Fire Your Bad SMB Customers

Small business owners understand the value of their money when they decide to make a new purchase. They have worked hard to generate that additional income and have gone through many personal sacrifices to get their companies off the ground. Because they had to be so penny-pinching to launch their businesses, entrepreneurs will typically drive a hard bargain on your pricing and make sure they are getting value for money.

Small business owners can also be very quick to react and easy to offend if you drop the ball with any part of what you said you were going to give them - pricing, delivery, service, repair, etc. They will watch you like a hawk until they get what they want, especially if it is a big expense for them. Note: keep in mind that a big expense for a small business owner is likely not a big sale for you.

Having said this, however, some SMB clients are just not worth keeping. Like any other segment you will have a percentage of your clients who you just cannot make happy. They will drain your resources, call you every time there is a slight problem, make unreasonable demands, and cry foul until they have been appeased.

Just because you have made a commitment to sell to small businesses it does not mean that you have to sell to every small business. While the majority of SMBs may be great clients for you, not every SMB will be worth the hassle. Do not be afraid to fire your bad customers if they are taking you away from servicing your good clients.