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You wanted to be in charge, so you started your own business.But now it seems your company is running you. You feel continuallypressed to meet impossible deadlines to please demanding clients.Although you realize you should say no to some of yourcustomers' terms, you're banking on their business to keepyour venture afloat, so you're afraid to say anything thatwould put much-needed revenue at risk.
But here's the irony: Saying "Yes" to every clientrequest without confirming whether you can follow through isactually a greater gamble in the long run. Here's what yourisk:
- Losing your client's future business by falling short ofhis or her expectations.
- Losing potential referrals from unhappy clients, costing youthousands of dollars in future sales.
- Burning out from scrambling to meet the unrealistic objectivesyou've set, which in the end diminishes your ability toadequately serve your other customers.
- Lowering your self-esteem, negatively affecting yourrelationships with customers, employees, family and friends.
If you're feeling out of control, stop! Take a few deepbreaths and remember you possess the power to become the master ofyour business again. Here are three steps to help you regaincontrol today:
1. Take responsibility. Admit to yourselfthat you--not your customers--are the problem. Remember, you havethe power to create the circumstances you want by choosing whichclients you take on. The key is finding the right match betweenwhat you offer and what a client needs.
2. Put it in perspective. "There aredays when nothing goes right," says Mary Naylor, 35, presidentof Capitol Concierge Inc., a $6 million company in Washington, DC,that specializes in concierge staffing and services for officebuildings and large companies.
"A real quick way to snap back into a positive attitude isto remember: [Your clients] are your paycheck," Naylor says."Everyone in our organization knows there are clients who aregoing to be demanding--but they have the right to be! They make itpossible for us to exist."
However, this doesn't mean you should let customers walk allover you, Naylor clarifies. When clients pressure you to agree toterms you already know you can't deliver on, Naylor suggestssaying, "Our number-one goal is to accommodate and please you.In order to do what you're asking, we're either going toneed `x' or `y' in terms of time extension or resources, orwe'll let you know if we can't [do the job] and work withyou to find an alternative solution."
3. Underpromise and overdeliver. Suppose, forexample, you tell a client you'll have a project completed oran order delivered within seven days, but the process ends uptaking 10. There's a good chance your customer will be miffed.But if you quoted 14 days, instead of seven, allowing a buffer forunexpected delays, and the client receives the order by the 10thday, you've got a happy customer. Although the project took thesame amount of time in both instances, the client'sreaction--positive or negative--is based on the expectations youset. Be conservative when making promises to customers, and youwon't feel like you're under the gun to meet impossibledeadlines. You can take the time necessary to do the job right,making customers happy and eager to tell others about yourbusiness.
Sean M. Lyden (seanlyden@mindspring.com) isthe principal and senior writer of The Professional Writing FirmInc., a Kennesaw, Georgia, company that specializes in ghostwritingarticles. Lyden writes frequently on motivation, management andmarketing issues.
What psychological obstacles to success are you trying toovercome? Tell us at bsumag@entrepreneurmag.com
Get A Grip
Daydreaming about how you'll get back at overly demandingclients--especially when they have the gall to pay you late?Don't waste your energy. Negative emotions will only hinderyour work for your other clients, taking a bite out of your cashflow if you're not careful. Read any of the following books tohelp you keep your head on straight when you're about to blowyour top--and your business's future:
- Success Is a Choice: Ten Steps to Overachieving in Businessand Life by Rick Pitino (Bantam Doubleday Dell, $14,800-323-9872)
- Winning Every Day by Lou Holtz (HarperBusiness, $25,800-242-7737)
- Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills That Will UnlockYour Hidden Powers to Succeed by Brian Tracy (Fireside, $13,800-223-2348)
Contact Source
Capitol Concierge Inc., 1400 Eye St. N.W., #750,Washington, DC 20005, adrienne@capitolconcierge.com
