Client behavior has a big impact on your ability to work on a project, so having formal policies and procedures in place will help to avoid problematic situations occurring that can derail the project. Time spent on researching the client and their project requirements before you commit to anything will pay off in the long run by allowing you to make better decisions, especially in situations where you discover that the client has a poor credit history, hence making you aware of an increased risk of them failing to pay for your work.

No matter how good your technical and project management skills are, the success of the project will always be dependent on the client's commitment to the project. This includes the client's willingness to provide you with the information and resources you need to get the job done and to the standard that they seek. Have policies in place that make it clear to the client what is expected of the, making sure that you don't try to fill in the missing pieces—not only does this increase your costs, but in all likeliness will result in some unknown mistake being made that the client can hold you to account in an attempt not to pay their bill or even sue you.

The bottom line of all projects you spend your time on should always be about getting paid for your work, so make sure to have policies and processes in place that don't leave you vulnerable to cash flow issues when clients delay paying you for several months and who may use the amounts owed as a way to force you to do extra unpaid work.

With an understanding of how to manage your clients, the next step is being able to negotiate—whether it is the details of the project specification and price you are being paid, or for situations that may occur in a project that needs an outcome that suits everyone's interest. The next chapter looks at how negotiation skills can be used to assist in taking projects to a successful conclusion that favors all parties.