From energy vampires to late payers,
nitpickers, low ballers,
passive aggressive commenters,
and impossible expectationers,
when it comes to dealing with those difficult clients,
how do you set and keep boundaries?
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Hey, Posse, what's up?
It's Alex.
If you're new to the crew, welcome.
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Now, I am very excited about today's video,
because I feel like this is a topic
that all of my fellow freelancers
and creative entrepreneurs can relate to.
No matter your niche or industry,
when you work in a client-based business,
you're bound to stumble across one or two
or three or four clients that push your boundaries
and your buttons, and trust me, I have been there.
After a decade of running
my own freelance copywriting business,
I have dealt with my fair share
of difficult clients and boundary pushers.
And in the beginning of my career,
I did what most new freelancers do:
I let my clients call the shots
and completely lost sight of my so-called boundaries.
I lowered my prices to unreasonable rates.
I let clients call me on the weekends.
I'd work all hours of the day,
and I would agree to the most ridiculous turnaround times
without a second thought.
But over the years,
I did a lot of mindset work to shift that dynamic,
but there was one big mindset change in particular
that really shifted everything for me,
and I'll tell you more about that at the end of this video.
But first, what I really want to talk about
is how you can actually stand your ground as a freelancer
and hold your boundaries with difficult clients,
what to do when that doesn't work,
and most importantly,
I'm gonna give you five super tactful ways
for you to fire a client on good terms
without burning professional bridges
or risking your reputation.
So, let's get right to it,
the most important skill you will ever learn.
As a freelancer,
you're constantly learning and reviving your skills, right?
I mean, you kind of need to if you want to stay in demand
and on top of the industry trends,
but there is one skill in particular that most freelancers
or entrepreneurs in general just never learn,
and that is why they struggled to hold boundaries
and find it impossible to say goodbye
to those bad apple clients,
and that skill is this:
Learning how to have difficult conversations.
Here's the thing,
when you're a freelancer or a business owner,
you have to learn this skill.
Whether it's talking about money,
setting proper expectations,
or communicating a boundary that's been crossed,
people hardly ever see eye to eye on everything,
and people definitely aren't mind readers,
which means that having difficult conversations
is often the only way to truly grow
and thrive in your business.
So, one of my favorite quotes of all time
by Tim Ferris is this:
"A person's success in life can be measured
by the number of uncomfortable conversations
he or she is willing to have."
After a decade in the business,
I can tell you that no truer words have ever been spoken,
and I promise that, 9 times out of 10,
what starts as an uncomfy conversation
ends as a giant relief and a new perspective.
So, buckle up,
because it's time to get comfy with being uncomfy.
All right, next up,
let's talk about when to stay and when to go.
All right, so now that you're getting comfortable
with getting uncomfortable,
let's talk about how to actually approach
and handle those difficult clients,
because just because you're willing to have
those difficult conversations doesn't mean
you need to go around and fire every single client
that pushes your boundaries,
because remember, no clients are perfect.
Nobody's perfect,
and most clients simply don't realize
they're being difficult unless you tell them.
Trust me on this one,
because I have been on both sides of the equation,
as the fed up freelancer
and, yes, the imperfect client as well.
Now, here's the thing you need to remember
about those difficult clients.
When you're an entrepreneur or hiring a team
or putting something out there into the world
with your face and name on it,
it can be really, really scary and difficult
to let go of all those things that you used to do yourself.
I have been there.
I am going through it right now, which can sometimes,
and completely unknowingly to the client,
lead to unwanted micro-managing, nitpicking,
or even asking for a million revisions.
It's not that they don't appreciate your value and talent.
Sometimes it's simply that they're having a really hard time
letting go and trusting the process.
So, before you take the harsh approach
and just throw in the towel
on what could be a really great working relationship,
instead, try the empathetic approach
and think maybe your client is just overwhelmed or scared,
and that maybe, just maybe, all you need
is one candid conversation to resolve the issues.
So, with that said,
how do you really know when you should fire a client
and when you should stick around to try to make things work?
Well, here are a few things to consider
before you say goodbye.
Number one, reassess how important this client is to you.
If you love working with a client
and you see a good future working relationship with them,
then the temporary uncomfortableness
of a candid conversation will likely be well worth it.
Really great clients are few and far between,
so if you think you have a good one,
then it's silly to just throw in the towel
over a little misunderstanding or an unclear boundary.
Number two, set clear expectations
from the start with a contract.
