In service-based businesses, badly fitted clients are one of the leading causes of burn out. They make days feel longer, tasks harder, and our businesses less rewarding. So with all of this, why does it take us forever to cut these clients loose? When it comes down it, it typically about not recognizing when a bad day is more than that. But I’m here to help. Here are my top five signs that you need to breakup with that client.
#5 You’re not excited to work with them… ever.
The number five sign that you need to breakup with your client is when you can’t seem to get excited to work with them or on your projects. Although you are sure to have off days, you should find excitement in some of what they bring to the table. If not, you might need to break it off.
#4 You feel complete drained after meeting with them or working on their project.
The forth sign is you feel completely drained after every meeting or project. Although being tired after working is perfectly normal, feeling completely drained of all your energy is not. A good client relationship should give you energy, not remove it. If you need to take a nap after every meeting, its time to end the business relationship.
#3 You make excuses about why you can’t meet with them or start on that client’s project.
The number three sign that you need to breakup with your client is you have excuses, a lot of them; from why you can’t meet with them to why you can’t start on their project yet. We all have things that come up from time to time, but if you find yourself making endless excuses, it might be time to finally cut the client loose.
#2 You dodge their phone calls, texts, or emails
The number two sign is dodging calls, texts and even emails. You dread speaking to the client so much you intentionally “miss” phone calls and “misplace” emails in your inbox. When you dread talking to a client that much, it’s time to break up.
#1 You Long for Your Old 9 to 5 Job
And the number one sign it’s time to break up with that client is… you miss your old job. It’s perfectly normal to have a bad day, but if working with a client makes you long for the cubical you ran from, it might be time to revisit your relationship.
What to Say When It’s Time to End the Relationship
- “I’ve enjoyed our partnership. Unfortunately, due to the amount of time needed for your project and my current time restraints, I cannot continue working with you with my current workload.”
- “I appreciate the opportunity to work with you, but it has become clear that this situation is not working for either of us.”
- “This project has challenged me, but I believe that I am not the right fit for your needs.”
- “Your requests have gone out of the scope of my services, so at this time, it is best that you move onto a better fitted service provider.”
- “I wish that I was the best fit for everyone, but unfortunately, that isn’t the case. I’m sorry to say this, but I will need to terminate our business relationship at this time. I have provided a (partial/full) refund and wish you the best of luck.”