7. When to Terminate Your Client Relationship
Every company owner has to deal with the inevitable problem of having to "fire" a customer at some point. I was eager to take on virtually every client that approached me when I first started my firm, so this was the last thing I anticipated. But as time went on, I honed my ability to scrutinise clients and came to the realisation that not every client is ideal. More than half of the people I talk to aren't a suitable match, for various reasons. Your best bet sometimes is to simply tell someone, "You're fired!" (as Donald Trump does on "The Apprentice").
When you hold on to customers who are PITA (I'll give you a hint about the acronym), what happens to your business? As a result of devoting all of your time and attention to these clients, you stop caring about your business and eventually stop wanting to market yourself to bring in new clients. You start to doubt your motivation for starting a business and feel furious and resentful towards the clients who are bringing you down.
It is not always easy or pleasant to disengage from a bad customer choice. Nevertheless, considering the alternative, it would be beneficial to let go of that client. Benjamin Shield's "Handbook for the Soul" has a profound passage regarding the subject of "letting go": "Letting go is one of the most difficult challenges human beings ever face." For some reason, the image of letting go that has always stuck with me is that of a hand going from clenched to open. The self-imposed roadblocks we encounter in life can be dismantled when we approach it with an open mind. A willingness to let go of our persona, or the false aspects of ourselves that we cling to when we're not being ourselves, is essential to this process. The path to our soul can be found when we choose to let go.
This remark speaks to me on a deep level; breaking away from a poor client decision really does pave the road to following your heart. When you find the right clients with whom you click, it will put a spring in your step, re-establish your connection to your business and life goals, and ultimately, your soul. No need to put up with PITA clients when life is this short. Is it time to shuffle your client roster? Compare your current roster to these seven indicators.
1. Every time the client calls, you get a sinking feeling. Take action to fix the problem if you never answer the phone when someone calls you because talking to them hurts or drains you, or if the subject always makes you furious or bitter. If you actually looked forward to answering your clients' calls, how much more would you enjoy interacting with them on a daily basis?
Second, the customer is extremely picky about every penny spent and thinks everyone else should take the same amount of time to complete jobs. Some clients "knew" I was taking advantage of them and argued that my services wouldn't take as long as others in my industry, thus I should lower my prices. What the client doesn't trust is the client's fault, not mine, and I've proven time and again that I'm an asset to any team. There are other clients out there; don't allow a "nitpicker" bring you down.
3. Your client will only make emergency requests of you. Nobody enjoys being pressured, and when you're attempting to get something done fast, you end up sacrificing quality and innovation. Some folks can't get enough of the rush, so they live in the now. But keeping up with the urgent is a stressful lifestyle that has a major impact on your mental and physical health. Someone who meticulously manages and arranges their time so that crises are infrequent is a better choice for clients.
4. No progress can be made due to clients who do not follow through. Do you find that you never really get anywhere with a customer, spending most of your time just reviewing plans and tasks, and never really finishing anything to move on to the next stage? A client who expresses a desire to get a specific outcome but remains paralysed during the planning phase is the most aggravating. So, instead of taking action, you waste your time reviewing with the client. Assume the role of a "coaching" and assist the client in identifying the obstacles she is encountering. But if she refuses to talk about what's holding her back and your aggravation level is rising due to her inaction, it's likely time to release her.
5. The client is really good at micromanaging. Hiring me usually means that the customer has an issue that needs fixing, and I am the one who can provide them with the ideal solution. But there have been customers who wouldn't listen to my advice and instead wanted me to fix their problem my way. They are adamant about being involved in every single aspect and insist on having their say at every stage. Many of these people have become accustomed to having staff and mistakenly think that controlling every detail of their work is an essential part of excellent management. A fantastic client is one who employs you to fix an issue but isn't picky about the exact method you use; instead, they're happy to let you use your expertise however you see fit.
6. For your client, delegation is an entirely new concept. You need other people's help if you want your business to succeed, as most entrepreneurs are well aware. When a business owner isn't actively seeking for new chances, she has a fantastic staff that she regularly assigns the work that she can't complete herself. Your client clearly doesn't understand "lost opportunity costs" if they are adamant about continuing to accomplish the exact tasks you were recruited to handle. In order to avoid being in the marketing and sales mentality, which is something many business owners despise, it can be easier for owners to work "in" the business instead of "on" it. Great clients focus on their strengths and delegate tasks to others.
7. Your client is always in a state of financial distress. Do you charge too much for your services? They may be just starting off or may be facing a temporary cash flow problem. In every interaction, they bring up your price, and they're notoriously sluggish when it comes to paying their bills. It takes a lot of effort and time to pursue money from them. Clients that are clear about your payment terms and can afford to pay your charge promptly are preferable.
Going to the "school of hard knocks" and gaining experience is necessary to hone your skills in selecting ideal clients. In order to make better customer selections, you should examine your standards for operating your firm. You may find that you need to enhance them. Plus, the golden rule is that you should never take on a client that you aren't happy to work with. You may be sure that new, more suitable clients will appear when you let go of the ones that are hurting you.
