by Linda Bishop

Yes, I’ve fired clients. You don’t want to, but sometimes it’s necessary.” Tony Harris, vice president of sales at Monroe Litho, admitted this when we were having dinner together in January of 2007. The words stuck. When I was writing this article, I called Tony at his office in Rochester, N.Y., and asked him to tell me his story again. A couple of years ago, we were asked to quote on a project,” he began. “It came from a buyer who does one big project a year. Along with the quote, the client asked for loads of information. We had to provide samples and referrals. The whole package looked a lot like a mini Request for Proposal (RFP). Initially, they told me that they wouldn’t make a decision on price. Monroe Litho was a good fit, but when the final decision was made, we didn’t get it. I called to find out why.”

“What did the print buyer say?” I asked.

“It took a little nudging, but I got her to tell me the truth. When it was all said and done, they made their decision on price and took the lowest bid,” he said. “Monroe Litho is not a low priced printer.” “We sell value.” Confidence filled Harris’s words. “The following year, the print buyer called again. She wanted me to bid on the latest version of the project, again needing a whole package of information. I asked, ‘Are you going to make the decision on price?’ She was quiet for a moment, and then told me the answer was yes. I declined to bid,” he said. “Why?” I said. “It took a lot of time and effort to put the bid together. I don’t mind the investment if there’s a real chance of a return, but I’m not wasting my time or the company’s estimating resources when we know right from the start that we don’t fit the customer’s buying criteria.”

Not just a quoting machine

 The conversation with Harris echoed what Mike McCallion would tell me. McCallion is a senior account manager at Daily Printing, Inc., with 12 years of sales experience. “Some people use printers as quoting machines rather than as partners,” he said. “They know from the get-go that you’re not getting the majority of projects, but they use your price as the benchmark for their preferred vendor. If you quote a lot and get very little, it’s time to have a talk. Find out how you can obtain more work, or quit quoting.” Harris and McCallion bring home three important points.

• Some clients fit. Some clients don’t. Sell to clients who recognize your value.

• Know when enough is enough. Don’t continue to quote when you have no chance of getting the work. 

• Understand why the customer makes buying decisions and have closing conversations.

McCallion also commented, “In printing, there are times when we have to bend. When bending grows into breaking, then it’s time to have a serious look at the client.” Dealing with UNCOs Some companies cause so much pain that you should get rid of them. You know you’re dealing with one of them when they exhibit the following characteristics:

• The client is unprofitable.

• The client is unorganized.

• The client is unpleasant to deal with. In other words, the client is “UNCO.” You know you’re dealing with an UNCO subsidiary when:

• The boss continually calls you into his office demanding to know why the company is losing buckets of money on low-bid work.

• Prepress calls you on every job to complain because the files are always screwed up.

• The client argues about every penny of every alteration charge.

• You cringe when you see the UNCO print buyer’s name on caller ID.

• The entire plant jumps through flaming hoops to meet UNCO’s killer deadlines and wins prestigious awards for their projects, and UNCO still complains.

Mark Adent, vice president of Bennett Graphics, is at the point in his career where he would prefer not to sell to UNCO companies anymore. “Over time, you should strive to eliminate the mean people from your customer list,” he said. “Did you ever have a client who was that unpleasant?” I asked. “Just one,” Adent said. “The work was there, but this woman was never happy. Nothing ever pleased her, but that wasn’t the only reason why I let her go. It was how she talked to me.” Many salespeople take the subtle approach to firing clients. They raise prices, assuming the customer will get the message and vanish. With this buyer, Adent delivered the news personally.  “I told her, ‘Look, it’s better if we don’t do business any more because of the way you speak to me,’” he said. “Was she surprised?” I said. “Yes, but it made her think. She still calls me, but now she’s pleasant. I’ve done a few other projects for her, but I’m cautious. My sales are fueled on positive emotions. Helping people is what makes this job fun. You don’t want customers who are always unhappy. They drag you down.”

“What’s a warning sign that tells you that you a customer can drain you emotionally?” I asked.

two stories.

“I’m firing a customer right now. Our firm agreement was Net 30 day terms. I was nervous about this, so I made the terms clear, both verbally and in writing. The buyer promised to pay, but then broke his promise,” McCombs wrote in an email. “As soon as we get paid, I’m firing him.” The other client had different issues. “His files were always a mess. We were willing to train him and show him how to make them better, but he wasn’t interested. The files had to be fixed, but this
client doesn’t think he should have to pay us to fix them. I said, ‘Good luck at your next printer.’”

Sidebar: Your Client

If any of these stories resonate with you, evaluate your client list. Ask these questions.

• Does the customer fit your company’s value proposition?

• Do you make enough money on the account to justify the time spent servicing it?

• Can you make the client happy?

• Do you like working on this business?

• Is there a better way for you to spend your time? The answer to the last question separates good salespeople from great ones because time is the one resource we all have in equal measure.

Life is short. Don’t waste it.