We had this question posted in our Certified OBM Facebook group the other day:
“When do you know it’s time to move on from a client?”
People come into our lives for a reason, season or a lifetime.
The same is true with clients.
We may work with a client for a ‘reason’ – a specific project or objective that has an end date in place right from the start.
We may work with clients for a ‘season’ – ongoing support without a planned end date.
And outside of being an owner (or partner) in a business, it’s rare that you would have a lifetime commitment to a client. 😉
We are meant to stop working together at some point, but it’s not always easy to see when that point has come!
There are two questions I recommend asking when you are wondering whether or not to leave a client.
1) Am I still EXCITED about the client? Do you enjoy the work you are doing? Do you look forward to hearing from that client? Plugging into the vision of what they are creating? Boredom can be a sign that it might be time to move on…
2) Am I able to do my BEST WORK? Do the current needs of the business match what you do best? Are you able to grow and expand your skillset within the work you are doing together? The thing you were hired for originally may not be what the business needs next. Likewise, as you continue to grow and evolve you may find yourself wanting to focus in areas that the business doesn’t need from you right now.
The bottom line is this.
Nothing is meant to last forever, even when we wish it could! But staying past our ‘expiration date’ is a disservice to you, your client & the business. Staying when you are no longer excited about the business or able to do your best work is going to show itself at some point, and probably not in a positive way.
And it’s also really hard to leave! Especially when we love the client and care about their business.
Honor the season and let it go when the time is right.
Tina