How To Avoid Toxic Clients
Toxic clients are the worst, they not only negatively impact your productivity and profitability, they can also take a toll on both yours and your team’s morale and mental health.Â
That’s why prevention is better than cure and avoiding these clients by spotting the red flags early on will save you and your company time and money in the long run.
Change Your Mindset With Clients
When signing up clients, we forget that it’s similar to having a new boss. Would you take a job if you knew the boss was toxic? Probably not! Then why do we accept this with clients?
It’s very easy to fall into the trap of chasing revenue and signing up anyone who is willing to pay, which in the short term is fine, but this way of thinking will dramatically impact you and your business in the long run. And trust me… It won’t be positive.
Toxic clients can affect company morale to the point where your team will lose passion for their job, this has a domino effect on productivity and the quality of work. It may even push your team to the point of quitting.
In times like these it’s vital to really have your teams back and don’t have the expectations that they need to be the recipients of any abuse or unrealistic requests for the sake of some extra revenue that may not even be profitable for you.
Understand that regardless of the earning potential, you are still providing value in exchange for what they are paying you. Therefore it needs to be a beneficial business relationship for both parties and both parties need to adhere to any terms agreed and treat one another with a level of professionalism and mutual respect.
Know The Signs Of A Potential Toxic Client
They Don’t Care To Learn More About How You Work… They Just Want Results
When they outwardly express a lack of interest in what you do and only focus on the results you can get, it shows a lack of respect for the service you provide. This is a strong indication that they will not appreciate the hard work put into their management unless they generate results as quickly as possible.
This can often put yourself or your team under a strain of pressure and increase the risk of feeling under appreciated.
They Keep Trying To Negotiate A Lower Price During The Sales Process
Typically the clients who negotiate the most can be the most demanding and least profitable on an ongoing basis. Your packages and pricing should speak for itself, if they continue to negotiate to the point where it’s almost insulting, they are likely a low quality lead and have a lack of appreciation for your work.
They Bash Previous People They Have Worked With
This is a HUGE red flag! It not only shows a lack of professionalism, but as a general principle, if there is a recurring pattern where they have had issues with everyone they have worked with… It’s usually not the people they have worked with who were the problem.
They Show Up Late For All Arranged Calls Or Continuously Call You Without Notice During The Sales Process
Either of these instances can be early signs that your time and schedule is less important to theirs in their eyes, which could represent a lesser level of respect for you as a service provider.Â
If a client over communicates via consistent calls before seeing your availability this can also be a look into what they’re like as a client. These types of clients often impact efficiency and productivity.
They Sign Up Suspiciously Fast
Believe it or not, this can actually be a negative. This represents that little thought has gone into their decision. Instances where this happens can often lead to a short term client.
How You Should Deal With Toxic Clients
Do Your Research
If you are providing a b2b service, screen the company of your prospective client before signing them up.Â
Most importantly, research what they are like to work for. This can be easily done through reviews left on job websites such as Indeed, Glassdoor etc. You likely wouldn’t work for a one star employer, so why settle for a one star client?
Set Your Boundaries Early On
As mentioned above, you are both providing each other with value, therefore any b2b or b2c relationship should benefit both parties involved.
Don’t be afraid to set reasonable boundaries to protect yourself, your company and your team. If these boundaries cannot be adhered to, then the relationship will not work. Outlining the boundaries before your clients sign up and being firm/transparent will help you narrow down on your ideal client base.
Â
Don’t Be Afraid To Turn Them Away Or Terminate The Relationship
There is nothing wrong with terminating a relationship where the negatives far outweigh the positives. Doing this will save you time and money in the future, allowing you to shift your energy towards generating new business and serving respectful/more profitable clients, improving your ROI.
One Comment
Pingback: