Many business owners, in the beginning, make the mistake of working with anyone that calls and has a checkbook.
I know that I did this. In those early days, it’s hard to turn away work.
I took on work that I should’ve turned away and it almost put me out of business.
So somewhere along the way, I realized that not every client is going to be right for me.
Now I recognize body language, tone, hesitations, and questions that signal to me that this prospect will be difficult, won’t follow through, or doesn’t really get what we do. I can spot people that will haggle price with me, or that don’t get the value of the services we provide. I’m actually more likely to turn away work now than I am to take it. I’m looking for the right fit so we can do something extraordinary together.
My advice to entrepreneurs: know the reasons to walk away and make sure you qualify your leads.
It’s better to struggle a little longer without a client, than to take on the client that could leave you even worse off.