Ep #8: Have you ever been in a situation where a client was always complaining about the work, changing their mind at the last moment, or wanting to get more for less money? These situations can drain your energy and even harm your business relationships.

In this episode, we will go through different situations with Ilise Benun to see how you can turn difficult clients into good clients.

Ilise is the founder of Marketing-Mentor.com, the go-to online resource for creative professionals who want better projects with bigger budgets.

She is a national speaker, the author of 7 business books, including The Creative Professional’s Guide to Money, a business coach, host of the Get Better Clients Bootcamp and a Program Partner for HOW Design Live, adjunct faculty at Pratt Institute and Maryland Institute College of Art.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• [00:21] About the episode and Ilise Benun
• [02:14] Ilise talks about her work with creative entrepreneurs and the marketing tools she uses
• [04:09] How to prevent working with difficult clients
• [04:48] Don’t ignore the red flags
• [06:24] How to work effectively with clients who are trainable
• [10:43] How to handle a difficult client when you really need the income
• [13:37] What to do if a client changes their mind about the end product
• [15:08] The risks of not having a contract and how simple a contract can be
• [17:19] How to prevent miscommunication with your clients
• [17:55] A story about a miscommunication between Ilise and her client and how she resolved it
• [20:13] How to leverage difficult situations in your favor
• [22:44] Why training your clients is crucial for establishing healthy boundaries
• [25:45] What to do when a client is overly involved and talkative
• [29:24] How your pricing structure can prevent (or cause) surprises when things go wrong
• [30:41] How to deal with the pushy person
• [32:08] The three key actions to take when you sense a difficult client
• [33:23] Where to find Ilise Benun and what she’s doing currently
• [34:40] For the show notes go to marinabarayeva.com and subscribe to the Marketing for Creatives show

Episode show notes:

How to Turn Difficult Clients into Good Clients

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