because if you don’t, you could lure yourself into securing a fraudulent project which will cost you time, money, and unnecessary stress. You can red flag a potential client as a Mirage quite easily. If they are building themselves up to be some huge and important client, just ask to see some credentials. Usually you’ll be able to use your intuition and decide whether these guys are for real or not. Either way, you should never accept a project without a down payment unless there is a written agreement.

How to: Simply ask the Mirage to adhere to your policies such as sending down payments. If they resist, they aren’t worth the trouble. Contracts can take days, even weeks to materialize, and often don’t happen. It’s easier for you to simply move on and let them find a different freelancer. But make sure that Mirages are indeed Mirages; otherwise you could miss out on a huge opportunity. Use your discretion.

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