I have a couple of simple rules that I live by when making the decision about which clients to work with.

First—if I’m not jumping out of my skin to work with someone and excited by the difference (big or small) their business creates then we’re probably not a good fit.

You have to care that your client succeeds as much as they do.

Second, is what I’ve come to call, ‘the please convince me test’. If a potential client emails and says “I’m just not sure”, or repeatedly asks to be convinced that you can deliver what they think they need, then the working relationship is probably doomed before it begins.

If a client doesn’t believe you can help them, you probably can’t.

It’s far kinder to yourself (and to your clients in the long run), to put your energy into projects where your work will have the most impact.

How do you decide?

Image by Stephen D.