[thelist] how do you manage/respond?

[Joel D Canfield]

> We all have multiple projects in the queue.  Occasionally you get a
> client who is slow to move on a project but then whenever they do
their
> piece, they call and expect you to jump immediately with your next
> part?  Jump - how high?  Personal assistant describes the situation.

the only way to manage this is before you sign the contract, by choosing
whether or not to do business with them.

as long as they're the customer, you service 'em in spades. if they want
it now, you do what's humanly possible to make it happen now. if it
can't, you still don't blame them for being in a hurry; as far as
*they're* concerned, their project is the only one worth working on,
right?

if you've properly managed your time (in part by only scheduling 50% of
it, leaving 50% for overflow, rush jobs, and playing Solitaire) you
will, in fact, be able to jump when they say 'frog'

we do lots of ongoing maintenance for our web clients and our VA
clients. the ones who call, we usually make the changes while they're on
the line. those who email usually get "it's done" as the first response.
our growth has come 99% from word of mouth from these people.

certainly, there are some folks who are unpleasantly demanding. the only
reason to work with someone like that is money, and that's a bad reason.
there are folks out there who respect you as a professional and won't
play head games. instead of beating your head against a wall of
selfishness, spend the time and effort seeking out clients you'll love.

good communication. setting proper expectations in advance. but in the
end, either make them believe they're your only client, and you're just
sitting there waiting for them to give you something to do, or
graciously fire them as a client.

joel