Display total trust and love for me and then proceed to hit me with the lighter shortly thereafter.
I totally dig that. When that happens early, you KNOW they're looking for the magic solution and you've been chosen as the next-in-line scapegoat to take the rap when it turns out there's only hard work, no magic.
It's not anything like therapy, but when a new client approaches me to raise money for them, I have to be wary of that "savior" complex that they try to stick on me. "Oh now all of our money problems are solved! We'll just get some of the free grant money!" I'm sure that at least one client I had about 20 years ago hired me to try to raise money for something that was pretty impossible just so that when it failed, he could go to his board and tell them they had to take the $$ out of reserves. Which they did. Today I wouldn't take on such a client, but back then I didn't know any better.
LFL, are you in a position to send clients elsewhere if you feel you are not right for them, or do you pretty much have to work with whoever comes through the door?
I guess if you answer this, it should be on your new thread.
