I watched the Fauci hearing the other day for as long as I could tolerate. He clamped down tighter than the sphincter of the new guy in a prison shower.

I’m not going to make this political because I’m just not in the mood to deal with the angry basement dwellers whose entire self-worth is wrapped up in telling me how immoral and stupid I am. Guess I’m getting soft ‘cause I usually enjoy watching their faces turn purple with rage as their ugly comments drive up engagement for my feed. 

But what it DID make me think about was the following: 

You cannot take responsibility where you don’t have control – but you also cannot abdicate or relinquish your responsibility once PUT in control.

Here’s how this applies to your managed services business…

If you have a client that refuses to follow your advice and make the necessary investments into security, backups or upgrades that are important for you to do a great job, that’s a liability, not a client you can afford to keep.

Bad clients NEVER think they’re the problem. They think you should be grateful they’re even talking to you. They crap all over your recommendations, clutch their pearls with great indignation over your fees and cherry pick your advice like a finicky toddler at dinnertime – but still expect top-level service and the same results. 

Then when something goes wrong, they’re immediately pointing at you as the responsible party for the failed backup, easily prevented downtime or ransomware attack, demanding reparations. 

Bad clients want to give you responsibility WITHOUT control. 

If you try to make them better by doing your best effort to make them happy, then you’re rewarding bad behavior, fueling the bullies that are making you crazy. Worse yet? They’ll STAY clients until you fire them because they’re getting your best work. 

Once you understand it’s your responsibility not only to your own sanity but that of your team, you’ll fire your bottom feeder clients tomorrow. Quickly, swiftly and WITHOUT guilt. They’re sucking you dry emotionally AND financially. 

But GREAT clients bring a different type of responsibility.  

High-value clients (or HVCs as I call them) challenge you in a different way. They pay on time and don’t complain about the fees. They follow your advice to the letter because they trust your advice.

Opposite of bad clients, great clients give you CONTROL.

Not unfettered “I don’t want to know or be involved” control, because that’s abdication. You don’t want a client who isn’t involved at some level. They need to understand what you’re doing and help you make decisions. Because IF something goes wrong, the client who totally turned things over to you without any input or understanding is going to blame you entirely.

I’m talking about giving you the ultimate say when a decision needs to be made. I’m talking about giving you sufficient resources to get the job done properly. 

But with that control comes greater responsibility. 

If a good client gives you that authority to make decisions on their behalf, it’s critical to take great care in what you do and don’t recommend. You need to own the outcomes that happen under your watch. That means mistakes you AND your employees might make. That includes bad judgment, human error and even some things that might not have been entirely within your control. You have to own it ALL.

Great clients are EARNED by your competence, ethical standards and ability to consistently do top-notch work. Weeding out the bullies, cheapskates and idiots gives you more time and care to pour into the good guys.

Do that, and you have an authentic value proposition. 

The word will spread.

Ready to stop chasing the wrong clients and build a predictable, profitable MSP? I work with IT services firms and MSPs who are tired of competing on price and want to own their market. Let’s talk about your strategy. Schedule a consultation at https://www.robinrobins.com/msp-marketing-services