How to Be a Terrible Client

Want to blow your budget, frustrate your team, and stall your brand’s momentum? East, just be a terrible client! In this episode of the Brand ON! Show, Brandon Coleman Jr flips the script with a tongue-in-cheek breakdown of six surefire ways to sabotage your success. From ghosting your team to micromanaging their every move, this guide hits all the wrong notes—for all the right reasons. If you’ve ever wondered why your last brand project fizzled out, this episode’s your mirror. Tune in, laugh a little, learn a lot, and whatever you do, don’t be that client. Get ready to turn your Brand ON!————Ask Brandon ANY Question!https://www.brandoncolemanjr.com/brand-on/#indexOrder Brand ON! The Bookhttps://www.brandoncolemanjr.com/order-book/————Connect and Follow Brandon Coleman JrEmail: [email protected]: www.brandoncolemanjr.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandoncolemanjr/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brandoncolemanjrofficialFacebook: www.facebook.com/officialbrandoncolemanjr ————Transcript (with chapter marks)00:00:10 Flipping the ScriptBrandon Coleman Jr: Most of you don't want to be a terrible client, but many of you are. Yep, we're flipping last week's wisdom to show you what not to do when working with brand strategists, ad agencies, or freelancers. Buckle up for some truth bombs and a few laughs.00:02:07 The First 30 DaysBrandon Coleman Jr: Successful marketing and branding relationships are won and lost in the first 30 days. A big part of that depends on what kind of client you are.00:02:50 Always Have a GoalBrandon Coleman Jr: Want to drive your agency or brand consultant nuts? Show up with no clue what you want to do, skip the brief, ignore my brain drain, dodge questions about your audience, and say, “just make it cooler.”00:03:52 Setting Up For SuccessBrandon Coleman Jr: We're setting up for success. So we will work directly. We will save wasted time, energy, and effort. We will work together. But let's set out those expectations up front. It's a lot like a marriage. The better job you do of alignment on the front end, the better the overall experience will be.00:04:16 Great Clients Don't MicromanageBrandon Coleman Jr: If you really want to stink, micromanage everything like it's your job, hover over every small detail, demand daily updates, and constantly rewrite their work. Nothing screams terrible client like crushing your team's creativity.00:05:50 Be PresentBrandon Coleman Jr: Nothing makes an agency, design artist, firm, or consultant feel worse than you going dark. [To be a terrible client], ignore their emails, miss a meeting, leave your team hanging.00:06:15 Use Payment as an IncentiveBrandon Coleman Jr: If you really want to screw it up, don't pay your bills on time. In fact, clients made it a priority to pay us on time, or many times pay us in advance. They really kept our attention. They got our best work. I know that sounds rather trite, but that's how the world works. Use paying your obligation as an incentive, not a threat.