valuable lesson when to let go of a client
The past few days I was reminded of an observation I made years ago working in corporate America and the hotel industry:
• a high maintenance client rarely equals high performance,
• a high maintenance client's product/services rarely performs in the manner the client has bragged,
• a high maintenance client's product/services rarely performs in the manner the client has bragged,
• a high maintenance client IF you allow will take up 80% of your time and produce less than 20% in results, (Thank you @Tim Ferris for reminding me about the 80/20 rule....)
Business development is a tricky area, regardless of how many classes; seminar or training you may have there is nothing like experience to helps work through the many gray areas most of us find while developing a business.
It's a balancing act between building relationships with your clients, making sales and developing the product/services of your business.
The biggest errors I learned from the past days (reminders of lessons from corporate America):
1. I responded to an email after hours.
2. I gave my cell phone number verses just using the business number - it was much too early in the business relationship with this client to have my cell phone number.
3. I didn't leave clear instructions with my new staff on how to proceed with this project.
2. I gave my cell phone number verses just using the business number - it was much too early in the business relationship with this client to have my cell phone number.
3. I didn't leave clear instructions with my new staff on how to proceed with this project.
Two events happened - one a rough draft of a rough draft for the press release was distributed before the client reviewed it. Two- I answered an email from the client AFTER hours this opened the flood gates to him getting the idea that I was one of his employees' verses being someone that our companies were partnering for an exchange of services and worse it gave the impression that there were no established office hours (Mon- Sat 8am-6pm) and that established the lack of respect for my time and it devalued the service being provided.
He had a fit when he saw the incorrect press release, fortunately for me I have always been the person that stays calm and gets proactive to correct an error verses being a person that plays a supporting role during the drama.
I listened as he picked apart what he believed was wrong with the site and did not apologize or make excuses for the error --- Why? Because I believed that part of his fit was he was genuinely concerned about the product his subscribers would be getting but mainly because I believed he was just trying to work me. He was establishing being a high maintenance client these guys will hijack your time if you allow them.
High maintenance clients cost a lot of money- if they are on billing terms they are often the slowest to pay. High maintenance clients will do their best to pick on every aspect of the service that was provided and are always trying to figure out ways to get services for free or to get a larger discount if they came in on a sale. High maintenance clients make a lot of negative assumptions and often act like those errors are intentionally designed to make them look stupid.
I had an interactive call with the client; changes were made while we chatted about the press release. Clients are the experts on their target audience. He decided he would be the expert on how to write a press release and some of his suggestions would have turned it into a sales letter verses a press release... and yes, there is a difference. And a lot of the verbiage he was choosing would have pushed the reading level from the recommended 7th grade level into high school senior and college level which means it was at risk of alienating a large percentage of the audience.
I made the decision not to distribute the press release and I could afford not to work with this company. As it turned out the service we were partnering on didn't make any sales. Even if Proof Copy Writing was in the position of needed money no matter who walks through the door, I would not work with this company again. You can avoid a lot of the arrogant "prove yourself" attitude by working with a client base you like that wants and understands the need of your product/services.
Leia Woods Proof Copy Writing Business Development Officer http://www.proofcopywriting.com 347.836.9672 Office Hours: Mon- Sat 8am - 6pm (EST) Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leia_Woods |
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