Sometimes, it’s necessary to fire your clients. Technically speaking, RESIGN!
Try to work out your differences first but if it becomes necessary, you need to walk away. It’s temporary pain for a long-term gain—your sanity.
Your sanity and a healthy mind are far more important
Photo by René Ranisch on Unsplash
However, it's not always easy walking away! There can be a lot of reasons. This can be very stressful since we consider clients to have all the power.
Here are some tips on how to walk away from your clients and the different types of clients on good terms;
THE UNHAPPY CLIENT "I really appreciate working with you, however, I feel like I am not able to deliver the quality of work you are seeking, therefore it would be best if we would end our contract"
THE TIME-CONSUMING CLIENT "I'm pleased that I've been able to really help move you towards (list their goal...). However, due to the growth of my business, I can no longer serve you to the full extent that you'd be expecting. With that in mind, I feel that it would be best to end our contract."
THE CONTROLLING CLIENT "I understand that you want what's best for your business, however, you hired me to reach (list their goal...), because I'm the expert in (list your service...). Unfortunately, if you do not allow me to do my job, we will have to end our contract."
THE LATE PAYING CLIENT " I need payment on the expected date because without it I can't work on your business and its goals. If you feel that you can't pay on time, then sadly, we will have to end our contract."
As a bonus, I want to give you these tips
- Offer a partial refund for any incomplete work
- Offer to help find a replacement or recommend one
- Qualify before working together so you don't need to fire your clients
- Set clear expectations before working together
- Always have a contract so both parties understand what is expected of the service delivery
- Include late fee/ percent fee to incentivize clients to pay on time
- If possible try to negotiate and come to an understanding before going to firing your clients.
Do you have a client you need to fire for your own sanity and business health?
What do you think about these suggestions?
Are you ready to fire a client?
Post Inspired by Chriss Do