The Secret to Never Having Another PITA Content Marketing Client Again
We have all had those clients — the ones we deem as PITA (yes, that is pain in the “backside”) clients. While yes, they existed in journalism, I do believe that PITA clients are more frequent in content marketing than in working for consumer and trade publications. The main reason is that many content marketing clients are using freelancers for the first time and don’t have processes or experience with how to best work with writers.
With journalism it was also easy for writers to know which outlets had a great reputation and would most likely be professional. But with content marketing, it is very possible that a small agency in a small town that you’ve never heard of has a huge client and is doing excellent work. These factors, along with the fact that with content marketing every business is a potential client but with journalism there was a defined list of publications, make the PITA client much more of an issue.
PITA clients don’t just cause stress, they cost you money. Each time I either unknowingly or knowingly (sometimes I need the work) take a PITA client, I find the following:
- They require more time per story than easy clients, which causes your hourly rate to decrease.
- They increase your stress, which reduces your overall health and productivity.
- They suck the joy out of being a freelance writer and make you want to go back to an office job.
What does your PITA client look like?
We each have our own version of what makes a PITA client. For example, some writers find that clients who have short deadlines or ask for quick turnarounds are PITAs, but those don’t bother me. In fact, I often tell clients up front that I am available for short turnarounds and can even do things in 24 to 48 hours if needed, because I find that this helps me get more business and become a go-to writer for a client. But not getting back to me quickly (and my definition of quick is a few hours at the most) drives me insane.
Here is my list of what makes a PITA client:
- Does not know what they want and changes their mind constantly.
- Has endless revisions that could easily have been made all in one round but makes them incrementally throughout 3 million different versions.
- Does not provide me with access to what I need to do my job well (access to experts, internal documents, etc.).
- Has ironclad opinions and does not take the expertise they are paying me for, but blames me when their strategy doesn’t work.
- Doesn’t answer emails or phone calls.
- Is looking only for sporadic work or a one-off.
However, my list is irrelevant. What matters is what types of client habits increase your stress level and decrease your hourly rate. What are the habits and work styles that make you unproductive? That is what really matters. My PITA client might be your dream client. The secret is knowing how to spot your specific PITA client a mile away as well as knowing the type of client that is going to love working with you and provide the environment that you need to do your best work.
So right now we are going to have a break in this blog and I want everyone to do the following:
- Write down the qualities that make a client a PITA for you.
- Make a quick list of your current clients.
- Think about each client one by one while keeping your definition of a PITA client in mind. If the client matches it, then circle the client’s name.
While you most likely can’t immediately fire your PITA client (but oh, wouldn’t that be nice), spend some time thinking about whether you can guide the client to behaviors that are more conducive to you doing your best work or whether you should begin planning to let the client go. If the client is less than 20 percent of your income, then I typically recommend letting the client go and working to find a new client. However, if your family depends on your income for food or electricity, then you may want to use a lower percentage. I find that if you wait to fire a client until you have a replacement, you almost never actually do it. But if you drop a PITA or low payer, then you have the time (and the incentive) to market yourself — and you almost always can find a better client very quickly.
Spotting a PITA client before you say yes
Letting a client go is no fun. Not to mention the stress and lost hours that it takes to get to that point. So the ultimate goal is to try not to take on a PITA client in the first place. OR at least charge a PITA surcharge to help offset the hourly rate loss. But sometimes PITA clients appear to be great ones in email and vice versa. I find that the secret to avoiding 95 percent of the PITA clients is to get on the phone with each and every content marketing client that you anticipate having a long-term relationship with and get to know each other.
Yes, I know, many writers don’t like to get on the phone. But seriously, this is the best defense and honestly the best way to find great clients. I’m going to write more in the next few weeks about this strategy of talking on the phone before working with a client, but I wanted to throw out the idea so that the introverted writers among us can start getting used to it. By asking thoughtful questions that reveal information that will help you can determine if your client has characteristics that are on your PITA list, you can learn a lot of useful information very quickly. And on the flip side, when you are on the phone with someone, it is pretty easy to tell if you connect with them or if you are not quite on the same wavelength. There is a chemistry — an ease and a shared perspective — when you are talking to a prospective client who is a great fit. And that feeling is what we should all aim to find with potential clients. Because when comes down to, it is almost always those clients that end up being the most rewarding personally and financially.
What characteristics are on your PITA list? How do you weed out PITA clients?
