What clients want…but don't tell you - tips to increase revenues - includes related article on the top 12 client turnoffs

Home Office Computing, Jan, 1995 by Katherine Ann Samon

A dependable and cordial client suddenly becomes chilly. Perhaps he's not laying the frost in a thick crust. But his puzzling shift in demeanor signals a red flag. And your gut tells you that this client won't be hiring you again. Such an unforeseen income dip would immediately prompt any entrepreneur to wonder "What did I do wrong?" Likewise, a customer known for providing just a trickle of work might, out of the blue, become your biggest account. Your're ecstatic about the jump in revenue but in a moment of reflection you ask yourself, "What am I doing that's so great?" In either case, chances are you could probably use more feedback than you're getting.

We've conducted investigative work to provide you with the answers to what clients really want when hiring a smallbusiness person. Here, customers candidly tell what turns them on and off about working with entrepreneurs. In addition, both clients and entrepreneurs open up about the obstacles that business owners have to overcome in this delicate relationship.

Our interviews have uncovered the kind of behind-the-scenes information that you need to accurately take the pulse of your clients' desires and maintain a thriving business. Most clients start off by sincerely proclaiming, as if by rote, that they hire entrepreneurs based on the following criteria: expertise in a particular field, dependability, high-quality services or products, and fair rates. But when further probed about what they really want when hiring a small business, the real goods spill out. Brace yourself. You're about to read the lowdown on what clients are forever telling each other about you but are probably never going to say to your face.

Be There When I Need You The most straightforward summary of clients' attitudes toward entrepreneurs comes from Tony Tilford, president of Lee Tilford Agency Inc., an advertising firm in Austin, Texas. Tilford, whose company contracts production staff, graphic designers, illustrators, writers, and photographers, says, "This is still an employer-employee relationship. The client is the one providing compensation for the job. The [entrepreneur] should always keep that in mind."

Immediate accessibility and attention head clients' wish lists. Edward Barbini, communications manager for IBM, occasionally contracts outside consultants, writers, and production staff. "If we need a job completed in two weeks, and a vendor says he can't fit our job into his schedule for three weeks, we'll pass on him," he says.

Indeed, few clients have the time, patience, or inclination to wait for you to work them in. "An hour can mean the difference between getting a job or not," says headhunter RitaSue Siegel, owner of RitaSue Siegel Resources in New York City. Siegel matches clients, such as Apple Computer, Estee Lauder, Microsoft, Nissan Motor, and Polo/Ralph Lauren, with professionals specializing in the areas. of graphics, industrial and interior design, architecture, communications, strategy and packaging, retail, and management. If you're a solo entrepreneur who's out in the field often, Siegel advises that you stay in constant contact with your home base and that you provide clients with a way to contact you personally--not just your answering machine. "Let's face it," she says, "clients expect entrepreneurs to be available no matter what."

But how do you tell a client that your schedule forces you to pass on his offer without closing the door to more work?

With diplomacy, showing the client that you appreciate his business but teaching him to respect your time. Let's say, for example, someone calls you about a project that needs to be started and finished on the same dates as your long-awaited vacation. And this time you're determined not to take work with you. To inspire the client to try you again, let him know that you Value the offer and are sincerely sorry to have to pass. "Drop a post card from your vacation spot. You can even call or write a note when you get back," suggests Siegel. "Something as simple as 'I'm back and I'm eager to work with you' really works."

Also keep in mind that when the job is over, it's time for you to gracefully bow out of the picture. "I'm looking for someone who can seamlessly blend in with the needs of our organization. And then-poof---be gone when I don't need him," confides Lee Lusardi, special features editor at a national magazine that routinely employs freelance editors, writers, and researchers.

Sounding too available can be misinterpreted as not being in demand, causing a client to wonder if your work is up to snuff. "I don't want an entrepreneur to say yes to me until he's heard the entire project," admits Lusardi. She remembers one smallbusiness person's successful response to one of her overtures: "'I have several irons in the fire right now, but tell me about your project. It sounds good."' A cheerful, assured, and accommodating attitude distinguishes an entrepreneur's image, dissuading potential customers from assuming you're underused and untested.