I’ve never been stranded at sea long enough to contemplate drinking seawater. In fact, I’ve never been stranded at sea; mainly because I’m freaked out about the prospect of dying of thirst while surrounded by bazillions of gallons of water.
But I digress.
Intellectually I understand that drinking saltwater is a net-negative strategy for staying alive.
But, given the exact right (horrible) situation, I can see how I might give in.
This is the perfect analogy for most business owners.
They’re surrounded by an ocean of people, but they don’t know how to find the right clients, so they’ll take anybody.
This kills their business.
Signing the wrong person is worse than signing nobody.
Even when your business is dying.
When you sign the wrong client, you lose twice.
- You’re spending your time on stuff that makes you mad. Maybe they want too much of the wrong thing, too little of the right thing. Maybe they want it too quickly. Maybe they’re just a jerk and they yell at you. Horrible.
- You’re not spending your time building a relationship with someone who would be a fantastic client; someone who would bring your business back from the brink of failure.
It’s an awful double-whammy.
So, I get it. When you’re desperate for work, you’ll sign anybody, and that’s how you wind up ensuring that your company goes under.
Maybe tomorrow we’ll keep the nautical theme going and talk about how to not be fooled by a mirage: a horrible client who might look like a great client.
For now, though, go drink more water. Your skin will thank you.
Best thoughts,
~Jonathan “land lubber” Pritchard