How to fire a client.
There might be a time in your career that you wish you could fire a client. I hear people say it all the time - “I fired my client.” At the start of my career, I dreamed of the day I would be in the financial position to do the same thing. Have you wished you could do it too?
Before you run off and fire a client willy nilly, here are 5 things you should consider:
5. Money.
Maybe you’re surprised this isn’t number 1! We’ve all been there- the client in question is a significant part of your income. While that is a huge reason to not fire someone, you also need to consider the mental tax they are putting on you and your team. So put plans in place. Diversify with their competitors or supporting industries (without breaking laws or confidentiality) so one day you too can say “I fired a client today.”
4. Mental Exhaustion
When you have a client that is rude, and you put up with it because you need the cashflow, it’s going to take a toll on you and your team. I used to have a client that I thought was bipolar. He paid his invoices and the work was easy, but he brought a level of toxicity that had me dreaming about mixing prescription drugs into his candy dish. So before you can be tempted into committing a crime, just walk away.
3. Time
Sometimes clients demand more than they actually pay for. You may be lucky enough to have a toxic client that will pay to be terrible to you. And if you can separate business from the rest of your life - keep cashing those checks. But in the event you can’t, this is a solid reason to fire them: I’ve generally found the clients that spend the least expect the most.
2. Experience
Sure they’re toxic. Of course one day you have no intention of working with them. But until you’ve sorted out the money part of the equation, pay attention to their industry. Learn everything you can and become an expert. That way when you are in the position to fire them and approach their competitors, you can say you’re an industry expert. However I am not suggesting you take trade secrets with you. That is illegal, unethical, and leads to the number one thing to consider when making this decision- your reputation.
1. Your Reputation
If you are the reactionary type who’s going to scream expletives at your client and walk away mic drop style, pay attention. I don’t care what town you live in, cities are small. Your crazy client may be awful to you, but they are probably delightful to their friends (otherwise they wouldn’t be friends). Those crazy clients you just yelled at are going to tell all their friends the story about the vendor that cursed them out and left them high and dry during a deadline. And you know what’s going to happen? Those friends are going to tell the story at a cocktail party. Have you heard of Kevin Bacon’s six degrees of separation? If you have and you think the whole theory is a thing of baloney, keep in mind I’m connected to Kim Jong-Un through only two people. Well one day you’re going to approach a new dream client who is absolutely wonderful. And they’re going to think your name sounds familiar. It might take a little while - but they’ll remember who you are and you know who’s getting fired now? YOU!