Do you ever feel like there are parallels between your professional and personal relationships? Recently I had a professional relationship exactly mirror a classic failed romance – yes, it would appear that I was inadvertently dating a client!
It started out well; we were introduced by a mutual acquaintance and had several friendly emails to set up a meeting and discuss a future project. We even had to trade descriptions beforehand, just like a blind-date – I told the client to “look for the redhead with a laptop” in the coffee shop.
The meeting – our first date – was a success. We really got on well and talked for a long time. The project was confirmed and it seemed like we would work really well together.
A few more chatty emails followed to finalise the project details, a signed contract arrived and the deposit appeared in my bank account. Our relationship seemed like a good one.
Then suddenly I received a phone call and it was all over. The project was cancelled in typical “it’s not you, it’s me” fashion – the client had some bad luck and was unable to proceed with the project – and I took the “let’s be friends” message at face value.
However, since then I’ve seen a few comments online from the client which suggest that the project is going ahead, just not with me. So it seems it may have been me after all.
I have no idea what I did wrong, though; I was friendly and helpful, I answered communication promptly, I put a lot of effort into writing a great project proposal, and I was charging a fair price. Maybe the client found someone cheaper, or maybe they preferred someone else’s portfolio. Since that’s not the story they chose to tell me, I’m clueless.
So I’m left with the disappointing realisation that I’ve just been dumped. There’s nothing else for it but to watch a chick-flick and reach for the ice-cream!
Photo: Photodune
I think you should ask them, so have clarity and are able to avoid this being repeated in the future. it does not seem fair