“They’re taking liberties.”
It’s a phrase London gangsters use in films and television shows.
It means that a group of hardened criminals are muscling in on the patch of another.
Friendly banter does not usually ensue.
Do you have clients that take liberties or try to?
Their characteristics vary, but generally they;
- always ask for discounts even if their orders are low in value
- pay late or need to be chased for what they owe
- sign a contract and then demand extras (or demand them before signing)
- take up a lot of time that could and should be spent elsewhere
At some point, you will want to either;
- convert them to better ways
- fire them
That’s because they drive down the average value of orders in your business.
In the short term, spend as little time as possible on these clients and decide how to minimise contact with them.
Make it harder for them to have personal time with you or whoever else in the business receives their attention.
Standardise how they are dealt with.
Cutting down time suck will increase the productivity of your sales team elsewhere.
Here’s the bigger picture.
How you communicate with prospective clients can filter out companies like these and stop or deter them from becoming clients in the first place.
“Stop sales,” you say, “That’s madness.”
Not really.
Your sales team will be freed to deal with the current and new clients that deliver the highest margins and are easier to deal with.
You can start marketing in that way using email.
And we can help craft messages that will attract more of the people you want to do business with.
To get things started, send me an email.
My address is david@theexhibitionagency.com
Very best,