About 18 months ago I was working with a new client developing a new Australian website design – not only did he break me down and negotiate a ‘bargain’ price for his cheap web design, but he absorbed my time, clogged up my phone line – day and night – drained me emotionally and financially for 3 months – quite crippling. Firing him would have been the best thing to do but instead I persevered.
If this story sounds familiar, that is because as a small business owner, you have probably run into at least one client that has had you pulling your hair out in clumps. And like most SMEs or solopreneurs, you have the same fear of not being able to survive without the income from this particular client. Before you rip out one more single strand of hair or before you start shopping for a wig, you need to stop and look at the “big picture”.
What Are You Gaining from the Challenging Client?
You might think that the work you have been getting from this particular client is the only thing between you and the poor house. Sure he pays his bill and even manages to pay it on time most months for your services, but there is far more to an acceptable client for your business than getting paid on time.
You are of course gaining experience in the services that you are providing, but at the same time you are also getting a hard lesson in patience and anger management. But again you have to look at what this client is putting you through to gain so little.
What Are You Losing?
First and foremost, for as long as you continue to work with this particular client you are losing your sanity. When every change you make to his product (in my case – web design) requires hours on the phone, dozens of emails and tweaks beyond reason, your blood pressure spikes a bit higher and your sanity slips a little bit more. More importantly, when you look at how much time you are spending with this one client that could be spent with several others, you are losing money!
What Will You Gain / Lose if You Fire this Client?
Ah, now for the big question, one that you need to give serious thought to. You have been hanging on to this client thinking that you can’t live without the money he pays. If you kick him to the curb, you lose the income, but in return you get your sanity back as the phone stops ringing off the hook and most importantly of all you get your time back. This is time that you can be using to develop new relationships with new customers.
Imagine how much more money you could be bringing in if you replaced this one very difficult client by sending him off to find service provider with two or three new clients who actually like your work and trust you to do a good job, without micromanaging you at every step of the way. This should make it much easier to see that there comes a time when you have no choice but to tell your challenging client that it is time for them to seek another company.
How Do You Fire This Client?
If you have never had to fire anyone, let alone a client you have been working with for a lengthy period of time, it is not as hard as it seems. The best approach is to send your client a professional and non-emotional email explaining why you feel that they might be happier seeking the services of another service provider. Tell them that despite your best efforts, the two of you do not seem to be able to work well together and that you simply do not feel as though you are the right company to meet their expectations.
Your best bet is make them realise that you are no more to blame for this situation than they are, it is nothing more than a complete mismatch and that they may be much better off finding another service that can meet their expectations. When you handle the situation without flying off the handle, both you and your client can feel good about moving on and you can soon replace them with new clients that want the services you have to offer.
Have you ever fired a client? How did you go about it? Did things end amicably? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page – we’d love to hear about your personal experiences.