How To Avoid This Common Contract Hiccup

Tell me if this sounds familiar. You talk to a prospective client, you get excited about the project, you know exactly what you're going to do. Then, you start the work. You skipped the part where you gave them a proposal or even had them sign a contract, right? I get it. I've been there before – it's an exciting time where you have somebody interested in your services. Maybe they're even a friend or someone that you know, so you end up skipping those steps where you should have a proposal in place or even just something that outlines how you're going to work together.  

It's fine for a while, right? It goes along just fine, but at some point you might feel like the work you're doing is more work than you're getting paid to do. Maybe there's a point where your client feels like they're not satisfied or getting the results they thought they paid for, even though you felt like you were doing everything you can.

Well, this is a natural thing that happens in a lot of businesses. We end up  skipping steps when we really know we shouldn’t. We feel as though not having a contract is a way to have a “handshake deal” or it's simply a friendlier way to do business. It's never too late to put a proposal or a contract back in place. Doing those things, even after you've started with a handshake deal, is an opportunity to get on the same page with that client. Get on the same page in the form of making sure you're getting paid what you're worth, but also making sure they feel like they're getting the services they’re paying for.

Sliding The Contract Back Into Play

If you're looking for a strategy as to how to approach a client where maybe you've skipped that step, it's really quite simple. You'll know when it's time to do this because you'll feel frustrated about how things are going or the client is frustrated and that's making you frustrated as well.

I would approach a frustrated client by saying, “Hey, we've been working together for a while and we never really outlined on paper exactly what you're wanting from me. I know since we've started working together, things have shifted and changed on your end and the things that I've been doing have changed to reflect that. What I'd like to do is just sit down with you and have a look at everything I'm doing, everything you want to do and take a look at where we are today so I can plan accordingly. Would you be willing to do that?”

You'll find the clients you want to keep are willing to sit down and talk to you. During that meeting, it's a chance for you to start over and really look at what you're doing for them, even if a project is midway. Then, document it on paper. After you have this discussion about what it is you’re doing and what they'd like to do, say, “I'm just going to formalize this on paper. I'm going to write down what I heard, come back to you and share with you to make sure that I'm doing the services and providing the level of work you want.”

Make The Contract A Habit

A client you want to keep is going to appreciate that. That's your opportunity to share with them and outline what you're asking them to invest on the project. Any discrepancy between what you're providing and what they're paying, is going to come out at this point. It's going to come from a place of wanting to make sure they're getting the best service.

So you see, it's never too late to put that into play. If you're having a frustrating experience with a client, this is a great exercise to go through that will help both of you feel less burdened by the working relationship. It’s also another lesson for you to guarantee this part of your process from the beginning. So go ahead and try it out! If it's something you're wanting to fix, if you're wanting to have a new and fresh start with a client, the best way to do that is to get it all on paper and make sure you're on the same page.

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Mike Schmidt
Founder
AgencyCoach