Tom Peters wisely advised business owners who want to grow their companies to let go of the bottom 10% of their clients annually. Bottom could be defined by economics, but there’s also the P-I-T-A (pain-in-the-a**) function that can be at play. You know who I’m talking about, don’t you?
I’ve recently been coaching a client in this direction, to let go of unsatisfying work relationships, and a funny thing happened. When you tell people information they don’t want to hear, they stop hearing. They insistently repeat the same demands, as though you’ve not already said no. Think two year old here.
This is where ‘broken record’ comes into play. You have to repeat the same information, sometimes ad nauseam, in order for them to comprehend your message, the one they’re not happy about.
“No, I no longer do that.”
“I’m unavailable for work on the weekends.”
“I respond to messages twice a day.”
i.e. “I am not at your beck and call.”
It’s challenging to re-train our customers when we make decisions that will impact them. You, as the business owner, get to pick and choose with whom you like to work. Free up your creative energy by letting go of those that drain you.
But remember, when you stop people-pleasing, people aren’t pleased.
“But remember, when you stop people-pleasing, people aren’t pleased.”
There’s a great deal of truth in this, but there can also be another dynamic at work that’s more positive — refusing to cater to your most demanding clients can sometimes make you seem more exclusive and thereby raise your value in all your clients’ eyes.
I completely agree with the notion of “firing” your PITA customers from time to time. I didn’t have the nerve to do this until my husband retired and I used that as an excuse to send letters to those few “problem” clients telling them I was slowing down to spend more time with my husband. and would no longer be available to them. In each case, I gave them one or two others who might be able to help them. What a difference it made in my freelance writing business to suddenly take that anchor from around my neck.
Well said! I’m always encouraging my clients who thank me for pointing them in this direction. I have to remember it myself, although my current clients are the BEST EVER!!
Jane,
Spot on, as always. It is easy for me to get caught up in the drama of a chronic complainer. I have a business segment that I deal with regularly, and the ones who bicker up front about pricing, are usually the same ones who try to get their changes for free. The idea that I don;t have to keep working with this type of a client is a gift to me. Thank you.