Those who know me can attest that I’m not shy about sharing my feelings on certain topics. But, I realize, in social media, sometimes you have to. And our clients are no exception. We are often forced to swallow our pride, pretend that we’re in a great mood, and perform the ridiculous circus tricks that they request. Occasionally, it’s a learning experience and we actually value the experience, but more often than not, it’s a waste of time.
I’ve retained my fair share of clients in my years with #Strella, but I’ve also lost a few, too. There are cases that are, admittedly, my fault. But, the majority left for a different reason, entirely. I can recall three that still have my head spinning.
Mr. Over-Communicator – This particular client was, to say the very least, e-mail happy. He sent dozens of emails a day, each with a fresh idea that he wanted us to post on Twitter. Sometimes these ideas equated to fifteen posts per day. More often than not, as soon as I acquiesced to the client’s request, he wanted me to change the post I’d just written. He says that he left because we weren’t following his directions, but the reality was, he wasn’t following ours.
Mr. Incognito – He was actually a favorite client of mine, even though I was not a fan of the product he was selling. I threw myself into his account and created some fantastic content. I loved writing for him and we had an awesome working relationship - until I suggested that he include some ‘himself’ in his content. He refused. He did not want the public to know anything about him. He even used a fake name for his LinkedIn account. When he left, he claimed that sales were down and he could no longer afford our services. However, the truth is, our services weren’t working as well as they could have, because he refused to humanize his brand.
Ms. Multiple Personalities – Rach and I were a little reluctant to acquire this client, but she was dedicated, which motivated us to pursue a working relationship. It was short-lived, however, as he client seemed to suffer from multiple personalities. We would receive text messages telling us how ‘awesome’ we were, and the next day, receive a message how much we messed up. This happened, at no fault of our own. We didn’t do anything different. She simply went to sleep and woke up a different person. She left for personal issues, but honestly, we were relieved because she lived by her own set of rules – and frankly, she was abusive.
I have loved and lost clients several clients in the nearly four years I’ve been with #Strella. I was sad to lose some of them, but for the others, it was probably better off for both parties. No working relationship is perfect, but we try to do the best for our clients. The worst feeling in the world is when we simply cannot make it work and we have to part. Can you relate?
