3 Red Flags When A Client First Contacts You

3 Red Flags When A Client First Contacts You - Overpass Insights #12

Hey, guys! For our second video for the week, I'd like to talk about how I look for these 3 red flags when a client first contacts me. You know, the first impression lasts, right? It goes the same with us, app developers. So, go ahead and watch! Have a happy weekend, guys!

About Overpass:

Overpass is a fast-growing mobile app development agency based in the UK that actually makes money from its own apps as well as creating money-making apps for clients. We have our ideas and build them. We can develop your thoughts too. If you haven’t started creating your mobile app yet, and need a UK App Developer, give us a call.

Our team consists of developers and designers with years of experience in various business sectors. We build apps in native iOS, Android, and hybrid frameworks. We are based in Wantage, Oxfordshire, but we work all over the UK and have clients across the globe.

About Eric:
Eric Wroolie is the owner of Overpass. He has built software and web-based solutions for very many large and small companies including Macmillan Publishing, RibbonFish, BNP Paribas, Barclays Capital, Deutsche Bank, BBC Worldwide, CircData, and Omega Logic. Before that, he was a Chinese Mandarin and Vietnamese Linguist for the US Army and then a school teacher. Now, he makes apps.

#AppDevelopment #OverpassApps #AppDeveloperUK

[fernandofat]

Hey Eric, thank you for your insights directly from the battlefield it's always valuable. Big thanks

[ytravi]

I can't believe that overpass has only 22k subs.. honestly.. what you talk on this channel is life changing for some people like me.. thank you for everything you have shared.

[kirill]

They also use the word 'simple' because they think they can bring down the price in this way.

Thank you for the great tips!

[abdjfaqih]

My Red Flags (9 years in this business) :
1- if the APIs from the client side: I stop accepting any projects which the APIs are from clients
2- if the client lied in the first call: usually it is like "our content is ready" and if you press them you will find out that there is no content at all
3- if there is no requirements at all
4- "I need an app like Uber but ..."
5- if they asked us to sign NDA: usually the idea is not original and the client is delusional and it is a bad sign
6- "I dont care about monety at all" : usually these are scammers
7- "I agree on price but I cant pay down payment" : also scammers
8- anyone who tried to outsource the project for the cheapest price and couldn't come up with product, they cant forget about the cheap price they heard first.

[phillipreynolds]

Hi Eric, that's a good start to validating an initial enquiry. After some initial discussions raising a formal quote for the project together with a project plan and a deposit up front before commencing any work helps identify committed clients. The mistake I've made in the past is actually commencing the project without receiving the deposit even though the customer has committed to pay it : so my simple rule is when the payment is in my bank account then work can begin but NEVER before!!!

[JohnMollaghan]

Another great video Eric, when I found your channel you had JUST stopped with the daily videos, so I end up watching a lot of your older videos. Always worthwhile.

[rtpHarry]

Hey Eric great video. Your delivery in this one was spot on. Perfect pacing and tone. The oh wait at the end was a nice touch too.

Thought you were going a different way with the points so it was interest content as well.

Expected you to say Gmail = personal project not business and they are tougher as its their own money.

"just a simple" style wording is a huge red flag. Means they don't understand the scope of even a "simple" app, or they do and want it on the cheap. Either way it means they are likely to not be good clients.

[m_r__r_o_b_o_t]

A big red flag for me, not just from clients but generally is the phrase “can’t we just...” as in “you’re saying this is going to be really difficult but can’t we just use <insert silver bullet> to get it done much quicker”

[karljay]

LOVE the 2nd point. Had that happens so many times. I see it as belittling the project and the people that do this work. Very much a red flag. The 3rd point is very important too, I've even asked on guy why he couldn't even come up with $100 for his "million dollar project". If he can't come up with ANY money, that's a huge red flag.

[stevegreen]

Can you do a video on why an app can take 4-6 months to develop? I have started making my first app and it doesn't seen like it will take that long.

[yuriythebest]

regarding point #2 - very rarely are "simple" projects actually simple - often these clients can be the most fussy and want more things redone. Also I'd suggest point #4 - where a client has a vague understanding of what he wants and even after trying to create a GDD it still comes out as too vague ( It should be as non-vague as that if you were to imagine a lawyer looking at it there would be little room for misunderstanding). Otherwise the client can keep asking for changes / additions.

[susthitsofttechnologies]

I think a bigger question for us is how do we refuse an proposal from client.
Any ideas on that?

[rodionsabbath]

Hello Eric, nice to see you are uploading frequently. How can I maximize my profit with a free version of a paid app. Should I just place ads in it or remove some of its features or both ? Would you advice against making free version ? If you think that would be good subject for a video I am willing to wait. Thanks.

[frazar]

Hey Eric, shout out from Sweden! I am an android developer and I have made an app that I will soon be launching on the Google play store, and Im wondering if I should wait and develop it for the apple App store to release them both at the same time in order to not have my idea stolen and released on the other platform, or are there policies to protect from this, even though there is no patent on the app or the idea?

[adammajor]

"Simple" word is very annoying. The reason why the client emphasizes that something is "simple" (in his opinion) is hoping that it will be cheaply made.
But, it usually has the opposite effect :) Sometimes, I want to say. If it's that simple - do it yourself ;)
And in such projects usually deep problems are hidden - for example, the client "did not think / did not say" earlier about some functionalities that he needs. But, as he claims it is simple so "what a problem, add quickly and for free".

[adammajor]

New app content form (when you add new app in Google Play) is strange a bit.
If you declare that app is below 18+ then you must declare that your app is consistent with COPPA, GDPR, Family rules etc.
My app is not children so I set 18+ then Google ask about the page of your application in google play, "can be liked by children below 13 age"? ;)
If you answer YES then they label app "not for children" (maybe this is good for promotion ;)) I asked NO - I hope that Google will think so too.

[abhaypoptaniofficial]

You are getting 'Indianised'(don't know if that word exist) in the sense that after every point there is some music going on in background.