How To Deal With Difficult Clients Instead of Firing Them

Ready to fire your client? Before you do, watch this 5 minute video on alternatives to firing your client that might actually be a better solution.
Want a deeper dive? thefutur.com/pro-group
===
👉Subscribe: goo.gl/F2AEbk
👉See our Academy Channel: goo.gl/vB9zoP
🎙 Futur Podcast: thefutur.com/podcast/
✍️ Futur Blog: thefutur.com/blog/
-
Love the content? Become a sustaining member for $5/mo today.
goo.gl/nwekfL
BOOKLIST -
Essential Reading for Creative Professionals: bit.ly/biz-booklist
Essential Design Books: bit.ly/futur-design-books
Kits & Proposals:
goo.gl/mSjuWQ
Visit our website:
www.thefutur.com
FREE resources:
goo.gl/Qh6gHr
-
We love getting your letters. Send it here:
The Futur
c/o Chris Do
1702 Olympic Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
USA
-
AFFILIATE LINKS*
🙏 Support The Futur by purchasing through our affiliate links:
Amazon: bit.ly/thefuturishere
Webflow: bit.ly/2EbET9l
Retro Supply Co.: bit.ly/2GW8gzR
Creative Market: goo.gl/g4jlTE
Design Cuts: bit.ly/2GSsAR3
✍️ Sharpen your skills by taking a course, using our affiliate links:
School of Motion: bit.ly/futur-som
Bring Your Own Laptop Tutorials: byol.me/thefutur
🎧 Do you like the music? Check out the music libraries we use in our affiliate links below:
Skillshare: skl.sh/34z8qVj
Epidemic Sound: share.epidemicsound.com/thefutur
Artlist: bit.ly/2uWdna7
Get our FAVORITE notebook from Baron Fig: baronfig.com/?ref=zQoKL
*By making a purchase through any of our affiliate links, we receive a very small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us on our mission to provide quality education to you. Thank you.
-
Host: Chris Do
Producer: Mark Contreras
Cinematographers/Editors: Stewart Schuster, Ricky Lucas, Jona Garcia
Social Team: Elle Money, Alex Burlui
Futur Theme Music: Adam Sanborne www.adamsanborne.com
Typefaces: Futura, DIN, Helvetica Now, Calibre, Knockout, Champion Gothic

[@UnrealSpecterz]

I think it is really underestimated how much experience it must have taken Chris to present such a hard conversation in such a way that it addresses the problem without pointing any fingers. I think it is underestimated how much of a word wizard Chris ACTUALLY is. I can see that now because this week i learned how much i am not (:

[@hashrosinking1608]

If you searched up this video it's time to let the client go.

[@ax400kara3]

hi, my boss is my client and he's the worst! so indecisive ... he's the type who goes I'll know what I want when I see it type of client... I need to leave.

[@SzandorXint]

My definition for "difficult" would be: when do I let go of a project that no longer represents the quality work I do, and how will this work represent me after publishing. At the end of the day when final product is turned in and it does well, the client wants all the credit, but if it does bad everyone blames the designer.

[@tonybp]

This could be the most important topic right now. It seems like difficult clients are growing exponentially.

[@BrandingBuff]

These are 6 mins for every design business / person to keep in their bookmarks, loved the way it brought perspective back into the reaction, and also put the options on the table for all to have an idea of possible outcomes, thus providing options that serves more than one way. Then, wrangling it with a civilized discussion and even having a bye bye dinner. It's an excellent way of addressing a potentially hairy moment 👍

[@theragingdolphinsmaniac4696]

It's nice to see somebody gets it. Business relationships are like any other kind of relationship, and interactions with business partners, employees, supervisors, etc are no different than ones with a spouse, sibling or friend. And when things go wrong, a lot of the same reasons apply. Stop thinking in terms of organizations and start thinking in terms of people and their needs...

[@mianala]

A nonjudging, do not assign value! REVELATION!!!

[@raerlymade]

Need Chris in my back pocket. Any books I can read on articulation? He makes it look so easy I love it. Thanks Futr 🙏🏽

[@RomboutVersluijs]

One thing about the account manager. I wonder if that would actually cause noise in the conversations. Since in both directions, communication is by a 3rd person. If the time-frame already is short, another person in pipe-line doing the intermediar work, will actually make communication longer.

[@Desertpunk1986]

Uggh we just went through this with a client and during the options portion she blew up in a fit of anger. Called names, acted like a child. Demanded special treatment and even asked us to remove another client off our calendar for her. Insanity.

[@i_vanta]

Wow this is well-timed.

[@mosesnandi]

He is a treasure, truly!

[@eruemubrainiac]

It's always amazing learning from this place.

[@AgitNaeta]

Dude this is golden ❤️

[@robwembley]

Thank you for sharing this !

[@lizcooper1908]

Fantastic tips!!!! I am very impressed!

[@andromedag3000]

This is 🥇. I’m watching on repeat until this is drilled into my head. Honestly, this isn’t just useful for clients it’s useful for internal teams too - where you can’t fire them and have to work together. The whole “you give us the deadline but not the content and then no time to finish” part is a very real and huge pain and this conversation WILL be used to reset boundaries and expectations for working better with other teams. Thanks Chris

[@_Diggler]

That 3/2 solution is BOMB!

[@karmicsoul4444]

Brilliant!