Comments on: What’s the Best Way to Fire a Client http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2006/10/06/whats-the-best-way-to-fire-a-client/ Small business marketing blog Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:39:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: links for 2006-10-08 - Small Business Radio http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2006/10/06/whats-the-best-way-to-fire-a-client/#comment-13156 links for 2006-10-08 - Small Business Radio Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-13156 <pingback />...in French and nine other languages… (tags: corporate blogging sun ceo) What’s the Best Way to Fire a Client? No matter what the reason, actually going to someone who has been paying you for a service and telling them you ... …in French and nine other languages… (tags: corporate blogging sun ceo) What’s the Best Way to Fire a Client? No matter what the reason, actually going to someone who has been paying you for a service and telling them you …

]]> By: Kristie Tamsevicius http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2006/10/06/whats-the-best-way-to-fire-a-client/#comment-899 Kristie Tamsevicius Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-899 My coach once said, "Sometimes the cost of money is too high". And in the case of bad clients, that is certainly true. Once I had to fire a client who was a good friend. We were good friends, but working together was terrible. He was a perfectionist. I am detail challenged. He made me a nervous wreck so I made even more mistakes. I used the "it's not you, it's me" approach. Now we are just friends. It's much better that way. I had to fire one client who was getting way too far behind on payments. That was easy to communicate, "I can't work with you anymore until you pay." My favorite though is along the lines of what you said, "My business is changing and I am not doing that kind of work anymore. " Firing a client is tough to do, especially when they represent a pretty good paycheck. But the PEACE you get when they are gone is priceless! *grin My coach once said, “Sometimes the cost of money is too high”. And in the case of bad clients, that is certainly true.

Once I had to fire a client who was a good friend. We were good friends, but working together was terrible. He was a perfectionist. I am detail challenged. He made me a nervous wreck so I made even more mistakes.

I used the “it’s not you, it’s me” approach. Now we are just friends. It’s much better that way.

I had to fire one client who was getting way too far behind on payments. That was easy to communicate, “I can’t work with you anymore until you pay.”

My favorite though is along the lines of what you said, “My business is changing and I am not doing that kind of work anymore. ”

Firing a client is tough to do, especially when they represent a pretty good paycheck. But the PEACE you get when they are gone is priceless! *grin

]]> By: Matthew Stibbe (Bad Langauge) http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2006/10/06/whats-the-best-way-to-fire-a-client/#comment-902 Matthew Stibbe (Bad Langauge) Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-902 Several years ago, I was doing a lot of work for a client. I thought they were one of my 'bedrock' clients and then a new manager came on and started giving me all kinds of grief. A couple of months later, it had got too much and I told them I didn't want to write for them again. It was scary, because they represented a big chunk of my income - but the price of my work for them hadn't increased in the course of three years. Six months later, I had a raft of new clients and business had never been better. Much better. Turned out that 'firing my client' was the kick in the ass I needed to grow my business. Perhaps this is another reason to fire the odd client from time to time. 'Pour encourager les autres'! Several years ago, I was doing a lot of work for a client. I thought they were one of my ‘bedrock’ clients and then a new manager came on and started giving me all kinds of grief. A couple of months later, it had got too much and I told them I didn’t want to write for them again. It was scary, because they represented a big chunk of my income – but the price of my work for them hadn’t increased in the course of three years. Six months later, I had a raft of new clients and business had never been better. Much better. Turned out that ‘firing my client’ was the kick in the ass I needed to grow my business. Perhaps this is another reason to fire the odd client from time to time. ‘Pour encourager les autres’!

]]> By: John Jantsch http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2006/10/06/whats-the-best-way-to-fire-a-client/#comment-903 John Jantsch Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-903 One wrong client can suck the life right out of you - if you choose to let them. Way international blog here with all this French! One wrong client can suck the life right out of you – if you choose to let them.

Way international blog here with all this French!

]]> By: Sara Freitas-Maltaverne http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2006/10/06/whats-the-best-way-to-fire-a-client/#comment-905 Sara Freitas-Maltaverne Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-905 My client portfolio has definitely benefited from annual spring cleaning. It is easy to get emotionally attached to certain clients and projects, and letting a source of steady income go is always scary thing. When the prices you are charging haven't budged in a couple of years that's usually a good sign it's time to take a look at which clients to keep and which to let go, *especially* when your bread-and-butter clients start morphing into low-rate, high-volume sources of work that keep you too busy to grow your business. By the way, I am in France, but that's a total coincidence! Vive le nettoyage du printemps ! My client portfolio has definitely benefited from annual spring cleaning. It is easy to get emotionally attached to certain clients and projects, and letting a source of steady income go is always scary thing. When the prices you are charging haven’t budged in a couple of years that’s usually a good sign it’s time to take a look at which clients to keep and which to let go, *especially* when your bread-and-butter clients start morphing into low-rate, high-volume sources of work that keep you too busy to grow your business.

By the way, I am in France, but that’s a total coincidence!

Vive le nettoyage du printemps !

]]> By: John Jantsch http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2006/10/06/whats-the-best-way-to-fire-a-client/#comment-906 John Jantsch Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-906 Sara, Now if I could only figure out how to work that on the closets. Sara,

Now if I could only figure out how to work that on the closets.

]]> By: Steve Torso http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2006/10/06/whats-the-best-way-to-fire-a-client/#comment-907 Steve Torso Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-907 Sometimes letting a client go is the only thing to do. I agree it is useful to do some spring cleaning on your client base. It is more important when you establish the opportunity cost some time consuming clients represent. Sometimes letting a client go is the only thing to do. I agree it is useful to do some spring cleaning on your client base.

It is more important when you establish the opportunity cost some time consuming clients represent.

]]> By: order taking service http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2006/10/06/whats-the-best-way-to-fire-a-client/#comment-911 order taking service Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-911 Its a harsh reality but i think the best approach. A wrong client can do lot of harm to your business and growth. So stop it right there!! Its a harsh reality but i think the best approach. A wrong client can do lot of harm to your business and growth. So stop it right there!!

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