My philosophy on selecting clients has always been to only work with people who I want to have dinner with. It’s really that simple and that straight-forward.

And if I want to have dinner with you it means I find you interesting, smart, inspiring, and fun. It also means you’re the kind of person I will go above and beyond for – both in business and personally.

I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. I’ve heard Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa) and Anthony Bourdain (Parts Unknown) talk about the rules they set for who they will work with – or NOT.

Here’s Bourdain’s:

• “It is truly a privilege to live by what I call the ‘no asshole’ rule. I don’t do business with assholes. I don’t care how much money they are offering me, or what project. Life is too short. Quality of life is important. I’m fortunate to collaborate with a lot of people who I respect and like, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

But then the other night on Her Big Idea, I caught an episode about Terri and Sandy (Ad Age’s 2017 Small Agency of the Year) and they go me one better with their mantra: Go where you are celebrated, not tolerated

Not only did I find their story inspiring, I was also inspired to write this post.

Read on below for 5 reasons why vetting clients for “fit” is important, not only for business reasons but for your overall happiness.

 

5 Reasons why you need to vet clients for more than just “can they pay the bill”

#1:  Life is too short to spend it with people who are toxic or who suck the life out of you – whether that’s personally or at work. It NEVER ends well.

#2: Getting up in the morning should be joyful but it won’t be if you work with clients who put you down or who, for whatever reason, you will never see eye to eye with.

#3:  Being able to make people happy is a driving force for most of us in the service business. Working with people who are impossible to please, no matter how hard we try, is a recipe for disaster. Some people are just never going to be satisfied. I’ve seen it wear people down to the point where it affected their health. The best thing to do is acknowledge it as a bad fit and move on.

#4: Turning down or resigning bad clients is liberating. This is what I’ve found every time I’ve made the difficult, but ultimately correct, decision to nix a bad fit client. And the outcome every time has been outstanding. The whole office felt freer and the energy changed instantly. Getting rid of negative forces, is often the only way to make room for better, more harmonious choices.

#5: No good will ever come of a business relationship that is so toxic that just seeing that person’s name on your Caller ID, irritates you or puts you in a funk.

Bottom Line:

I know most people feel they don’t have the luxury of turning down or resigning clients who are a bad fit, but I recommend you give it a try – at least once. The more you are mired in bad business relationships, the less opportunity you have to attract positive situations.