Red Flags in Business: Lessons from a Naive Dreamer
Business Lessons · 3 min read
When I arrived in Lusaka in December 2016, I looked at the city with fresh, untested eyes and the bright naivety of a man who believed nothing could stop him. I stepped into 2017 with a spring in my step. I took my last K200 and spent it on a brand-new pair of shoes and fresh pants from Sally's Boutique. Then, dressed for success, I walked into a prospective client's office and announced that I was there to fix his business.
I was severely unprepared. I had ambition but no knowledge of the market. Energy, but barely any experience. I didn't understand the demographics of the city, let alone the country. I was a walking, fast-talking red flag.
Consultants, brand strategists and marketers spend a lot of time fixing their own red flags. We rarely look at our clients'. These are the six I learned to watch for.
1. They have no idea what they want
If a client can't say clearly what they want from you, they are not ready for your services. Before you start, ask: "What problem are we solving?" If nobody can answer, slow down.
2. There is no clear leadership
When nobody can make the final call, decisions become slow, chaotic and contradictory. Work with businesses where someone can make the call, and make it stick.
3. They can't connect your work to the bigger picture
Clients who only think short term will question every decision, micromanage the process and drop you the moment they feel they no longer need you. Good work needs a client who knows where the business is going.
4. There are no checkpoints
If a client never checks in while you work, then tears everything apart at the end, you have a process problem. Agree on review points at the start and stick to them.
5. They don't respect your structure or time
If a client won't respect your systems, your team or your hours, they don't want a consultant. They want an employee without the benefits.
6. They see you as an expense, not an investment
A client who fights you on price from the first meeting will fight you at every step that follows.
The flag I had to fix first
None of this is about judging clients. It is about protecting the work, and the people doing it. My own biggest red flag in 2017 was walking in with shoes and no strategy. The shoes were great. The strategy came later, one hard lesson at a time.