Managing multiple clients can be one of the most challenging topics, especially for designers just starting out. Even with my years of experience, I still find client management to be a tough issue to get a hold of. In the last of our Essentials series I’ll outline some of my own strategies for prioritizing clients and deciding what projects to accept and what projects to ignore or put on the back burner.
The Issue: When there’s too much on your plate
Every web designer strives to have a constant flow of work, which also means a consistent flow of income. Many times we find ourselves pressured into accepting more work then we can handle, simply because the prospect of payment is so tantalizing. This isn’t so much the case with full time designers, because design is their work, so they’re used to having clients pile up and working multiple high-end projects at the same time. Meanwhile, us freelancers who may have other jobs and obligations may be tempted to accept more work than we could ever accomplish in a specific amount of time.
Don’t Eat too Much
The first and probably most important step to successfully managing clients is to never take on too much work. I myself tend to go through spells where I’ll get absolutely no work requests, followed by a period of email after email asking me to do this and do that. I ran into this situation just last week as I was attempting to find a few small jobs I could do after my exams. I scoured through job boards and forum posts, but every potential project was either too involved or too simple for my liking. I knew I didn’t have much time, so I didn’t want to commit to work I couldn’t get done, because we all know how damaging unhappy clients could be.
That same day I received two emails out of the blue asking me to take on full-scale design projects. It was decision time. I decided to handle things one at a time, and get a feel for the projects first before I decided what one I would attempt to tackle first.
Prioritize
Once you figure out what projects you plan on going forth with, the next step is to prioritize. If you get multiple requests around the same time period, get in touch with the potential client and gather some more information on a particular project. Note how extensive a particular project might be, the deadlines you’d need to hit, and your own estimation on how quickly you’d be able to get the work completed. You may have someone email you early in the morning saying “I need an illustration done”, and in the evening you find yourself with a request for a “robust cms backend site”. While on paper (and in the bank) the larger project may seem better, if you have the ability to take on both at the same time, get the illustration out of the way first so you can focus more time and effort on the largest project. First come first serve isn’t always better either. Just because Client A contacted you first doesn’t mean that it’s Client A’s work that will be completed first.
Don’t be afraid
While having a positive attitude is always a sticking point for landing clients, so is being able to confront them about possible schedule issues and work out alternative plans. Not every client will have a strict deadline, but if you do not ask, you will never know. Don’t be afraid to get in touch with clients and ask how important it is that this is completed by day “x”. If a client doesn’t have a particular schedule that needs sticking to, you can easily move around other clients and put ones with looser time tables on the back burner for a while.
When things come up
And finally, sometimes you find yourself running into a wall and getting jammed on one specific project that becomes the focus of all your time and effort. It’s important to never leave your clients out to dry. Keep them in the loop with updates on other client work, and if you’re forced to pull out of their work request because you’re simply too busy, make sure you let them know promptly you they have time to begin a search for a new designer. In the end, whether you do the work or not, the client will be much happier that you worked things out with them and came right out to announce things, instead of putting them off until last minute.
Your Turn
Have your own thoughts on managing many clients at once? Share them in the comments, the more tips the better it will make everyone here. It is late, so I’m sure I could have missed key points, so feel free to point them out.
