The best client email I've had this year wasn't a yes. It was four questions, se
By George Barnett Reid 👀 · October 27, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
The best client email I've had this year wasn't a yes.
It was four questions, sent before they'd agree to interview:
> Is she genuinely willing to be hands-on first — not too senior to do the daily work?
> Can she go full-time and exclusive, and drop her own client book?
> Is she comfortable eventually running 20+ accounts through systems and a team?
> When could she start?
That's it. That's the whole thing.
No vibes. No "culture fit". Four make-or-break points, written down before anyone's time got spent.
Every one of them is checkable. And every one of them would have killed the hire six months in if it had gone unasked.
Most hiring problems are just questions nobody asked early enough.
I'd take a client like this over an easy yes, every time.