By George Passwater, Published November 4, 2014
This past Friday was Halloween and it got me thinking about all the ghouls and other baddies lurking around.
Not only in a trick or treat scenario, but also those in business, too.
What do I mean?
Let me spin ye a tale of a scary client and how I put a stake in him.
Once upon a time, I received a prospect email. He asked me to talk to him about some email marketing and content marketing services. Nothing out of the ordinary and the pay was quite good.
The problem was this: the client, was, well, a potentially blood sucking parasite that didn’t “get” it.
Usually, I stay away from prospects that set off my early warning alarms, but this one got through somehow.
At first, they kept in line and didn’t show signs of any “undead” type activity.
That was until one email conversation. They said they wanted “x” emails written by the next week. But, it was Friday at 4pm and I was already full and other work was already scheduled and this new request would be out of scope.
When I replied and explained why it wasn’t feasible, his response brought out a different face of my client – one of fangs and aggression.
He starting demanding and even though I said no, but instead, offered a compromise, he stayed this way from then on, throughout our business relationship.
He would demand more and more of my time, while making me neglect more of my other clients. It was stupid and I knew it, but he was paying much more than most.
I finally had enough and made the decision to put a stake in this undead, blood sucking client.
I told him no more. He didn’t like it, tried to sink his fangs more into me, but, I drove that stake further into his chest.
What’s the message behind this story?
Look at what blood sucking clients take from you; not just how much they pay. If you’re spending more time on them and that time and frustration outweighs what they pay, it’s time to reevaluate your relationship.
If you have to, just like I did, put a stake in them. After all, you will get other paying clients, but not all will suck away all your precious time and mental capacity.
Just my two cents, my friend.
If you have one or more blood sucking clients and don’t know how to start, now is a good time to break free by scheduling a marketing talk session.
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