7 Questions to Ask Before Taking on a New Personal History Client.

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What’s worse than having no clients at all? If you said the client from hell, you’re absolutely right. Here are seven questions to ask yourself that will ensure that you don’t end up working with Satan’s cousin.

Do I have the time? Look carefully at what’s on your plate right now. This should include not only current projects but also ongoing business tasks such as networking, promotion, and bookkeeping. Don’t forget to factor in personal chores such as shopping, caregiving, and cleaning. No one wants to say no to potential work. But you also want to do the best for your client while at the same time not become over- extended.
Is this a client I like? One of the pleasures of being a personal historian is that we get to work with some incredibly interesting people. If you find that your potential client exhibits behavior and expresses beliefs that are antithetical to yours, you should seriously question continuing with that client. Remember, you’ll be spending many hours together and you don’t want to be continually agitated by someone you basically don’t like.
Am I a good fit for this client? Each of us tends to specialize. In my case it’s video life stories although I have done some books. If your potential client is looking for a life story in a format in which you haven’t much experience, then consider referring that client to someone who does have the expertise. You’ll gain the respect of your client for being forthright. If you still want to take on this client, do you have access to people who could help you in those areas where you’re less proficient?
Does this client have the support of other family members? Families can be messy – not at all like those Norman Rockwell paintings. You don’t want inadvertently to get yourself into some long-standing family squabble. Ask if your client has discussed this undertaking with other family members. Are they supportive? Are there concerns? If there hasn’t been any discussion, then have your client bring together all the parties concerned so that you can talk to the group about what’s involved and answer questions.
Am I treated as a professional? Remember you are a professional. If you’re like me, you’ve had decades of experience in a field related to personal history, have a university degree or two, and have a portfolio of personal history projects. So watch out for potential clients who fail to return calls, keep changing appointment times, forget meetings, try to “nickel and dime” you to death, and imply that their “cousin Bob” could do the work for half the price. None of this is in keeping with treating you as a professional. No one would treat a lawyer, accountant, or doctor that way. You shouldn’t put up with this kind of behavior either.
Is this potential client the one who will be paying me? From my experience, it’s not uncommon for the person requesting my service not to be the same person paying for it. For example, a daughter may inquire about doing a personal history for her mother but it is the parent who will be paying for the work. From the beginning it’s important to establish who is paying for your service. You want to have all the principal players in the same room so that you can explain the process directly and address any concerns that may arise. Failure to do this can mean misinterpreted information is relayed and additional meetings may be needed to clarify matters. This is not a productive use of your time.
Will working with this client stretch me professionally? I don’t know about you, but I thrive on challenges. If I had to do the same thing day-in and day-out, I’d be bored. Now it’s a truism that clients pay you for what you know not what you need to know. It may sound as if I’m contradicting Question Three above. However, if you tell your client you’d enjoy taking on the challenge of expanding your skills, you might gain their support. You can sweeten the deal by offering your service at a lower than normal fee to compensate for your learning.