I cannot stress this one enough,
always enter into your client relationships with a contract
or a statement of work that clearly maps out
the expectations and boundaries.
That way there's never any confusion,
and any misunderstandings
can be quickly cleared up with that contract.
And if you're kicking yourself
because you have clients with no contracts,
remember it's never too late to get one drafted up.
Even if you've been working with a client for years,
you could simply approach them and say,
"Hey, as my business grows, I've realized
that I need to start keeping better documentation
of my clients' needs and expectations,
so I've drafted up this contract
to make sure that we're always on the same page.
Could you look it over and come back to me
with any questions or revisions you might have?"
Number three, stand your ground.
Don't be afraid to push back politely and stand your ground.
Be ready to clearly explain what the problem is,
how it's impacting your work, their business,
or others on the team,
and what needs to change going forward.
Try to keep it as factual and unemotional as possible.
I know this one can be tricky.
Stick to using facts and stats
and specific examples if you have them.
And remember, no matter what happens in the end,
your client will respect you more for having the courage
to stand up for yourself and hold your ground
and stick to those boundaries.
Number four, ask yourself,
can this situation be turned around,
or is the relationship just flat out toxic?
If it's toxic, get out fast,
and that leads me to five tactful ways to fire a client.
So, sometimes, despite your best efforts
and most candid conversations,
the best solution will always be to say goodbye.
Firing a client is probably the right thing to do if:
one, they deplete your energy, your creativity,
and worst of all, your self worth,
they keep you so busy that you can't work with any other
potentially better or higher paying clients,
they're toxic, impossible to manage,
constantly demanding additional work,
don't respect your boundaries or time,
or are over critical or negative.
If you've been through those four "Should I stay" questions
and still feel confident that it's best to move on.
So, once you've made the decision that it is,
in fact, time to move on,
here are five super tactical and professional ways
that you can end the relationship
without any guilt or shame or resentment from either party.
All right, here's the first one:
I'm taking my business in a different direction.
This is a great way to redirect the blow
and make it feel less personal to the client.
Say you're firing a client that you write content for,
and you're no longer offering that service anymore,
then it's not necessarily your client's fault.
It's the business direction's fault.
All right, next one:
This is outside the scope of what I offer.
Sometimes clients will give you work
that's outside of what you specialize in or want to do.
This is where a contract or a statement of work
will really come in handy, but even if you don't have one,
remember that it's your business and you get to decide
what you say yes and what you say no to.
I don't believe I'm the best person to help you with this.
So, giving a reason like this lessens the blow,
because it's your way of saying, it's not you, it's me.
There's no point in wasting your or their time
if you can't sufficiently meet their expectations.
This will allow them to go find someone
who is a better fit for their needs,
and you can find someone that's a better fit for you, too.
This isn't something that I'm able to help you with,
but I know someone who can.
Suggesting a different copywriter or freelancer or agency
is something they would likely greatly appreciate.
This is one of my favorite ways to say no,
because it comes across
as actually very helpful and genuine.
Most business owners hate searching for a freelancer
that meets their expectations, because, let's face it,
they are hard to find, so by you helping them,
you are really doing them a favor.
And lastly, I appreciate you thinking of me,
but I don't feel like we're a fit.
So, this is a good one for those clients
that you just do not see eye to eye with.
Remember, you don't owe them an explanation beyond this,
but honesty is always the best policy.
Tell them exactly what isn't vibing for you,
and that'll really help them out
when hiring their next freelancer.
All right, now for the big mindset shift I promised you,
the single biggest mindset shift
that changed everything for me.
So grab a pen and a piece of paper,
because this is a juicy one
and you'll definitely want to write this mindset shift down.
I am a business owner and I have full control
over which clients I decide to work with.
Now, this mindset shift is really hard to make,
especially as a beginner,
because, as a fresh-on-the-scene freelancer,
you want to make a good impression, do a great job,
get referrals, and maybe even get a client testimonial.
So you tend to naturally fall into
that employee/employer way of thinking,
but allow me to remind you of something.
You are your own boss.
That is why you started your freelancing business.
Your clients are not your boss, they are your clients.
Every single client relationship you enter
is done to be mutually beneficial to both parties,
you and your client.
And remember, at the end of the day,
you are the expert and they need you and your skills.
All right, guys, give me a thumbs up below
if you found this video helpful.
I will see you next week with a brand new video.
Until then, I'm Alex.
Ciao for now.
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Yes, I learned the hard way so you don't have to.
If you're in the throes of starting or scaling
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