What makes a consulting client great vs frustrating? How can you land more ideal clients (and less nightmare ones)?
Spoiler: The difference between ideal clients and less-than-ideal clients is about more than just how much you’re paid and the planned scope of work (though generous compensation is welcome).
How we FEEL about the work we’re doing, the clients we’re doing it for, and our interactions with those clients makes an enormous difference in our lives as consultants.
A nightmare client can keep you up at night and make you question whether you’ve made a terrible mistake running your own business.
An ideal client can make your work feel meaningful and rewarding—and keep your cash flow humming along smoothly.
But how can you know the difference?
Here’s a fun little breakdown we created for ourselves about five different types of clients (good and bad) and tips to get more of the clients you like—and avoid the ones you don’t.
The Steady Consulting Retainer Client (Ideal)
This is the kind of client many consultants dream of. These clients pay you every month, without fail and without question. They are grateful simply to have access to your time and expertise when they need it (and they don’t always need it).
If you’re looking to land more of these clients, focus on two areas during the interview and intake process:
- Clients will reveal a lot about what it’s like to work with them during your discovery call. So be sure to take note of their manner and responses at this early stage. Are they relaxed and curious? Are they clear about what they need support with? Are they realistic about outcomes? Do they listen to the insights you share and seem excited?
- In your scope of work, get super clear on what is included and what is not. For example, you might offer “up to” 5 hours of your time per month—but under certain conditions. Calls might need to be scheduled at a regular cadence. Requests for support might need to be received a certain number of days in advance of any deadlines. Hours might be on a “use it or lose it” basis. The key is to think about what creates ease for YOU, while still adding value for the client.
For those at the very start of your nonprofit consulting career, we also recommend checking out our full guide to becoming a nonprofit consultant.
The Deadline-Heavy Consulting Client
Grant writers and fundraising consultants in particular can get bogged down with deadline-heavy clients. Disorganized nonprofits especially tend to throw deadlines your way with little warning and much anxiety.
A few ways to spot and/or manage these clients:
- During the discovery call, does the client seem anxious or pushy? Do they want “all the things” at once—more grants, more prospects, a real funder database, etc.? Do they have unrealistic expectations about timelines or outcomes? Do they want you to start tomorrow? These could all be red flags about a client who may be difficult to work with.
- In your scope of work and contract, define minimum lead times for deadlines. How much time do YOU need for a realistic, less stressful turnaround? How much time do you need to juggle this client’s deadline with deadlines for other clients you’ve also committed to?
- In your contract, set rush fees for requests that have shorter lead times than those covered under standard services. Yes, charging rush fees seems easier said than done, but if you lay out the fees and process up front, it will be much easier to stick to.
- Ask about the client’s internal review process and define your role in it. Note that you do not have to be responsible for shepherding internal review processes—even if some clients assume you will. You can use your contract to set expectations up front.
The “Chase-Me” Client (Generally NOT an Ideal Client)
Sometimes, we all end up with a “will they or won’t they…” client. These clients take weeks to review a scope of work. Then more weeks to sign a contract. They may be slow on payments and slow in providing feedback or input during your work together.
Unless this client is paying you a LOT of money, they can easily end up costing you more than you earn.
Things to look for:
- A client pushes you for a discovery call, scope of work, etc., but then delays follow-up or sends vague “thinking about it” type responses. The reality is that not every discovery call or scope of work leads to a contract. If a couple of polite follow-up messages don’t work, it’s okay to let this prospect go for now.
- A client misses project deadlines. They don’t send you their materials on time. They keep pushing off planning meetings. They don’t provide feedback when requested—then send a 20-point list of revisions a month later. If you keep dealing with this type of client, consider adding a “stop and restart” fee to your standard contracts that come into effect if a client delays their end of a project by a certain amount of time.
- A client misses or delays a payment. If this has happened to you, you’re not alone. As harsh as it sounds, you can’t keep working if you aren’t paid. You have to stop! We recommend including provisions about up-front and late payments as a standard part of every contract, and making sure clients understand what they mean.
The Demanding Consulting Client
These are the clients who think you work for them. They treat you more like an employee than a consultant. They expect you to solve all their problems—but only pay for one solution.
- If a prospective client seems disorganized, pushy, or demanding on a discovery call, take note! There’s a good chance that’s how they will treat you as a consultant. You may still choose to move forward, but you’ll want to put extra provisions in place to protect your time, energy, and mental health.
- The biggest fix for these clients is to get super specific on your scope of work. Define what is included and what is not included in your fee. Get detailed! If you are facilitating a board retreat, make it clear that the client (not you) is responsible for confirming dates and availability. Spell out the process for developing the agenda, including when and how the client will provide input.
Also, if you’re struggling with a lot of less-than-ideal consulting clients, sometimes a refresh of your discovery and intake process can make all the difference. This is the type of deep-dive work we do with consultants in our 1:1 Nonprofit Consulting Boot Camp – an intensive, 60-day private coaching and business development program for nonprofit consultants.
The “Branching Out” Client (Ideal When Adding New Consulting Services)
When you’re pivoting or expanding your services, you may want to give them a test run. These engagements can be super fun, especially if you find clients who are willing to grow and learn with you.
A few notes when piloting new services with clients:
- During discovery calls or when networking, don’t undersell yourself. Just because you haven’t provided this EXACT service before doesn’t mean you won’t do an amazing job. Remember that you are adding this service because you already have the core skills to make it work.
- If you offer your new services at a lower price point, make it clear that this is an introductory price and that it will go up in the future. This way, you can take a little pressure off yourself while still being able to quickly raise prices as your confidence and list of happy clients grow.
- Plan to spend more time than expected when providing a new service the first couple of times. This is completely normal. With practice (and more clients), you’ll build templates, create efficiencies, and benefit from your increased confidence.
A Closing Note on Ideal vs Difficult Clients
Client dry spells happen to all consultants. Sometimes, it feels like new clients are an endangered species. You’re desperate to get anyone to sign a contract so you can revitalize your checking or savings account.
But you don’t have to say yes to every client or project that comes your way. If you get a spidey sense that a client is going to be hard to work with, listen to that feeling.
Use the tips above to assess whether the client may become difficult to work with. If you decide to move forward, use your contract to put in place the tools we’ve shared to protect yourself.
And remember: every difficult client creates an opportunity cost. If you’re focused on them, you have less time to find and land the great clients you really want.
