I was sitting in an office listening to a colleague take a
call that seemed to go in a rather brisk direction. A salesman was also there
and we were having our own discussion while we waited for my colleague to get
off the phone. As the conversation got more intense we stopped talking because
it was just too interesting to politely ignore. Finally my colleague gets off
the phone and says, “sometime it is just difficult dealing with stupid
#&*%@&!!! people!” The tradesman and I both burst out laughing because
it really was funny to hear a professional man of such integrity to come undone
like that. We were both surprised at his outburst. He looked at us both
incredulously and then said, “Why do we have to candy coat it? When someone is
stupid, they are stupid!”
He then went on to describe without naming any names the
needy client that all business owners, entrepreneurs, and sales people dread. You
know the one I mean. The one that you bent over backwards to get everything
right for and they just refused to be satisfied. The one that calls you after
hours and on weekends to ask about little details that are already being
covered. The one that agrees that it is just what they want before they have
it, but once it is done to their specifications it is slightly the wrong shade
of color. The one that always wants more than what they paid for. The fact is
that they are plain needy and now that they have given you money for a job they
feel that you are the one that should fill that need. This is the one that you
want to be sure signed a contract so there is no dispute about what you need to
do and what they need to do and where the boundaries are, nice and plain. You
may need that later…
The thing is when you work a job and you have an employer
you need to learn to get along with these people. You often have no choice.
Your paycheck may depend upon it. If you are unlucky enough to have a boss who
behaves this way you are really hooped. The micromanaging may even cause your
blood pressure to rise and make you sick. I had a friend who ended up in the
hospital due to a “needy” boss.
If you have a significant other in your personal life like
this that is a whole other challenge. How can you get around this? It can be a
noose around your neck making it horribly hard to function. I would recommend
getting and applying the book “Boundaries.”
The neat thing as an entrepreneur and business owner though,
is that we do not have to keep working with these people. We actually can “fire
a client.” It is not a bad thing to do so. We want to maintain clients and
satisfy clients as much as possible, but if the relationship is becoming so
expensive in our time, our emotional energy, or our resources we need to
examine it carefully. It is the end of the year and it is time to do a little
housecleaning in our businesses. Remember when we scrape things off our plate
it leaves empty space that can be filled with fresh and wonderful things. So
don’t be afraid to let a few things go.
Maybe you have a client that needs things you can’t offer.
So give them away. Find someone who can easily and willingly meet those needs.
Maybe you have a client who needs a therapist, or even just
a friend who they can unload on. Hook them up with someone else who can fill
that void.
Don’t get hung up on what they pay you. Do the work you were
paid to do and then give them away or just let them go. Be gentle if you can,
but some needy people need to be told very plainly. “No. We are done here.” Thank
them for their business and move on. It is a harsh reality but it is one of the
lessons a business owner needs to learn to succeed. You need to make space for
clients you can really please. You need to look after your own mental health so
you can create. You have to keep your own oxygen mask on when you are in a
crisis because every employee is like a child that you have care of. They need
you to stay alive and stay moving so they can get paid. Don’t feel bad about
hard choices that you must make for the greater good. Look after yourself.
Always Loyal2U,
Kerry George
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