Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1018883
SiG MT 30 Amy Dardis is a marketing consultant and speaker. She, along with her husband Josh , own 406 Marketing & Desig n , a web desig n and dig ital marketing company. It has been a great privilege working with all my clients, and while I haven't had the misfortune of saying goodbye to many, there have been a few. What I've come to realize is sometimes goodbyes are a good thing. Sometimes the relationship isn't well balanced, sometimes personalities clash, and sometimes it's just time to go our separate ways. Client breakups can be a relief for one reason or another. I once took on a client without fully qualifying them and ran head-on into a personality clash. To be honest, they weren't even a bad client, they were actually wonderful people who were passionate about their goals, but at the end of the day, I or (my company) just wasn't the best fit for them. I've made the mistake of underbidding my services so that the balance between work and pay is terribly offset. e pressure of having to over deliver while being under compensated is stressful, to say the least. I've had clients that I worked with for years and eventually the season came to an end because they wanted and needed more than could be delivered. And that is okay. As a natural people pleaser, it's easy to feel like I need to bend over backwards to ensure everyone's happiness. I've learned the hard way that I can't be everything to everyone and am now comfortable knowing where and when to draw the line. Regardless of why breakups happen, it doesn't maer whether it was your fault, their fault or no one's fault. A parting of ways should be handled with as much care, respect and grace as when the initial relationship first began. Why? Because it is in their best interest as much as it is in yours. Not to mention, it's the right thing to do! Perhaps you're in the midst of a bad breakup and in your eyes it's all the client's fault because they expect everything for nothing, they don't listen to any of your expert advice, they micromanage everything and they don't appreciate all the work you've done for them. ey're a pain in your neck and you are so ready to dump them. I get it… I've been there too. But, regardless of how awful the situation has been or currently is, there are a few very good reasons why you should make it as pleasant as possible for everyone involved. A good, clean break makes things fast and efficient. e faster you can seamlessly transfer their account over to new providers, the faster you can be done. ere is no need to drag anything out. Life goes on and actually gets beer. All the stress and frustration from this strained relationship has been taking its toll. Maybe you didn't notice it at first or maybe you still haven't realized it, but once you let it go, you'll definitely notice a huge weight has been lied. A good reputation maers more than money. Breaking up with a client equals a loss of income… maybe a lile or maybe a lot. But regardless of what you think that client is worth in dollars, keeping a good reputation is priceless. Serve them well all the way to the very end. Treat them with so much grace and respect that they have no reason to speak ill of you… even if they want to. Wish them well. Don't view them as an "enemy". Genuinely encourage their success as they move forward in a new direction. In everything you do, do it with integrity, even when breaking up with a client. e client may not care one way or another, but you can move on knowing you did the best you could. For whatever reason, even if we don't understand at the time, or maybe even ever, we were supposed to have a relationship with that specific client. Be thankful for the time you had with them, the income earned and the lessons learned. S MT