How To Avoid Having Problem Clients

‘Fire your worst customers’ is great advice.

Particularly if your business has been going a while, things aren’t turning out how you’d hoped, and you’re getting to that stage where you dread picking up the ‘phone.

Almost everyone I know who’s done it has come out the other side with a more enjoyable and profitable business.

(Unless you’re the sort of person who always gets carried away with everything and ends up firing all your customers in a fit of pique.  Don’t do that.)

Catherine Caine over at the wonderful Be Awesome Online reminded me of this in a recent post (Fire someone!), and it set me thinking:  “Wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t have lousy customers in the first place?”

Actually, I’m in that very pleasant position right now.  Since I started in this particular business, all my clients have been great.

Without exception.

In fact, my biggest problem now is the ongoing accusation from my wife that I never really do any work, I just spend my time enjoying myself talking to people.

However, in my previous businesses, I had plenty of… ahem… ‘challenging’ customers.

So what’s going right with this one?

Well, apart from the fact I’m working much more ‘on purpose’ than I ever have before, I’ve made some crucial changes to the way I handle choosing new customers.

And I’d like to share the changes have helped me most with you here:

1. Give up complaining about your clients.
   After all, you picked ‘em.No-one forced you at gunpoint to take on that guy who reminds you of your old boss (the one who made you go solo in the first place).  And no-one forced you to agree to those ridiculously over-negotiated terms.However much you felt ‘under pressure’ to say yes. Even if the reason you took them on was because your bank account was empty and you were starting to get nasty letters from the mortgage company.   You’re still responsible.Now, although that sounds harsh, it’s not meant to be.

   What I want to get across to you is this:  If you feel like a leaf blown around in the wind when it comes to the clients you end up with, it’s probably because you’re just sitting back and accepting whatever comes along.

   So if you want a more enjoyable, profitable business, you need to make a deal with yourself.

   Repeat after me:
   
   ’From this day forward, I do solemnly swear that I will take responsibility for who I accept as a client into my business.

   Which means I will take active steps to ensure I only take on clients I actually enjoy working with, and who truly value what I do, and who pay on time.

   And I’ll also “put myself out there” enough.  So I don’t end up staring into the abyss of an empty diary and grabbing at the nearest unsuitable person like a desperate drunk single when the lights come on at the disco.’

   There.  Doesn’t that feel better?

   Warning: there’s a downside to this.  Having done this, you are absolutely not allowed to complain about your clients any more.  But that’s a small price to pay, dontcha think?

   Oh, and several times in the last few months, I’ve heard several times people saying that they only seem to attract clients who don’t have any money.

   If that’s you, here’s a hint: it’s something you’re doing.  Maybe you’re too cheap, maybe you’re not communicating what you do properly, or maybe you’re hanging round the wrong places looking for them.

   Either way, find out what it is, and fix it.

2. Take some time to design your ideal client
   Once you’ve taken responsibility for the clients you attract into your business, the next step is to get really clear on exactly who you want them to be.So, grab a blank sheet of paper, and write down the characteristics you want in your new clients.   And here, I don’t mean the obvious stuff like industry, turnover, problems they have, etc.I mean things like fun, challenging, open to new ideas, reliable and enthusiastic about their business.  The stuff that really matters.

   After you’ve done that, write down all the things you don’t want in a client.

   Things like nitpicking, telling you things won’t work as an excuse not to try them, and treating you like ‘just another supplier’ are a good start.

3. Be picky about who you work with
   Not every prospective client qualifies to work with you.Even if they want to work with you, even if they’ll pay.  You still have the right (and in my opinion, the responsibility) to say no to someone if you don’t think it will be a good fit for you or them.When you make this change, it means that you get to take on clients because you want to, not because you need to. Which means you’re a lot less likely to end up having ‘that conversation’ with them.

Now, a warning: this is very difficult to do, at least at first.

When you start out in business, or you’re going through a quiet period, anyone who takes an interest can seem like rainclouds after a drought. No matter how unsuitable (or difficult) they are.

But ask yourself this:  the last time I acted out of desperation, how well did it work out?

Being picky also has another bonus.  If you’re willing to turn people away, it makes you look a hell of a lot less needy.

And no-one wants to hire needy people.

4. Be proud of your price (and your terms)
   No matter what else you choose, there’s one type of client you absolutely want to avoid.The Nibbler.The one who tries, at every opportunity, to simultaneously nibble you down on price, whilst demanding more and more work out of you for their money.

   Until after a while, you might as well be paying them.

   What’s worst about these people is that even after you’ve worked round the clock for a pittance, they’ll still find something to be unhappy with.  And then delay payment.

   Luckily, there’s an easy way to deter them: pick a price that truly reflects the value of what you do, be proud of it, and stick to your guns.  That will generally send the Nibbler scurrying off in search of someone else’s business to ruin.

   Oh, and while we’re at it – unless there’s a very, very good reason, get paid up front, at least in part.  You’re not a bank.

5. Teach them how to be a good client
   Unless you sell something very obvious, like tins of peas, there’s a good chance your clients don’t know a great deal about how to get brilliant results from working with you.After all, you’re the expert.

   So in addition to your expertise, it’s a good idea if you give them some guidance on that.

   To do this, make it clear up front precisely what you need from them for things to run smoothly. Check that’s ok with them.   Then make sure you feed back to them quickly if things aren’t going as they should, or there’s a change.

6. Invite criticism
   Sometimes, when things start going awry, it’s because of something you’ve done wrong.  And most people are far too polite to tell you… unless you actually ask them.So make a habit of it on a regular basis.  I like to ask:

   What’s going well?
   What’s not going so well?
   What could I do better?

   (Once you’ve fixed the stuff that’s not going so well, it’s a great time to ask if you can use the ‘what’s going well?’ stuff as a testimonial, but that’s a whole other post!)

   Those are the changes that have helped me have a much better time choosing and working with my clients this time around.

   Some of them have been very challenging to stick to, and have meant turning away potential income, just when I felt I needed it most.   But the end result is a business I enjoy a huge amount, and to me that’s the most important thing.

   What’s helped you be more successful when choosing clients?  And what do you find particularly difficult to deal with?

Tagged as: clients, marketing, sales