Unhealthy Business Relationships

Like in personal relationships, you can find in a client – supplier relation one of them being an ‘abuser’.

If the client is the one abusing, there are 2 options on the table for the supplier:
a. Fire the client
b. Find ways to deal with it

It is not as easy as it sounds and you have to take into consideration a few variables before deciding to ‘cut the cord’:
– The value of the project: how much the money you get (as a supplier) compensate all the trouble and abuse? If the value is high, maybe is worth it to find ways to cope with the situation… and hope the things will change 🙂
– How many people in your organization are affected by this?
– How much finding a solution and adapting to this situation will disrupt your business process?

Each business has to decide for itself the answers.

Examples of client being abusive:

  • Feeling as if you are walking on egg shells
  • Lack of communication
  • Controlling and a “know it all” attitude
  • Asking constantly for work outside the scope of the project
  • Not paying on time (regularly) or not paying at all

Here are a few examples of a supplier being abusive with the client(s):

  • Not taking into consideration client’s needs
  • Diminishing client’s value and worth
  • Lack of communication
  • Controlling and a “know it all” attitude
  • Taking advantage (usually charging too much for too little)

More particular to online marketing:

  • Overcharging
  • No Analytics on the website (and there are marketing campaigns running) and no reliable system to register the source of the
    leads/clients)
  • Basic click-to-call or click-to-email setups NOT done

Why businesses are accepting Unhealthy Business Relationships

The paradox: a client in this situation used our website analysis and the recommendations to get back to the ‘abuser’ and ‘negotiate’ a better deal after agreeing with all the aspects we discovered, appreciating the pro-activity and the professionalism and telling us is just a matter of choosing the budget and we will move on together.

It happens. But I feel for them. They might spend less then before, but they are working with the same not committed and not pro-active supplier as before.
How long will take for them to get to the same conclusion?

Wishing them all the best!

Octavian Nastase @KEY27 – Serving Your Business Online
conversion optimization expert

We are in the business of Growing Your Business through Internet Marketing