It seems counterintuitive, right? A marketing company telling you to turn away a paying customer! After all, you would not have started your business if you didn’t want it to grow, and you need customers to make growth happen.

But, there are certain types of customers that may not only hinder your company’s development, but do it some serious long term damage. Here are some tips for recognising them, and then quickly sending them on their way.

Customers Who Are Not in Your Target Audience

You created your business to meet the needs of a particular niche. In order to be successful in that niche, you need to understand those customers and satisfy their needs. But some customers aren’t concerned about that. These customers will press you to move heaven and earth to meet their needs, even if your business isn’t designed to do so. In other words, they will want you to change your practice, business model and operations simply to fit their specific demand.

If you were to take on this job, you might cover your costs but you’d also be setting an unpleasant precedent for the future. This customers might come back with further demands of you next time or future customers might ask the same of you knowing you already made the concession. Or, imagine the clean-up you’d need to make if previous customers learned that you did something for a customer you’d previously denied to them!

You’re not prospering in any of these scenarios so don’t make compromises that could haunt you far into the future.

Customers Who Don’t Value Your Time

When a customer doesn’t value your time, they show this by constantly pushing back on deliverables, changing project briefs or simply expecting that it’s your job to go over and above for them at every turn. They may not even really know what they want, but they will be happy to eat up your time until you show them something that helps them figure it out! The time you pour into these clients will not only take you away from your other clients or projects, but from the growing of your business as well.

Pick customers that understand that your time is precious and who come prepared to do business with you. You will have a more productive workday and have enough time left over to spend on the important things – including finding quality time with your loved ones!

Customers Who Don’t Pay You on Time

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