Knowing When to Marry or Divorce Your Clients
The truth is that not everyone is going to be your client. As a business owner, it is important for you to understand which clients are appropriate for you and your business and which ones are not. You need to have the strength to divorce those who are not right for you.
Standing up to the truth
Undoubtedly, saying “no” to clients before they even become clients or divorcing them after they have become clients (if it works out that way) is never a comfortable, easy thing to do. However, in the long run, it is healthier for you and it is healthier for them. Not every person is right for every other person. Of course, it works the same on the other side. If you are not right for that client (whether that person realizes it in the beginning or it takes them some time to figure that out), they have every right to cut you loose.
It isn’t personal. It is just business. As much as that may seem like a silly thing to do from a business perspective, it actually isn’t silly at all. If you have created a solid, effective business strategy and you follow your strategy, there may come a time when a particular client no longer fits in with that strategy.
You should think of your business strategy as a roadmap that should be followed so that you can successfully get to where you want to be. Simply put, you will come across other people and other businesses throughout your career who just don’t come into alignment with your vision and your brand. They may have fit in the beginning but they may no longer fit for a variety of reasons. It is very important to understand that you can’t effectively serve everyone because you will end up not serving anyone effectively. Face what you have in front of you and deal with it as effectively and as gracefully as possible.
Your objective
When it comes to working for your clients, there is no doubt that your objective is to make that client happy in any way that you possibly can (of course, without losing your principles). That is what is expected of you and that is what you understand needs to be done. However, as much as your priority is your client, that doesn’t mean that you need to know your head against a brick wall if it just isn’t working.
It is very important that you remember that you can’t spread yourself too thin or there won’t be enough of you to do your job effectively and to your client’s satisfaction. Of course, it is safe to assume that your clients are all very important to you. However, there will be times when your client may be better served by someone who is a better fit for their needs.
The best possible strategy for your business
When it comes to truly satisfying your clients, that means that you work with your clients to help them accomplish the goals that they have established for their businesses and you are there with them every step of the way. If you can help them to accomplish that, you will both become more successful than you were before.
Any business that needs clients to survive (in other words, all businesses) must focus on those clients and give them exactly what they want and need to succeed. The more profitable your clients are, the more profitable you will be. With that said, it is also important to remember that your interactions and your efforts with each client will be different because each one of your clients is different. You will have overlapping concepts in your strategy with each one but there will also be a great need for customization. It goes without saying that you must embrace the value and the uniqueness of each client and celebrate that uniqueness at every opportunity.
Striving to improve upon your client strategy on a regular basis
In your client-centric world, it is important to constantly keep in mind that you must offer an improved version of what you offer them each time you interact. Of course, that means that your clients’ expectations will be extremely high; however, that is exactly why they hired you in the first place. You deliver a top-shelf product and/or service.
Conclusion
You are a shrewd business owner and you understand that when it comes to the relationship that you share with your clients, it has to be all about them. You can solve their problems, you can give them what they want and need, and you can help them to bring their business to the next level. It is very important to remember to make it your constant goal to give your clients what they need, not to sell them anything directly. Remember that you must fulfill your clients’ needs and then, in turn, yours will also be fulfilled.
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Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
Just like I would hire an employee or partner with another business. There must be synergy between our attitudes, goals as well has determining we have a symbiotic business relationship.
By Jerry Nordstrom
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
I agree with Jerry. It’s important that our values and business goals match. As an entrepreneur I value the ability to handpick who I work with.
By Anya Hoffecker Sleezer
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
I would like to approach this topic from a different perspective based on my own experiences. With a B2B background, I have always employed a selling philosophy of establishing “partners” not clients. Throughout the sales cycle, I strive to get agreement from my prospects as we complete each step in the process. When it is time to close the deal, it becomes more of a formality because we built the solution together step by step. Once you establish that type of relationship, it is much easier for either party to identify when that partnership is no longer effective for one side or the other. It also makes it easier to discuss if it makes more sense to attempt to adjust the existing relationship or simply end it.
By Larry Pecora
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
Larry and Jerry’s comments above are right on. Getting more specific, I look for clients that already understand the value of our service. If I have to convince them that design and digital marketing are important, then we’ll likely have to revisit that throughout the project and it’s probably not a good fit.
By John Durso
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Content Marketing Institute
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
The older I get the longer my list gets in what I need from an client for them to be able to remain doing business with me. When I first started out I worked for anyone and everyone and was completely miserable as a result. Life is way to short to spend it working with people who aren’t a correct fit with you.
By Matt LaClear
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Strategy, Marketing & Innovation Forum
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
Great topic, Michael. For me, it’s about getting very clear about the type of work I want to do and the type of client I know I want to work with. This may sound a bit corny, but I also trust my gut. I know which ones aren’t a great fit – it doesn’t mean I always pay attention to that, though. The biggest thing for me is having integrity around the process and being upfront about whether or not they’ll be a good fit. Saves a ton of headaches in the long run.
By Heather McDaniel
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Strategy, Marketing & Innovation Forum
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
A great topic!
Especially, in our business, you want each project to have a successful completion. Since we depend on references there is no use investing time and money in a client where the project will ultimately fail. Over time we have learned to invest much more up front defining the project outcomes and trying to assess the corporate culture to ensure that the new system (innovation) project has a successful completion.
After four or eight hours we may turn the client down. Better to write off eight hours up front that the emotional and financial cost and turmoil of a failed project,
That experience is the seed of my dissertation topic.
By Tom Kobelt
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Social Media & SEO a B2B Marketing Community
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
For any type of marketing company, we have a tendency to want to make everyone happy. We generate more revenue than we ever have and we have 1/3 the clients we did 3 years ago. Good article for discussion.