This is such a needed post! My very first freelance client was a PITA (although it was in journalism, not content marketing). Not only did they send my stress level through the roof, but they paid very little per article. (I find that the low-payers also tend to be the high-maintenance clients!) The editor was difficult to get a response from and fairly critical, blunt and abrupt when she did respond. As a new writer, it caused me to believe that all editors/clients would be hard to please like that—but since then, I’ve had many positive experiences and good relationships with clients. Right now, I don’t have a single PITA client, which is wonderful! The closest thing I face is for one client, I have to seek source approval for every piece I write (it’s a custom publishing magazine/blog). Sometimes that is challenging when sources want to change something over and over again (a million little revisions, as you said) or rewrite my article or suggest capitalization or grammatical changes that are incorrect (!) . . . but the editor/marketing manager is awesome to work with, and she is ultimately in charge, so it’s still a great client. It’s just the curse of having too many eyes and opinions on each piece, but that’s the way they do things because they want to keep everyone happy with the results, so I can live with it.
I totally agree about getting the potential client on the phone (or meeting in person, if they’re local). My current biggest client (an agency) called me up and we chatted for a bit about each other’s work histories before she offered me my first gig. I liked her and trusted her immediately, and she has been awesome to work with so far. So yeah, gut instincts are worth trusting and you can tell so much more from actually talking to someone on the phone. I also find that it builds trust and increases the ease of communication and understanding, even as you move forward with working on projects. I check in with all three of my current bigger clients every week or two via phone so we can talk through upcoming content and make sure we’re on the same page, and have found it works much better than email for most people.
Oh gosh, your first client sounds horrid!
I totally agree that a lot of it is gut feel on this. And you are right it does build trust. I really find that by finding the clients that are the best fit for my strengths (and willing to put up with my weaknesses) as well as my personality is where I am happiest and earn the best hourly rate.
Great list, Jennifer! My ‘PITA’ clients are the ones who like to play ‘guess what I’m thinking.’ They won’t give you a clear explanation of what they need *or* they tell you ‘x’, you follow that directive, and then they come back with ‘No, no, that wasn’t the route I wanted to go at all….’ Grrr…. Many revisions later you’re still trying to get an understanding of what they’re after….today (because it’s likely to change tomorrow).
And I couldn’t agree more. I always try to have at least one ‘live’ conversation with a new client, particularly if we’re talking about a big job right off the bat, as I think you can really suss out at lot of good information. 🙂
OMG, love that phrase – the guess what I’m thinking game. I hate that game. Almost as much as the introducing the new person into the revision process on the third round who has lots of opinions.
I totally agree, you really can learn so much more over the phone than through email.
Hi Jennifer, your article is spot-on, especially ‘Has ironclad opinions and does not take the expertise they are paying me for, but blames me when their strategy doesn’t work’. That describes my bluechip former PITA client who I binned after 18 months of working for them. Thankfully one of my other clients had just extended my contract so I could let them go, with thanks and offering them the best for the future! They’ve since come back and asked me to do a ‘one-off’ job for them but it’s not worth it in any way. Great article and I agree with your comment about getting to know them via phone. I always insist on Skype or face-to-face if feasible now.
i think every freelance writer or copywriter has at least one PITA client story.
Over the years I’ve managed to get better at sussing out potential PITA clients.
It’s always that nagging “gut feeling” during the initial client contact that sets the alarm bells ringing for me.
If I really need to take on a PITA client, you can bet they are paying my “PITA tax” and project paid 100% upfront.
If I’m comfortable with my work load and not actively looking for more work, I love rejecting them.
A PITA client is no fun at all, they suck the life right out of you.
Go with your gut. Always a great philosophy!
I’m sort of the opposite of you Jennifer, in that my PITA client (who is currently my biggest client) always contacts me with projects that need to be done TODAY! Or by tomorrow, end of business!
I reeeeally don’t enjoy stuff like that. I’m a planner. I like to already know what I’ve got going on for the day when I sit down at my computer each morning.
I have another client (my oldest one) that contacts me with my beloved travel copywriting projects. They always provide plenty of advance notice and pay decently well. Ahhh, it would be a dream come true to have a bunch of that type of client to fill my days. ;o)
[…] Those writers should do their best to avoid clients who love the phone. On the other hand, I have a rule that I always talk on the phone to a client before agreeing to a project and will not work with a client that refuses to get on the […]