« Smart Business: 5 Most Important Client Characteristics »

Last week I was asked by a colleague to state the five most important characteristics I look for in clients. This is a topic I have thought about a lot in my many years in the marketing industry. It is smart business to carefully consider certain characteristics about a client before you choose to work with them. My list is short and simple and, I hope, as practical for others as it has proven to be for me over the years.

5 Most Important Client Characteristics

1. SMART (about his/her industry & well-read about marketing trends)

2. ORGANIZED (so that projects move forward steadily)

3. RISK-TAKER (willing to try new things)

4. RESPECTFUL (of my time & talents)

5. HONEST (in all business dealings)

What's most interesting about this list is that it is exactly the same list I would use to describe the 5 Most Important Vendor/Subcontractor Characteristics (this includes writers, designers, photographers, illustrators, printers, distributors, etc.). The above list could also be titled the 5 Most Important Things I Bring To Any Project for Which I Am Hired.

Choosing the people you work with requires careful consideration. I focus on the fact that different people have varying levels of integrity. If you are a business person of high integrity, you will find it unsatisfactory to work with clients and vendors/subcontractors who are at a significantly different level. This need to focus on integrity has never been more urgent than in the fast-evolving worlds of SEO and new marketing methodologies, such as inbound marketing, content marketing and social media marketing. I'd even go as far as to say that one of my secrets to success as an independent marketing professional is that I've always taken the time to carefully consider integrity levels before I choose to work with people. As a result, I have rarely had to worry about a client paying my invoices on time or subcontractors delivering exactly what I expected from them. This all leads to high client retention rates and, equally important, long vendor/subcontrator relationships.

What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.