Leadership Thought #381 – You Can’t Save Every Client
One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn in my line of work is that you can’t save every client. Despite your good intentions and best efforts, sometimes the formula will not work. Sometimes, you must accept that you aren’t right for a client or engagement. In other cases, there is always a reason someone is struggling, and until they fully accept this and take responsibility for their actions, there is only so much you can do.
If you don’t fit the client or the engagement, be honest and move on. Occasionally, we don’t connect with another person, and that’s okay. Trying to force a connection where one doesn’t exist only creates unnecessary tension and frustration. Some relationships just aren’t meant to be. Conversely, if a client trusts you and values the relationship, they might present you with opportunities that don’t align with your skills, abilities, and time availability. You need to know when to say, “No thanks,” and steer them in a different direction. If you are not careful, you will erode all the goodwill you’ve built up by underperforming on something you shouldn’t be doing in the first place. In the professional services business, never chase money, but instead focus on providing maximum value.
If the reason is the client’s readiness or willingness to change, this is a much more complicated issue. Convincing someone to alter their mindset and behavior is hard work. Dealing with people who already feel time-crunched and overcommitted may lead them to resist any new challenges or additions to their busy schedules. Even when the consequences of not changing are significant, people will still avoid doing things that make them feel further stressed or uncomfortable. And it’s important to know that there is a considerable difference between a person feeling uncomfortable and stressed versus experiencing actual pain. You can endure stress and discomfort for an extended period, but you must eventually address real pain.
I’ve seen many leaders hold onto employees, clients, product/service lines, and outdated business models that aren’t serving them well because they’d rather not confront reality. There are many reasons, such as pride, ego, fear, low self-confidence, misguided loyalty, emotional discomfort, family business dynamics, etc. Unfortunately, when you wait too long, the consequences of inaction are often worse and can be irreversible. Just like an individual ignoring obvious health signs because they would rather not deal with the potential reality of what’s happening, leaders often wait until they have no choice but to address the symptoms because they have become severe or potentially fatal. Sadly, many of us still forget that the sooner you address something, the higher the probability that you will achieve a better outcome. If you wait too long, it may be too late.
A harsh reality is that some people can’t be saved by you or from themselves. Sometimes, the best teacher is a failure. You can try your best, but it may not be enough. The important thing is to first assess whether you are part of the problem and not a good advisory fit for the specific situation. Then, you can only inform your client/colleague of the consequences of inaction, encourage them to see how their actions contribute to the problem, and help them find alternatives. The rest is up to them.
Related articles
- The Value of Regular Customers – Thoughts From Our Prevailing Experts (elocal.com)
- 5 Signs It’s Time to Break Up With Your Client (thedailymuse.com)
- Common client conflicts when building links (and how to deal with them) (skyrocketseo.co.uk)
- Clients ask the darndest questions (psychologytoday.com)
- 12 Rules For Life book excerpts (capacity-building.com)