By Wayne Boesiger
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Social Media Marketing and Measurement
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
It’s not always possible to know before taking on a client if the person or company will be a great fit. Just as some people are great at first dates, some clients are skilled at making a favorable initial impression and the downsides of the relationship aren’t immediately apparent. Experience helps in this — I’ve gotten better about identifying potential trouble and respect my gut more than I did when I first became an entrepreneur.
But, when in doubt, I insist on a short-term contract and re-up only if the initial trial period goes well. It provides an easy exit if the client and I don’t click. It’s similar to the 90-day trial period a company offers a new employee, and I find that most potential clients like the idea (they’re worried about a good fit, too) and the trial period is actually a strong selling point .
Michael is absolutely right about divorcing clients who don’t fit your business strategy even if you like them as individuals. If you’re not getting what you need out of a client relationship — it it’s not furthering your objectives — it’s time to exit.
By Katherine Kotaw
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: PeopleCount Social Media
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
Fully agree with you, Michael. There are several situations of potential divorces. Here are some examples:
1. The client does not listen, is not open to try new things and the way he rejects help is in a rude or impositive way.
2. The client does not commit to his/her own word. Agrees to do something – and forgets, changes his mind frequently, and does not even apologize that he did not do what he had agreed.
3. The client cheats his clients, his employees, his providers – does not pay; does not respect the conditions of the agreements. He might not even agree to have an agreement.
4. The client is disrespectful, does not have good manners or is rude.
5. The client gives confusing or vague instructions and when doing our best to give a good service, he rejects the work.
6. The client is unreachable – he is too busy and then expects that you do the work all at once, expects you to be available 24 hours.
7. The client threats.
8. The client refuses to listen or to understand the implications of the work in terms of time, money or resolution of problems. In addition, he does not agree to provide the necessary support to help (information, human or material resources, agreements, etc.).
When one or more of these situations occur, it is necessary to “fire” the client. It is important to be aware of these situations and end the relationship before it becomes unmanageable.
Very interesting subject, Michael – thanks for bringing it up.
By Lucia Gayon
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Small Business & Independent Consultant Network
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
Depending on the stage of your business, there are times when you can be pickier than others. When you are just starting out, you don’t have the luxury to pick and choose. However, once you have a client base you can start to nurture and prune. Nurture the good ones and grown your business with them. Prune the ones where you aren’t making money, they don’t pay on time and they don’t treat you well. Often you can be too busy to even see this is happening. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a simple analysis of your clients that shows you their value (holistically not just monetarily) from best to worst!
Thanks for raising this topic. Interested to see others opinions.
By Monique Morden
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Networking for Business Professionals & Doctors
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
I lose clients for two reasons:
1. I cannot help them and I tell them so. This is more for protection of my reputation. never take money from someone if they cannot benefit from it.
2. Some clients are never happy (they whine, lie, cry, manipulate) and the harder you try to appease them, the more difficult they become. 90% of your grief comes from 2% of your client base. I cut em loose because “I cannot please them” and as a result, have no chest pains, sleepless nights or anxiety. I’m left with healthy, reasonable businessmen & women who appreciate me, refer me to others and continue to work with me for decades.
Bottom line…the truth will set you free.
By Bruce Carter
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: WritersWorld
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
I believe that some clients could make you or break you. Some are not what you need and some are just depends on you and your business and what it needs at the time or what it needs period.
By Arnie Adkins
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: The Social Effect – the conversational marketing community
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
I’ve gotten some of my best clients by saying no. And it’s not saying no that works, but how you say it.
There have been times when I have been talking to a prospect and found that they did not have a need, or at least a current need, for what I had. I thanked them and said if they knew anyone else that may have that need and if anything changes in the future to know that I was there for them. A little down the line, that prospect called me and we started working together. But by not trying to “sell” them on what they didn’t need at the time, they remembered me and my company.
Sometimes saying no gets you the best results. It has even gotten me referrals.
By Robert Bedell
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: The Social Effect – the conversational marketing community
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
It’s about “doing the right thing” there isn’t @Robert, if they weren’t in need of what your selling then letting them go with a good impression of you is much better than trying to force a sale.
I think the point about aligning even your clients with your business strategy and brand is important, even though at different points it might be impossible to say no to a new deal, like in the startup phase. But by aligning the company strategy and client business strategy, or saying no to those who aren’t (another important aspect is clients being able to see what you really do/how you really create value rather than trying to push their vision of what needs to be done) will make things much easier and more efficient in the long run. Brand and value aspects of the two sides are also important. @Carolyn and @Robert what do you think?
By Linh Johansson
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: WritersWorld
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
Clients who are unreasonable or petty are more trouble than they are worth. If your business is sound enough there will be plenty of good clients to turn your attention to instead of trying to please those who cannot be pleased.
By Edward Cook
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: WritersWorld
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
Just be honest. If there’s no ‘click’, the client is ‘butting’ most of the time and is costing you too much energy, advise him/her that maybe someone else is likely to serve them better. Cherry-pick the positive, enthusiastic clients, who will eventually give you referrals.
By Ivy Green Venlo
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: The Social Effect – the conversational marketing community
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
@Linh, I agree completely. And yes, probably the hardest time to say no is when you are in the start up phase of business. But aligning your company with the wrong partners sometimes can cause more issues than the initial revenue helps.
By Robert Bedell
I totally agree. We have learned (over time) that not everyone is our client and that being discriminating is extremely important.
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Social Media Advisors
Discussion: How Do You Pick or Disengage Clients?
Very timely article. I just had to tell a potential client last week that we weren’t right for him. I knew he was unhappy but I knew if we signed him that I and my team would be very unhappy in the long run so it was much better to deal with it before money had changed hands.
By Fred McMurray