Whatever business you run, sometimes you realize that a potential client is not worth the effort. Sometimes that is because they have nothing to offer. But very often it is also the case that they are just looking for a free ride.

These people or companies are not really clients because you are never going to get any substantial business from them. I call them “wanna-be clients”. You need to avoid them like the plague. They are vampires, sharks, whatever you want to call them.

Here are some very typical indicators of a wanna-be client:
– He doesn’t know his own product or service well enough.
– He has no significant references.
– His business develops very slowly.
– He wants everything but doesn’t want to pay for anything.
– He constantly tries to bring your price down.
– He wants a lot of free consulting without ever having done any business with you.
– He is not willing to make any prepayments.
– He never pays on time, or even worse, he doesn’t pay at all.
– He says all of your competitors are better and cheaper than you.
– He always complains about everything.

My advice: Stay away from those people. They are bad luck. They cost you so much time and you’re never going to make anything off them. Rejecting a wanna-be client is not a missed opportunity but an avoided nuisance. Leave this junk up to your competitors.

I’ve lived and worked according to this principle for many years now. As a result, I work with people who know what they are doing and who are willing to pay good money for good service. Remember, life is about quality and not quantity.