How to Deal With Non-Responsive Clients to Move Projects Forward

  1. Don’t let the client talk you into using temporary placeholder content 01:46
    • If a client is taking their time getting content to you, it will be tempting to just find some placeholder content to put in.
    • Don’t do this. You’ll have to do double the work and the design will change based on the images, text length, etc.
    • Stand your ground with the non-responsive client and let them know that you need the content before moving forward.
  2. Have a clause in your contract that prevents clients from dragging their feet and going MIA 02:42
    • Put some deadlines in your contract that says “client will provide content by x date”.
    • Make sure the contract says that even if the client does not provide the content by x date, you still get paid on time.
    • Some companies even use an incentive to keep clients on track. You can give a discount to clients that meet deadlines or make them pay an additional fee if they miss deadlines.
  3. Communicate weekly 04:07
    • Even if the client is not responding, communicate weekly.
    • It’s tempting to just let them be and resume the project when they respond, but that can stretch a project way longer than necessary.
    • You have other projects to worry about and need to know where your priorities stand to get work done on time.
  4. Remind clients of deadlines and expectations 05:03
    • If you’ve done all of the things mentioned above and the client is still non-responsive, then remind the client that you have other projects and it’s important to keep on schedule.
    • If they can’t keep on schedule, then they will get moved to the bottom of the priority list and it will take even longer to get the website finished.
    • No client wants to be your lowest priority.

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