Don't get your next client UNTIL you watch this...
Vince Reed shares three rules for avoiding problem clients: screen out bad fits early, verify prospects by checking references and listening for red flags, and charge enough to deliver quality work. He uses examples from his own experience to show how even successful businesses get angry customers when boundaries aren't clear.
Chapters
Hey, Vince, how you doing?
Mike, what's the most frustrating thing you.
Experienced in this is my question.
What's the most frustrating thing?
What's the most frustrating thing you've ever experienced in business?
Hold that thought.
What is that?
Resources, Mike.
That's a heavy looking book you got there.
Apple, 1.3 out of 5 customer rating. Disney, 1.2 out of 5 customer ratings. Amazon, 1.16 out of 5 customer rating meta 1.08 out of 5 zucks. Seriously, customer rating. Well, dang crazy customers, Mike, what do you mean by that? Can't please them.
All.
Business owners need to understand that you're always going to have angry customers, right? In all honesty, it's really our fault. As business owners, it's part of business. You have to have thick skin. So, you know, it starts with not taking bad clients. It gives you less of a chance to essentially have the crazy one, right? Number two, you need to verify the people that you're bringing in, especially if you're in a business where you're dealing directly with them. And then number three, I mean, you have to charge what you're worth. I mean, most people, you know, for all that beating up that they take from these customers, they're simply not getting paid enough for that. Sad, sad thing.
Ain't nobody got time for that.
But with that being said, hit that, like, button because this video is gonna get good. All right, all right. So you talk about, number one, not taking bad clients. Explain.
Unfortunately, I had to learn this the hard way.
Okay, so.
So I remember when I sold my very first Mastermind, right? I think we took on like 10 or 15 people and I just took on this bad client customer. And I knew it from the very beginning. So one of the things that we do after they invest is we have this meeting. And I remember in the meeting, everyone was really excited. Everybody was really ready to take their business to the next level. And just a side note, literally everyone except this particular individual got amazing results, right? But the problem with this particular person was, like, the energy that this person had was like spewing into the group to the point where I was getting complaints from the other members in the group that she was dominating the conversations, that she was providing, like, negative energy. And then she was kind of like reaching out and she'd be like. It'd be like this was how ridiculous it would be. Like, well, you spent an hour talking to this person and you only spent 40 minutes talking to me. Oh, my goodness, can I get the 20 minutes? It would be like certain Things like that. Even though she could have listened and heard, she would be focusing on the results. She would be focusing on, like, you know, you're doing this for this customer, but you're not doing this for me. And at the end of the day, what I realized was that when you don't recognize these situations and you take on those kind of customers, one, it affects the entire group. And number two, it zaps your energy, right? Because you're going into it and you're kind of, like, almost on the defensive trying to deal with this customer and save the overall entire group. So that's why it's very important that you do not take on bad customers, especially when you see the signs.
All right, so the next one. What do you mean by verifying the clients?
You know, remember when I talked to you about this particular lady? Like, I knew from the very beginning on the first meeting that it was going to probably be a problem. One of the signs in terms of verify is you have to listen to what they're saying. So a lot of people will say, you know, I tried this before, and this particular person didn't help me, and they didn't do anything for me. Talking bad about, like, talking bad about, like, someone else or a different program or something else that they were in immediately, like, telling you all these signs of the other person. Why was the other person's fault? Right? So that's number one. Or they come in and they're just like, you know, this has to work. If this doesn't work, I'm going to, like, lose everything. Right. When people start basically putting, like, their entire life, you know, on this one thing. Yeah, right. Like, that's a sign. Like, you need to, like, really make sure you talk to them. There's actually a second step to verify, and that's to manage expectations. So if somebody comes to you with, you know, this particular thing failed the past, and, you know, this person's a bad person, they took all my money. One, if you know the person they're talking about, go reach out to that person and see about that client. Like, almost like a job. You go to a job, they're going to ask for, where did you work before? They're going to call that job. Do the same thing with these clients. And then, number two, manage their expectations. When they start talking about, I need to make my mortgage payment in the next two days, Are you going to help me? Okay, you need to, like, sit down and say, listen, I can't hold up. Yeah, I can't make a person buy from me. Right. All I can do is give you the strategies and the tools that led you to want to invest with me. Right, Right. At the end of the day, it's going to come down to that. You solve and the solutions that you provide, essentially allowing that client to get results. Right. So those are things in terms of what I mean by verify. So it's two parts. It's verify. Listen to what they say and verify with other people. Or just manage those expectations so they understand that, you know, you're not. Jesus, you can't walk on water. You can just help with their business.
Try. So number three, you say, charge what you're worth.
