What we want to do now is offer you a bit more anecdotal advice, as well as point out a few common challenges jobs face, and talk to you about how we’re going to handle them. We asked our clients, for this book, what advice they had for new clients of The Barbarian Group. Here’s what they said, anonymized, and edited, of course.

• “Call them before you start working on ideas”
• “Pay up front”
• “Get an IM account”
• “Go out drinking with them.” We also received “Start smoking…heavily” and “Send an email (marked ‘priority) to your liver warning it of the impending deluge of mandatory “work related” drinking.” This is not good.
• “Let’s be friends!”
• “Don’t forget to give them credit, or say you’re not going to, up front”
• “Wear black” (oh groan)
• “Allow yourself to be distracted by thoughts of changing the world for a better place or starting a business or both ideas combined”
• “Warn them about Ben…but only when its too late”
• “Invite the Barbarians to the party well in advance. Tell them what you’ll be wearing and leave it at that. The day before the party, arrange to pick them up and hire a limo. Send the limo to your client’s house and have them drive around for a few hours. Pick up the Barbarians on your bicycle built for two and cruise around until you have something wonderful. Then meet your client at the party and start celebrating.”