Today I did something I don't normally do. I told a client goodbye. This is probably the hardest thing that service professionals do, especially small business providers. I am a natural people pleaser. I WANT to make you happy. I want to make your business work. I even want to see you be successful. Often I have sacrificed my own happiness and even more of my time to make that happen. This year though I have chosen to take a different path with unprofitable, high maintenance clients - they are getting a polite, but firm heave ho.
There are three obvious things that come up with clients that put them on my watch list for letting go:
- Energy Vampires: These clients want to talk all of the time, go over things relentlessly, send you hundreds of email, complain constantly - about everything. This type of client tends to not like anything, runs hot and cold, and after a conversation with them you feel drained. You can tell you have this kind of client when you dread talking with them. After a while (or in my case this time, one project) it is time to let them go.
- Low Paying Bastards: This seems harsh, but there are some clients who consistently cry poor. If you are like me you chose to give them a break because you felt that a) you could help them or b) you felt sorry for them. The problem with this kind of client is that they usually end up being the most work. Lesson here, don't give in on your prices - you will feel better about your work and you will not feel like they are taking advantage of you.
DuctTape has a great piece on this - they suggest to get rid of problem clients actually let them know that you are raising your rates. That may do the trick to getting this client off your back. - Unclear User: This client seems to not know what they want. They don't have the time to share it with you and they don't seem to know how to communicate anything. You feel like you aren't meeting their needs, which is frustrating. You may not need to fire this client; instead you can put them on a tight schedule with project outlines. See how that works and if the time managing them is worth it. If it isn't profitable to spend that extra time it may be time to give them the axe.
It isn't fun to let a client go, but it can be liberating. Instead of never pleasing them, running after them, or trying to understand what they wanted in the first place you can move onto clients that you connect with from the start. That will help your bottom line and your success rate. Be brave - give them the heave ho!
Photo Credit: Valentin.Ottone
