Kick Me & Cringe

A good friend who’s been in business for herself for over 30 years revealed her decision process for accepting clients. She has two scales: “Kick Me” and “Cringe Factor.”
The Cringe Factor is measured in time. “For how many years after the job will I cringe when I think about it? If it’s more than three years, I won’t take the client.”
And the Kick Me scale is measured in pain. “How many times will I kick myself after the first meeting? If it’s more than five, I can’t afford the bruising and there is no deal.”
She recently turned down a job she described as 15 in Cringe Factor and 25 on the Kick Me scale. That was a good decision! I think I might try these scales next time I have a client I’m not so certain about.