Friend,

For every 10 good clients, you'll have one that's an absolute nightmare.

You know, those clients who message you 24/7 expect 10 revisions and constantly interfere with everything you write?

We've all worked with these kinds of clients but what if there was a way you could avoid them?

A way you could tell if they're going to be a bad client from the onset?

Over the past three years I've noticed "bad clients" tend to share a common set of traits.

If you can spot these during your initial call, you'll be able to turn the client down before they give you headaches.

Because honestly, they're never worth the hassle.

Here are three things I look out for.

1) They Ask For a Discount

This is the NUMBER ONE red flag.

If they ask for a discount, you can almost guarantee they're going to be a pain.

In my experience, prospects who ask for a discount are always the ones who want additional work.

They're always looking to get something for free.

They'll ask for as many revisions as they can, even when there's nothing to revise.

So how do you deal with them?

If someone asks me for a 20% discount I'll say something along the lines of:

2. They Don't Respect Your Time

A few months ago I was talking to a prospect in the e-commerce niche.

He was having problems selling to his email list & I said I could help.

We booked a meeting for 4:30 on the Monday.

I joined the call & he wasn't there.

15 minutes later...

Nothing.

I left the call & asked if he wanted to reschedule.

He got back to me at 5:15 telling me he wanted to call in 5 minutes (he didn't even apologise for not turning up).

I decided to jump on the call anyway & instantly felt something was off.

After the call I went to BJJ in the evening and got back to 12 messages on my phone.

He was spamming me to give him email tips (we hadn't even signed a contract yet).

I told him it wasn't a good fit and to find someone else.

Dodged a bullet there.

3) They Ask To Pay After The Work Is Complete

This is how a lot of new copywriters get scammed.

They work with clients who offer to pay once the work is complete.

Then, when everything's done the prospect will raise an issue as to why they can't pay.

You see this happen all the time and still, copywriters fall for it.

If a prospect suggests this, ask for a 50% payment upfront.

50% upfront, 50% once the work is complete.

I've never had someone reject this offer & it helps create trust from the onset.

If they refuse this then somethings definitely up.

Make your payment terms clear or the project is a no-go.

To summarise, look out for these three when signing a new client:

1) They Ask For A Discount

2) They Don't Respect Your Time

3) They're Not Willing To Pay Upfront

If any of these happen, avoid the project and look for a different client.

As you gain more experience in business you'll begin to spot these things & will eventually have an instinct as to whether or not a client is a good fit.

Until that happens, these three points will keep you away from most bad clients.

Have a great week,

- Copy "Avoid Bad Clients" Maverick