5 ways to handle nightmarish clients

PR and marketing pros who have been working with organizations for a while almost certainly have horror stories of clients with bad habits and mile-long campaign requests.

Although bad business relationships can lead PR pros and agencies to fire clients, not every horrible situation has to go that far. PR and marketing pros can navigate the rocky waters of client relationships, sometimes even steering clients into a relationship that satisfies both parties.

Here are five nightmarish client personalities—along with ways to gracefully handle them:

1. The perfectionist.

Taking pride in the work you share can be a great thing, until it goes too far.

A perfectionist client is one who will constantly send work back for revisions, even if those changes don’t fit the agreed-upon PR or marketing strategy. Content to squabble over font choices and infographic hues, he or she will send your work back for as many revisions as possible, until you’re pulling your hair out trying to create the “perfect” result.

Manage this type of relationship by setting expectations early in the relationship.