We have all experienced this at some point. A client with whom you have developed a strong rapport over time suddenly emails you, without any warning, to inform you that they are moving on.
You had no idea they were even thinking of leaving you. They’ve even given you awesome feedback and a raving fan testimonial. But there it is, in black and white. The ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ for web designers. I’ve been there, and it sucks. It truly feels like a breakup. Just don’t let it be a bad break. Be professional and let them go with poise, dignity and graciousness. Hand over the logins and any other information you are willing to share with them*.
Like any breakup, you may initially feel a bit angry. Maybe you’re tempted to be a bit terse and unhelpful. How dare they, after everything you’ve done for them? All those extra small jobs you did for free. The lengthy conversations you had with them about their business, which you never billed them for (essentially providing them with free business consulting). And this is how they repay you. Wow, I hear you, and yes, I have felt that way too. Except, I had a good old talking to myself and realised, nope, they don’t owe you anything except any outstanding invoices. They don’t even owe you an explanation for why they are leaving. And you only have yourself to blame for failing to bill them properly.
You may never know the real reason for their departure. I’ve been told by soon-to-be ex-clients that they wanted to work with someone in the same city. Someone they could meet in person. It’s a valid point, but it can also be used as an excuse to avoid revealing the true reasons for the change. Who knows, maybe the client doesn’t actually know themselves; they just feel it’s time for some fresh thinking.
Whilst the dumping will come as a shock to you, the client has probably been thinking about it for a while. You were just the last one to know. The warning signs were probably there, but you missed them due to the demands of day-to-day life, endless maintenance tasks, and trying to update your own website or improve your own systems.
In all likelihood, if someone you have a close working rapport with tells you they are moving on, it’s probably due to one or a combination of the following reasons.
- You got ‘outsold’ – no matter how professional and reliable you are, if someone came in and did an amazing sales pitch, clients can be wowed. The new web designer could be a better communicator and possess more self-confidence and belief in their abilities. They may have more energy and enthusiasm as it’s naturally easier to have a lot of energy for a new project – everything is fresh and exciting (much like real-life dating). If you suspect this is the case, it’s time to revisit your sales techniques and perhaps even your overall attitude and presentation. There’s an old saying, ‘always be selling,’ and unfortunately, it’s something we can’t avoid, no matter how much we want to have work magically appear in our inboxes (that’s a job, by the way). Every communication is, in effect, a sales pitch. Yip, I said it mostly as a reminder to myself. But don’t be too pushy or nickel-and-dime people, as clients hate that too. I know, we just can’t win, can we? Sell the sizzle, not the sausage. But at the same time, they need to know quite a bit about the sausage to make an informed decision.
- You let the client down somehow. I know it’s hard to think about this. Maybe your ideas were a bit stale; you were a bit slow with your replies or your work. Perhaps there was a buildup of issues over time.
- Did you cross a line? Maybe you got too familiar and comfortable. Did you reveal too much, perhaps – share personal details or challenges you are having? If so, you may have come across as potentially unreliable. Perhaps something you said about their business made them realise you didn’t understand it the way they thought you did.
- You didn’t have the skills they needed at that time in their business journey. It happens to us all; technology runs away from us, and you look up and realise there’s a lot you don’t know. Clients can outgrow us and discover that they need a full-service agency to consolidate all their needs. Having said that, if you’ve been banging on about e-commerce for the last six months, and find the new website is e-commerce, built by someone like you, then either you got outsold, or the client simply lost faith in your abilities.
*What should you share with them?
What you share with them and what they have continued access to depends on the nature of your initial agreement. I certainly won’t guarantee that a client can retrieve a copy of every piece of artwork or content they’ve ever sent me. However, I’d happily provide what I can to a client out of goodwill. If they become needy and demanding due to failures in their systems (computer crashes, no backup, loss of all emails), then it’s time to charge for this. I am rubbish at deleting things, so I’ll generally zip it all up and send it back. Throughout my years of web design, it never occurred to me to include this in a service agreement. If you agree to be your client’s content archival system, ensure the client pays for this service. But seriously, it’s the 21st century, and most clients should be able to archive their content and track their emails.
Don’t Burn Your Bridges – That Client Could Come Back
Any client relationship must end on good terms. Whether it’s been long-standing or relatively new. Our world is very small, and any business is about the long game, not short-term venting of frustrations. I’ve had clients return after two years of working with a large agency to find a mess made by successive contractors, which the agency had outsourced work to. That’s why it’s so important to depart on good terms with a client and never burn that bridge, as they just might be back.
