Don’t fire them! Reason with them, help them learn about themselves because most of the time these “impossible” clients are not even sure what they want from you. Of course, it’s a considerable time investment. I can hear you say, “but Sunil, we might as well do something else — perhaps even work one business development and fetch new clients — than waste our productive time with these people!”
That’s a fantastic idea! But acquiring new clients is easier than retaining the ones you have. Everyone knows that. The fact is, your existing clients build your reputation. Think about it, if a significant chunk of them are hard-asses, what does that tell your potential customers about you? A lot.
Sure, some clients will give you a hard time. Some may be high maintenance. Some just won’t get it. Some might even take a jab at you! But you just roll with the punches. You’re not fighting them, just parrying. You’re not winning, just sparring.
Is it easy? No.
Challenging? Yes.
Firing is easy. Learning from the difficult ones will be the key. It’s not for everyone, though, only for the ones who think about winning in the long run.
Nobody will remember you for the easy games that you won, but the ones that were challenging. Or even next to impossible.
Are you game?