Warning: a client meeting at a coffee shop in Denver cost me a $2,000 project

I was meeting a potential client at this busy spot downtown, thinking the casual vibe would be good. My laptop died right as I was about to show my portfolio (the outlet was broken, of course). I tried to pull it up on my phone, but the connection was awful and the screen was too small to see the details. The client got this look on his face, like I wasn't serious, and he cut the meeting short. He emailed me later saying he 'went with someone more prepared.' That one bad hour, because I didn't have a backup plan or a charged battery pack, lost me the whole job. Now I never go to a first meeting without a fully charged laptop, a mobile hotspot, and a printed one-sheet in my bag. Has a simple tech fail ever blown a big chance for you guys?

2 comments

2 Comments

jana_hill271mo ago

Totally feel that lol. My tablet died once before a pitch, so now I always carry a backup battery pack and have my portfolio saved offline.

oliver8111mo ago

My old MacBook Air gave up right before a client review, screen just went black. I learned to keep a cheap HDMI cable and a flash drive with my work in my bag at all times. You never know when a conference room TV or someone else's laptop will be your only option. That offline portfolio save is a lifesaver, I even do it for my keynote files now.