You Hire the Client, Not the Other Way Around [Opinion]

Last Wednesday I went to a Chicago Tech Meetup Group event to hear Jason Fried of 37 signals fame speak.  One of the points he made near the end of his question & answer time was about working with clients when he was a web designer:

Clients tend to think that they hire you, but really it is the other way around.  You hire them.

This really hit home with me.  It is hard when starting out as a consultant not to take any kind or work that you are offered (to be paid for).  That is not a successful strategy.

• You need to take on projects/clients that are right for you and your skill set.
• Projects/clients that will help lead you to other projects/clients.
• Projects/clients that you will proudly be able to cite to future potential clients.

The customer is not always right.  You can tell a client that you respectfully disagree with them without coming off as rude.  If you don’t tell your client why on their website they shouldn’t use red text on a black background or why they need to have a backup strategy, you are doing a dis-service to your client and to yourself as a professional.  Integrity is your most important asset.  Don’t lose it over one or two projects/clients.  It is a slippery slope to go down.

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