Breaking up can be hard to do and it can be even more difficult when your business is the concern.
So how do you do it? How do you amicably, separate yourself from clients without there being super hard feelings and fear of character assassinating reviews?
First thing’s first, your policies and boundaries need to be clear, concise and communicated. There has to be a sense of decorum in place to work with or access you or your company. These policies or boundaries need to live in a place that is easily accessible to clients (website, booking site, reception desk, direct email to clients, etc).
Secondly, you must implement and hold steadfast to those policies and boundaries. Of course there could be times for exception, but upholding your stance will happen more often than not. Consistency is the only way of ensuring clients and future clients understand the requirements of working with you.
Lastly, the goal is to embed these policies in the work culture. So much so that when potential clients book with you or your company, the expected behavior is thoroughly understood. In doing this, when someone violates policy or crosses boundaries, it will be of no surprise to them when warnings, correction, or separation is issued.
Long story extremely short, it’s all about communication and consistency! There is no need to be overly aggressive or irritating with your boundaries and policies. However, they do need to be accessible to clients and implemented. Notice how I never mentioned “reasonable”. That’s because “reasonable” is subjective and I’ll leave you to dictate what’s “reasonable” for your business.
You can not afford, quite literally, to be meek about your business. The loss is far too great and cost is much too high if you are. Once your policies are in place, communicated, and implemented, you’ll find that being vocal becomes easier and clients sometimes will correct their own behavior themselves. However, if you still find yourself struggling on how to deliver the news to that one client, I have something for you.
Below you can access my personal “Client Separation” email template. Never have an awkward break up again!
