The Client Letter
September 12, 2013
The Desert of Arizona
Sunny 60 Degrees
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You should fire the bottom 10%-20% of your client base each year.
I’m sure you’ve seen that recommendation at one time or another from various people.
That sounds so intelligent on paper, but if you’ve ever considered doing that to your own clients… the ones who are sending you money… well, you know it’s not exactly black and white.
To be frank, I’m not one for confrontation. Call it a weakness, call it who I am. It doesn’t change the fact that it is.
I can be “superman” any time I want and deal with stuff, but it’s not my standard way of operating.
If given the choice, I will choose the path of the river and flow around things, not through them. And I’m OK with that.
That said, sticking around with clients who you’ve “grown out of,” isn’t smart either.
But instead of “firing” them, consider another option: You simply push them out of the nest. You do that by making changes to how your business runs and then allow them to choose if they want to stick around or not.
I’m sure there are people who would consider this nuts. And I’m sure those people would say, “You should really take control of your life man…” The fact is, no one is in control, we all just think we are 🙂
So do what works for you.
Firing clients isn’t something that feels right to me, so I don’t do it.
I focus on attracting better… That’s what the Incomparable Expert Transformation is for. Attracting better. Eventually, helping clients move on just becomes a natural byproduct of your clarity.
You don’t burn bridges, you don’t act like you’re “above” them, and you don’t make stupid moves with your cash flow.
You just let things flow.
Just make changes in your business as you desire. Slowly, some clients will see that you’re no longer a good fit for them.
Now obviously, if you have a “problem child” client, then by all means, do what you must. But that’s not the issue here.
The issue here is promoting the growth of you, your business and the quality of client you attract.
Saying you’re supposed to fire 10%-20% of your clients every year is something that sounds awesome.
But trying to follow some standard like that because someone said it’s smart doesn’t necessarily get you where you’re trying to go.
Just think for yourself. Keep your eyes open, and learn from your experiences. That’s why they’re there.