Get After It 005: Take an 'anchor client' approach to all your clients

Three key questions to ask yourself before getting someone in for the long term

Last month, I introduced a new mindset when thinking about who we consider our ‘anchor clients.’

This newsletter issue, I want to dig into how to take an ‘anchor client’ approach to every client you have or onboard in the future.

Why is this a desirable mindset to have? 

The clients you have already are more likely to continue giving you work – provided that the first few assignments have gone well. You’ve already proven yourself, are familiar with their workflow, and it would be an opportunity cost for the client to bring on someone new. It also means that you’d have to do less work in onboarding another client to fill work and income gaps.

That’s to say: It’s okay to write off a client after an initial assignment or two because it’s not a good fit. If you’re sensing red flags left and right, it might not be worth your emotional energy to continue the relationship. (Back to my dating analogies: Do the first few dates / interactions make you excited to invest more time in the relationship?) 

There’s no reason to overthink whether or not a client is one you want to keep around. The following questions ought to elicit an intuitive or emotional response. (Last season on the show, we talked about how to listen to your heart and gut when making difficult decisions! Listen to that episode here - it’s relevant.) 

Save this newsletter (or email!) for when you’re thinking about making a client a more consistent one on your roster – and get a pen and paper ready to jot down a few responses to the questions below.