6 Things to Do When a Client Loses Interest in Your Work It happens to every freelancer at some point. A client changed focus or found someone whose work they like more.
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Finding a loyal client can feel like striking gold when you're trying to succeed as a freelancer. Consistent customers provide you with a steady foundation and can boost your entrepreneurial confidence. However, earning and keeping their loyalty is no easy feat.
Several things can cause a client to lose interest in your services. It may be impossible to prevent this from happening. But it is possible to manage the situation and maybe even avoid the loss of a valued customer.
Here are six strategies to help you successfully manage the situation when a client loses interest in your work.
Related: What to Do if a Client Ghosts You
1. Don't take it personally
There are a variety of reasons that a person may decide to stop using your services or choose to take their business elsewhere. One of the most important things to remember when this happens is that it is most likely not about you.
To build and grow a successful business, you must first recognize that clients often change their minds. And sometimes for reasons that aren't apparent to you. Decisions they make are business decisions that are not about you on a personal level.
Avoid taking the loss of a client personally. You will be better able to accept any criticism you receive that's helpful to you. Then, discard the rest and move forward to find new customers.
Related: 5 Ways Contracts Are an Entrepreneur's Best Friend
2. Ask why
Determining why a person no longer seems to need your services can be extremely helpful in improving the way you do business. Perhaps the customer no longer needs the service, can no longer afford to pay for it or has decided to give their business to a different provider or company.
Whatever the reason may be, understanding why you are losing customers can help prevent further loss in the future. For example, if you consistently find that customers are leaving because of your prices, it may be worth reevaluating the cost of your services. Likewise, if numerous clients switch to a competitor, it can be worth asking yourself what they are offering that you are not.
3. Ask for feedback
Sometimes, separate from the question of why the customer has lost interest in your work, is the issue of what feedback they can offer on how you performed before that point. Ask for specific feedback, if feasible.
Inquire about how well you met their expectations and clarify what those expectations were. Miscommunication about each person's objectives can lead to dissatisfaction and confusion. If that happened, finding out can help you improve communications and prevent the same mistakes in the future.
Try to create an open and honest space for your customer to give you constructive criticism. Do everything you can to learn from the experience and use it to continue growing as a freelancer and entrepreneur.
Related: What Freelancers Can Teach You About Keeping Your Skills Sharp
4. Wish them well and move on
Sometimes the best response to a departing client (or one that has mentally checked out from your professional relationship) is to simply walk away. Dwelling on someone who is no longer interested in your services or obsessing over why they left can impede future business opportunities. That doesn't mean you should be rude or dismissive. When someone stops being a client, it's always important to leave the relationship on a positive note. Wish them well. They might just need your services again in the future (or know someone who will).
Refocus your energies on clients who are more engaged with you. Inquire about how they are feeling about your services and seek to reestablish clear communication with them. This can also be a good time to reach out to new potential clients in your network and see if they need help with any new projects.
5. Update your brand
Losing a client can be a good time to reevaluate the way that you are presenting your services and showing off the kind of work you do. Update your portfolio to make sure it accurately represents your work and showcases how you are growing and improving as a business.
Additionally, updating your marketing materials can ensure you stay current with the latest trends. It's necessary to understand both how and where you should advertise yourself to successfully recruit new clients. These trends can change quickly and keeping your brand up to date helps you continue to grow.
6. Stay positive and don't give up
Don't let one person dictate your success. Customers come and go, but if you consistently show up and work hard, you'll continue to thrive. Do what you can to keep improving and let that be enough.
When a customer loses interest in your work, remember to extend some compassion to yourself. And remember that you're doing everything you can. Freelancing is a tough business, but it's worth it in the end.
Every customer is a learning opportunity
Being responsible for finding and keeping customers can be an overwhelming task. If you hope to be a successful freelancer, commit to learning from every customer you get, as well as every customer you lose.
Having clients lose interest in your work is unfortunately inevitable. Yet it is possible to turn the experience into a learning opportunity that will earn you more business in the future. Remember not to take the loss personally, take constructive criticism in stride and stay motivated. If you continue working to find and keep clients, your efforts will pay off.
