In the last 10 years, I worked with many clients from small to enterprise, as a developer, designer, marketing consultant, and many more. I got to a point where I can identify clients that will be a pain in the future. When my colleagues ask me how I know, it’s just a pattern that appears over and over.
So I wanted to make this a series of red flags you can look for while meeting potential clients, whether in a call or the early meetings.
Red Flag Number One – Too Many Managers
When you go to the first meeting with a company to offer your services, the first thing to look for is the chain of command. How many people are in the meeting? Who is in charge?
Avoid companies with many managers with the same decision-making power at all costs. Usually you find this management style in family-owned businesses. The father/mother (owner) is retired and all of the children act as CEO. You also find it in partnerships with no organizational structure: two or more people got together to start a business without appointing someone as CEO.
This is a major red flag. Avoid these types of clients immediately. You will be miserable receiving calls and reporting to so many people with different requirements and styles.
Leave a Reply