Look for these green flags in your collaboration with customers

As a self-employed professional, it is not always easy to find the right customers. We have all heard about “red flags”, warning signs that may indicate a collaboration will not be optimal. But what about green flags? The positive signs that a collaboration can become productive and mutually respectful. Michelle Rødgaard-Jessen, founder of Unhurried (formerly Maanawork), highlights five green flags that can help you assess whether a customer is the right fit for you.

1) The customer does not try to pressure you on price and understands that quality comes at a cost

You should not accept a customer at just any price. Even large companies may claim to have a limited budget or request discounts in exchange for letting you use them as a case. However, you are entitled to stand by your price, especially if compromising on your original proposal gives you a bad feeling. As a rule of thumb, good customers respect that professional services come at a price and are willing to pay for the service you deliver.

2) The customer has the financial means to hire you and does not need to be rescued

If a company is in trouble and hiring you is a last resort, it puts pressure on the collaboration from the beginning and is often doomed to fail. It is not your responsibility to save them - that responsibility lies with the business itself. When a customer is not under financial strain and does not need “rescuing”, you can focus on delivering high-quality work without worrying about financial complications.

3) The customer has realistic expectations of the results you can help create

Unrealistic expectations can quickly drain your energy and undermine a collaboration. A customer who has a realistic understanding of what can be achieved within the given framework and timeframe will be much easier to work with. As a self-employed professional, you are expected to work independently, but building a collaboration takes time, and you cannot deliver everything from day one. A clear green flag is when the customer has a solid understanding of both the scale of the project and the timeline.

4) The customer trusts your expertise and your way of working

A good customer listens to your recommendations. Customers are welcome to challenge you and ask questions to better understand the process, but they do not undermine your decisions or try to dictate how you should do your work. They are also paying for your expertise, and constantly having to redo your work means compromising both your time and your professional standards.

5) The customer respects your boundaries and your time

Clear alignment of expectations is essential in any collaboration, and the customer must respect that you protect your workflow. It does not work if a customer repeatedly contacts you because you do not respond immediately or expects unrealistic changes at short notice. Boundaries often come with experience, and you will quickly learn where your limits are so you can communicate them clearly to your customers.

Last but not least, it is important to trust your gut feeling. We all have an internal compass that can give us an indication of whether a collaboration feels right or not. If you are left with a good feeling after meeting or speaking with a customer, that is a strong green flag.

If you would like more input on how to optimise your life as a self-employed professional, you can watch this recorded webinar with Michelle Rødgaard-Jessen (the webinar is in Danish).