Standards & Structure
Chris Out
You have that one client your whole team works around.
Everyone knows exactly who you're thinking of.
The one who pays late. Expands the scope without asking. Drains your team's energy for a margin that doesn't even make sense.
A few years ago, you would have fired them without hesitation.
Back then, your standards were clear.
Now they're still a client, and you know exactly why.
You feel like you have too much to lose.
The revenue.
The gap in your schedule.
It feels too expensive to let them go.
But that's not loyalty.
That's a standard that quietly slipped without you noticing.
As long as that client stays, your entire team pays the price.
Not just in hours.
In energy.
Your best people burn themselves out on the client who gives the least back.
And instead of building the agency you want, you're spending your time putting out fires around a single account.
Growth sometimes requires pruning.
A branch that produces no fruit but absorbs all the nutrients gets cut off so the rest of the tree can grow.
The same applies to this client.
You don't let them go because you're angry.
You let them go because your agency is suffering.
Run the numbers.
Imagine this client generates €3,000 per month.
But your team spends an unpaid day every week servicing them.
Then add every moment you have to step in yourself.
Now include all the frustration that can't be measured in hours.
How much of that €3,000 is actually left?
And what could your team accomplish if they had that day back?
If you decide to end the relationship, do it professionally.
Give reasonable notice.
Provide a clean handover.
Don't burn bridges.
You don't need an argument.
You don't need to defend yourself.
You're simply restoring your standards to where they belong.
One important distinction.
This is about a client you're already working with.
If a new prospect doesn't have the right budget before they become a client, that's a different conversation.
In that case, you simply decline the proposal.
Write down the name of the client your team keeps working around.
You already knew who it was before you started reading.
Underneath their name, write two things.
What they generate each month.
What they really cost you in hours and energy.
If you want to build a business where this keeps happening less and less, I explain the framework in the free course.
Then ask yourself one simple question. If this client cancelled today, would you feel relieved?
If the answer is yes, you already know what you need to do.
When they consistently cost more than they contribute, both in time and energy, and your team has to work around them. The clearest sign is this. If you'd feel relieved instead of disappointed if they cancelled tomorrow, it's probably time to let them go.
Give reasonable notice. Provide a clean handover. Leave the relationship on good terms. You don't need to argue or justify your decision. You're simply restoring the standards your business needs.
Calculate what the client actually contributes after subtracting the unpaid hours, interruptions, and constant hassle. In many cases, very little profit remains, while the freed-up capacity can be invested in better clients. The real question isn't whether you can afford to let them go. It's whether you can afford to keep them.
A dementor client is someone who drains the energy of your entire team while generating very little profit. They pay late, constantly expand the scope, and create ongoing problems. Everyone knows who they are because everyone tries to avoid working with them.
Firing a client means ending a relationship with someone you're already serving because they're hurting your business. Declining a proposal happens before the work begins, when a prospect isn't the right fit. Both decisions protect your standards, but they happen at different stages of the client relationship.
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