Yeah. So this is really important. So many people, again, I was kind of joking in the beginning. Like, you know, they're just willing to take anyone and they're not charging enough to even do that. Right. And this is what you see a lot with, like, for example, agencies like, you get these agencies that are like $1,000 down and 1,000amonth. Right. And you're dealing with clients. Businesses like, they're like, come in here and get me clients. Right. And if you're not charging enough to really put in the energy and the effort to help them do that, you can't truly serve them. But what are they doing? They're emailing you every single second. They're reaching out to you, asking you questions like, what's going on? But as agency in this scenario, you're out there looking for the next customer to make money so you can pay the bills and make it worth your time. And that's not the customer's fault. That's our fault as the business owner, essentially not charging what you're worth. So, for example, Mike, if I said, my business is struggling, man, I need your help.
You don't need my help.
Help me, Mike. Help me. Help me, please. Okay, okay, okay, fine, fine. I need customers. I want you to get me customers.
Okay.
I want you to write my webinar. Sure. I need to run my ads.
Okay.
I need you to literally do my customer support.
Sure.
Help me with, follow up, close the sales with me, teach me your script, teach me everything. But I only want to give you $500. You down to do it?
$500?
I didn't stutter.
Ain't nobody got time for that. I'm telling you that right now.
$1,000 and a bag of chips. No way. Well, this is an example. Right. No one is going to do that kind of work for that price. And if you were to reverse it and ask the client, would they do everything that they're requesting for that, they'd likely get it, but it's on us because that's how we offered it. Right? So they're just trying to get everything that they can. And this is a problem, right? So these clients, you know, they have these expectations and essentially you're not charging what you're worth.
All right, that makes sense. But for someone who needs a little bit more explanation, can you break this.
Down for them as a business owner? For me, like, I'm customer focused. Like, I really want to do an amazing job for my customers. And even with that, not every customer is gonna be happy. In fact, I was recently at my buddy Billie Jean's Mastermind, and we were actually going on this, like, party bus to see the real Tarzan. Do you know the real Tarzan? I actually held a 14 foot python. I'm just saying it's pretty cool.
What do you mean by that?
Held a 14 foot. Where your mind going, Mike, it's a.
Big, big ass snake.
Yeah, so it was cool. But anyhow, on the way there, right, we were supposed to be there a bit earlier, but we were late and actually had a Q and A call with our EBOO members for our pro members. They're like calling me in the back of the bus, like, hey, we're not going to be able to get there in time. Like, what do you want to do? And I'm like, can I just get in the front of the bus and do the Q and A call for my phone? And Mike Arcey, one of my other good friends, he's in the back and we're like chatting. We're having a good time. He's like, dude, why don't you just reschedule it? I'm like, no, man, I need to do what I say. Why? Because I'm focusing on all this customer success, right? Customer reviews. I don't want to piss off customers. He's like, man, just send him an email, say you'll do it later. You're still gonna do it. I'm like, I can't. I gotta do what I, what I say. And I'm like, have you ever had angry customers? I asked him. He's like, dude, all the time. Because he knows that's my pet peeve. Like, it literally keeps me up at night when people are pissed off. He's like, dude, you know how many people, like, are pissed off, like, at me and the service that we provide? And I'm like, how do you deal with that? He's like, man, I just realized that they don't know me. I'm like, what do you mean by that? Your quote. And he goes, they don't know me. He's like, how much have they actually spoke to me? How many hours on the phone? How many days have they, like, got to know me? I know that I'm doing the best that I can for them. I know that we have thousands of customers that are getting results. So if a few handful of people are angry, like, I know that they don't know me. And he goes, dude, if they called you right now and said, hey, Mike's a terrible guy and he doesn't like his customers, what would you think? And I was like, I think they're crazy, because I know he's like, exactly. And when he said that, I was like, man, like, that is how I wish I could be, because I literally will lose sleep when, like, someone's angry. And then. And then I'm like, well, it's good to know that, but I'm still doing this call. So they ended up pulling over on the. On the road, and I said, mike, at my funeral, make sure that you tell everyone how crazy obsessed I am with my customers, that I'm willing to have them pull over this party bus, get in the front, and do this Q and A call. He's like, yeah, I can't wait to speak at your funeral. You know, I'm going to get up there and I'm going to be like, hey, guys. Everybody here? You know, I just want to let you guys know that Vince died way too early. I've known him for, like, not too early here. He's like. He's like. He was overstressing about all of his customers. You know, I've known him for four days longer than all of you guys out here, and he died way too soon trying to, like, please everyone. It was the first time I was like, man, that's. That's real. And that's kind of why I read those reviews of these companies that are obviously great companies, billion dollar companies, but still, they have angry people, right? So at the end of the day, as long as you know that you're doing the best that you can for your customers, then you're winning.
