Episode 41: Why Civil Engineers Make Horrible Clients

Описание: Description:
Civil engineers should be our best clients. They're a sibling profession, they understand technical work, and they hire surveyors constantly. So why are they often the WORST clients a land surveying business can have?

In this episode, I'm picking a fight—not to stir up controversy, but because there's a serious problem that's costing surveyors money, dignity, and peace of mind. If you own a surveying business or work with civil engineering firms, you need to understand the four reasons why civil engineers make terrible clients and what you can do to protect your business.

This isn't about hating civil engineers. Most of them are good people. But the way our professions are structured, the financial incentives at play, and the "sibling profession" dynamic create a toxic situation for surveyors who don't know how to set boundaries. I'll share real stories from my business, including the time a national engineering firm asked me to float half a million dollars for a year to a client they wouldn't let me meet.

You'll learn why the surveyors who enable this behavior are actually more to blame than the engineers themselves, and how taking a stand transformed my business from one that chased civil engineering work to one that serves better clients with better terms.

Whether you're a land surveyor, GIS professional, or run any kind of technical consulting business, the lessons in this episode about client selection, contract negotiation, and knowing your worth will help you build a healthier, more profitable business.

Table Of Contents:
0:00 - Introduction and Apology for the Gap
2:35 - Episode Overview: Why Civil Engineers Make Horrible Clients
5:34 - The Core Problem: The Sibling Profession Dynamic
8:46 - Reason #1: They Think They Know How to Survey (It's Just Math, Right?)
15:22 - Real Story: The Formula-Obsessed Engineer
19:45 - Reason #2: They Want to Apply Formulas to Everything
24:33 - Reason #3: They'll Pressure You to Cut Corners for Price
31:18 - Real Story: The Staking Project That Wasn't Really Staking
37:42 - Reason #4: Toxic Contract Language and Ridiculous Payment Terms
43:20 - Real Story: The $500,000 Line of Credit to a Mystery Client
47:22 - Consequences: What Happens When You Take a Stand
49:03 - Who's Really to Blame? (Hint: It's Not Just the Engineers)
50:45 - Where to Find the Podcast and How to Support

Related Episodes:
Episode 2: The Worst Client of My First 5 Years
Episode 18: Finding Good Clients for Your Small Land Surveying Business
Episode 23-24: Qualifying Leads and Controlling Proposal Costs
Episode 36-37: Understanding Contract Basics for Consultant Land Surveyors

Connect With Landon Blake:
🌐 Website: https://www.landonblake.com
💼 LinkedIn:   / landonblake  
🏢 Redefined Horizons: https://www.rh-survey.com/
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