🚩 13 Red flags in your leads

I have worked with professional-services businesses like coaches, agencies, photographers, freelancers, and accountants for a long time now. Bad clients exist in every industry, but they always share the same problem patterns.

Some clients are a dream to work with. Others… not so much.

Here are 13 red flags that should make you think twice before signing a client:

🚩 Misses payment deadlines – If they delay payment before you even start, expect more excuses later.

🚩 Vague about what they need – If they can't clearly articulate their goals, you’ll end up figuring it out for them (unpaid).

🚩 Micromanages everything – If they don’t trust your expertise, they’ll question every decision you make.

🚩 Asks for a discount – Quality clients value your expertise. Bargain hunters will always expect more for less.

🚩 Sends emails at all hours – If they message you at 10 PM on a Sunday, expect them to demand immediate replies.

🚩 "This will be a quick job" – Translation: They have no idea what’s involved and will likely scope creep.

🚩 Doesn’t respect boundaries – Pushes for calls outside work hours, expects unlimited revisions, or ignores agreed-upon timelines.

🚩 Badmouths previous service providers – If they say “The last coach/consultant/freelancer was awful”, there’s a good chance they were the problem.

🚩 Doesn’t sign a contract – If they’re hesitant to agree to terms, they’re a risk to your business. No client is that special.

🚩 Over-promises future work – “We’ll have tons of work for you!” but won’t commit to paying for this project. We live in our current reality, not their future fantasy.

🚩 Compares you to cheaper alternatives – "I found someone on Fiverr for $50" - go hire them then.

🚩 Disorganised decision-making – Too many stakeholders, conflicting feedback, or unclear approval processes. You don’t want to get caught in the crossfire.

🚩 No respect for your time – Constant rescheduling, late to meetings, or expects instant replies. We work WITH you, not FOR you.

As a general rule if you see any of these flags then be wary, but if you see more than 2 of these red flags you should think twice before working with the client.

What’s your biggest client red flag? Reply to this email or let me know in the Substack comments 👇

P.s. found this one useful? You will likely enjoy my post on “Am I a bad client” and/or my post on “red flags when hiring freelancers” (to see what people should watch out for in you).

💡 Quote I'm pondering

People who preach hard work are often fanatics. “Hustle Porn” is real.Keep your focus on your goal. Direction is more important than speed.

Yes, we could always work more - but at what cost?

There is always a cost. Sometimes it is worth paying, sometimes it isn’t.

Knowing this cost is the difference between being rich vs being both rich and happy.

I shared this in my Work Smart Wednesday newsletter. Want the full set of related insights? You can read them here: https://worksmartwednesday.substack.com/p/work-smart-wednesday-march-26-2025

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