We work so hard to bring on clients, that we hate to part ways, don’t we?
But sometimes … it’s necessary.
I have let go of many clients over the years. Have you?
I know it sounds harsh to say you ‘fire’ a client, but that’s really what it is.
For various reasons, sometimes people just aren’t the right fit. Maybe they need too much support. Maybe they do too many things last-minute. Maybe your personalities just don’t jive. Maybe it’s a little bit of all three of those things!
Whatever the reason, you should regularly look at your current roster of clients and assess who is a great client, and who is not.
Recently I had to make a tough decision to stop working with a client that I really like. Our work styles were very different, and we live 3 timezones apart. So our work days didn’t align. At all.
Normally with my clients it’s not an issue, but for this client it was – lots of last minute tasks and it seemed like we were always running to keep up – at the end of my work day, every day.
She is a wonderful person and very talented at her specialty. But it just wasn’t working. So I made the very difficult decision that we need to part ways.
Have you had any experiences letting someone go?
I am very proud of how I leave all (well, most!) of my work relationships – when they come to an end. I try to make the transition to the new support person as seamless as possible. Just because something doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world.
And I have been on the receiving end of a smooth transition too – recently I took on a new client from another VA and they made the transition so much easier for me. I think it’s good business, and I appreciated that they were so helpful. I like to do the same thing for my fellow VAs when they start to work with one of my previous clients.
So the bottom line is although it’s difficult to stop working with someone I actually like, it’s going to make a world of difference in my daily productivity with my other clients – and leaves me open to find a new client who is a better fit for me and my business.
I would love to hear your stories about how your clients fit into your day – or not!
And I challenge you to look at who you are working with, and make a decision as to whether your business might be better served to move someone out, to make space for someone who can help you build and grow.
Let me know your stories! Post your comments on my Facebook page if you like. 🙂