Said yes to every opportunity first 3 months. One client became nightmare. Cost me 40 hours and almost made me quit.
THE BAD CLIENT STORY:
Discovery call red flags everywhere. Ignored them all (needed revenue).
RED FLAG 1: “I’ve worked with 3 automation people already. None could do it right.”
My thought: “I’ll be different.”
Reality: The problem was him, not them.
RED FLAG 2: “I’ll need this to do X, Y, Z, and probably more later.”
My thought: “Great, opportunity to upsell.”
Reality: Infinite scope creep.
RED FLAG 3: “My budget is tight but once this works, there’s lots more.”
My thought: “Get foot in door.”
Reality: Never paid fair rates, constant negotiation.
SIGNED ANYWAY. Mistake.
THE NIGHTMARE:
Week 1: Built workflow to spec
Week 2: “Actually, can it also do…”
Week 3: “Why doesn’t it handle…”
Week 4: “This isn’t what I wanted”
40 hours total. Paid for 10 hours worth.
Scope creep. Moving goalposts. Impossible to satisfy.
FINALLY FIRED CLIENT:
“I don’t think we’re a good fit. Happy to refer you to someone else.”
Best decision ever.
THE RED FLAGS I NOW WATCH FOR:
RED FLAG 1: PREVIOUS AUTOMATION ATTEMPTS FAILED
Multiple failed attempts = unrealistic expectations or bad communicator
Question: “What went wrong with previous automation?”
Good answer: “Specific technical issues”
Bad answer: “They just couldn’t do it”
RED FLAG 2: UNCLEAR SCOPE
Can’t articulate what they want = project will never end
Question: “What does success look like?”
Good answer: “Invoices auto-entered to QuickBooks”
Bad answer: “Make everything automated and better”
RED FLAG 3: BUDGET FOCUSED, NOT VALUE FOCUSED
Constantly negotiating price = wrong client
Statement: “My rate is $1,500 setup.”
Good response: “That works.”
Bad response: “Can you do $800?”
RED FLAG 4: URGENT TIMELINE, NO FLEXIBILITY
“Need this yesterday” = will rush you and complain
Question: “What’s your timeline?”
Good answer: “3-4 weeks ideal”
Bad answer: “Need it done by Friday”
THE QUALIFICATION QUESTIONS:
1. “Why now? What triggered looking for automation?”
2. “What does success look like specifically?”
3. “What’s your budget range?”
4. “Have you worked with automation before?”
5. “What’s your timeline?”
Listen for clear, reasonable answers.
HOW TO SAY NO GRACEFULLY:
“Thanks for sharing. Based on what you described, I don’t think I’m the best fit for this project. Let me recommend…”
Or: “This sounds like it needs X skillset. I focus on Y. Here’s someone who specializes in X…”
Protect your time. Protect your sanity.
THE MATH:
1 bad client: 40 hours, $1,000 revenue, constant stress
3 good clients: 15 hours total, $4,500 revenue, happy relationships
Easy choice.
CURRENT CLIENT CRITERIA:
✅ Clear problem with measurable impact
✅ Realistic timeline (3+ weeks)
✅ Budget aligned with value ($1,200+ setups)
✅ Good communicator (responds clearly)
✅ Excited about automation (not skeptical)
If 3+ criteria missing: Politely decline.
THE LESSON:
Saying no to wrong clients creates space for right clients. Not every opportunity is good opportunity.
You’re building a business, not collecting any client possible.
