Client red flags: 5 scripts to say no to working together
One of the more challenging aspects of sales calls and discovery calls is that sometimes you realize you don’t want to work with the person. We get so worried about countering objections on discovery calls that we can forget it sometimes happens where someone wants to work with us, but we don’t feel like it’s a good fit.
And horror stories of working with problem clients abound so we know better than to take these people on, but we don’t want to seem like jerks either.
So what are some of those red flags for potentially problematic clients and how can you say “no” to a potential client?
Red Flags for Potentially Difficult Clients:
They are desperate to make money. This is hard because we can empathize with them, but it’s a really dangerous place to be in as the service provider. If they are assuming your work will save them from financial ruin, and you can’t promise it will, then they will be panicky when new revenue doesn’t flow in immediately.
They want you to be their business savior and they give off a needy energy. They might not be in a dire financial situation like the first example, but they assume you’ll come in and fix all of their woes. This is scary because it doesn’t matter if you craft the best sales page on the planet for them if they aren’t getting enough eyeballs on it. You run the risk they’ll wrongly assume that the problem is the sales page you created for them and that’s why they aren’t landing new clients. When the reality is they aren’t doing enough marketing. You don’t want them to come back after the fact and blame you or ask for a refund.
They talk about all of the “bad experiences” they’ve had in the past. This is especially true if they’re talking about other coaches. Yes, bad coaches exist and some people are putting out lackluster packages and programs. But if you hear on the discovery call that they’ve been unhappy again and again, the odds are that they are the common denominator. This is a huge “yikes” and you should ask further questions to clarify what they didn’t like about those situations.
They want to price shop around to find the lowest price. This is a hard “no” for me. I’m not the Walmart of coaches. I don’t care if I do end up being the lowest price of the people they happen to be speaking with, I don’t even want to go there. I want someone to choose to invest in me because they see the value and they feel comfortable with me, not because they view me as the cheapest.
How to Say “No” to a Potential Client
The following are possible things you can say to the above examples of “red flag clients.”
Financially Frantic: “It sounds like you’re in a really sticky situation financially. While my clients who do the work have gotten wonderful results, there are so many variables for success that I could never promise any specific result. In fact, I advise people to steer clear of anyone who promises a specific financial result. Is there something else you feel you could do in the meantime to bring in more money so that you don’t have to worry as much about business profitability right now?
Nice But Needy: “Before we talk more about the scope of the work I do, what plan do you already have in place to drive people to your sales page? My most successful clients find they love my work and it’s helped them get more conversions but they already have a robust visibility plan in place. Is this something you have a plan for?”
Hard To Please: “I would hate for you to invest again and find you aren’t getting what you were hoping for. While I believe in my work and the results my clients get, they get them because they are open to new ideas, are coachable, and do the work. Does this sound like something you’re open to? What obstacles might be standing in your way right now?”
Lowest Price Seeker: “I understand how important it is to be smart with our financial investments, but I don’t compete on price. My rates are set because of my experience and the results I’ve been able to help my clients achieve. I’m certainly not the cheapest out there, nor do I intend to be. I wish you the best with your search.”
I know how incredibly disappointing it is to have a discovery call on the calendar, get excited for this new client, and then know it’s not a good fit. I really do.
There are many moments where the call didn’t go as I had hoped and I’ve thought about following up with this person at a later date anyway. But my gut screams at me not to do this. When this happens it’s hard because my brain says, “OMG new revenue!” while my gut says, “You had a really bad feeling on the sales call...TRUST IT!”
However I’m friends with enough entrepreneurs to have heard horror story after horror story about nightmare clients and I’d rather not make some of those same mistakes. I’d rather be patient so that I can work with perfect-fit clients than people who may be paying me but I dread our sessions together, or I’m always afraid the other shoe will drop.
We give a lot of time and energy to our clients so as long as you aren’t choosing not to work with them for discriminatory reasons, it’s perfectly fine to choose not to work with someone.
