Dump the Junk and Say Goodbye
Say goodbye forever to those unprofitable, arrogant, morale draining, and demanding clients.
You recognize the warning signs a mile away. These clients:
- Push you on price
- Threaten to take their business to your competitors
- Make unjust demands
- Masquerade as the choice maker
- Don’t return phone calls…
…And yet, they expect quick, complete, and reliable delivery of your service. Harrumph.
You know who they are: The “pain in the ass” (PITA) customers. Do you have a PITA client–or perhaps more than one?
PITA customers are never pleased. They drain your energy, test your patience, and waste your time. They demoralize your entire sales team. Yet companies accept this terrible business, thinking terrible business must be better than no business. But is it?
But Wait, I Need the Revenue
It’s been a tough couple of years. We counted on business to close, and clients cancelled and left us hanging. When they freed up money, it was a small amount. We took small projects, just to get in and get started. (A fantastic strategy, but it doesn’t pay the bills.)
We struggled with every step of the sale. Just when we thought we had a deal, other people entered the picture, and the choice process stretched out… longer and longer. We got deflated and let our well-honed sales techniques dry up.
2010 is over—to the delight of many of us.
It’s Time
Start fresh. Don’t take on terrible customers. Don’t squeeze your revenue and profits by paying a veiled cost—the lost opportunity to attract the phenomenal clients you want and need to make money! Assemble too many PITA customers and you’ll watch your sales and profits dwindle… not a compelling scenario.
Why accept business from a few customers who drive us idiotic and drain our resources? Many salespeople say they sell to “anyone who fogs a mirror” —because of a looming quota, or because their company insists on certain deals. Many sales organizations make unrealistic expectations that they can turn a terrible sale into a excellent one. Are you dreaming? Terrible business is terrible business. Period.
Just Say Goodbye
Your best sales choice: Fire the PITA. Don’t take them in the first house, and if you have one, recognize you have a PITA situation and struggle back.
Yes, struggle back—push back—whatever you call it. Don’t take their abuse. You deliver a service that boosts their business. If they push you on price, be willing to walk away. That really turns the tables. So Fire the PITA! We know who they are before we even commence to work with them. Say NO. It’s OK to walk away.
When you walk away, you have time to attract just so the kind of clients you want, and watch your sales soar!
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Joanne S. Black
America’s chief authority on referral selling, and instigator of No More Cold Mission, Joanne Black’s Referral-Selling System builds revenue quick, converts prospect to clients more than 50 percent of the time, and aces out the competition. Hit your numbers without hitting the phones with less sweat and results you can bank on. Contact Joanne at www.NoMoreColdCalling.com or 415-461-8763.