Podcast Summary: The Marketing Millennials – SPECIAL SERIES: When to Fire Your Clients | Bathroom Break #41 🚽
Host(s):
- Daniel Murray – Host of The Marketing Millennials
- Jay Schwedelson – Host of Do This, Not That podcast
Release Date: February 3, 2025
Introduction
In this special episode of The Marketing Millennials, host Daniel Murray collaborates with Jay Schwedelson from the Do This, Not That podcast for the "Bathroom Break" series. This collaborative series aims to deliver quick, actionable marketing tips that listeners can digest during a short break—perfect for those limited 10-minute moments.
Casual Banter: The Super Bowl Discussion
The episode kicks off with a lighthearted discussion about the upcoming Super Bowl, reflecting on personal perspectives and the marketing implications of such a major event.
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Jay Schwedelson introduces the episode with humor, stating, “[00:01]... That extra 10 minutes you either have to listen to marketing tips or use the bathroom. Or both. But I don't recommend both. But that's your choice.”
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Daniel Murray shares his nuanced view: “[01:19] As a marketer, I think it's a fun time. As a football fan, it's not a fun time.” He contrasts the NFL with college football, appreciating the latter's dynamism and opportunities for creative marketing.
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Jay expresses his disinterest in the Super Bowl itself, emphasizing a preference for watching the commercials over the game: “[02:21]...I just don't care. And I want to watch the commercials.”
Main Discussion: When to Fire Your Clients
The core of the episode revolves around the crucial business decision of terminating client relationships. Both Daniel and Jay share their experiences and strategies for identifying when it's time to part ways with a client.
Identifying Problematic Clients
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Daniel Murray highlights that typically, only 5-10% of clients become problematic, often those who pay less but demand disproportionately more: “[03:15]... the usually it's only 5% or 10% of clients that are really annoying.”
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He emphasizes the importance of recognizing when a client's demands outweigh their value: “[03:15]...if the time to value doesn't equal, then it's time to get rid of them.”
Setting Clear Expectations
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Jay Schwedelson reflects on his past challenges, admitting that poor management of client expectations led to unnecessary frustrations: “[04:11]...we were doing a very bad job of management of expectations.”
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To mitigate this, Jay and his team became more transparent during onboarding and raised their service minimums, ensuring only clients who align with their standards remain.
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Daniel Murray concurs, stressing the necessity of defining boundaries in contracts: “[05:18]...have things in your contract that say, let's say you get X number of revisions you have, here's the scope is clear.”
Raising Minimums and Pricing as Filters
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Jay discusses the correlation between clients who invest less financially and their propensity to be demanding: “[05:18]...there's I think, a direct correlation between how vocal and annoying a client might be and how little they spend.”
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Daniel Murray suggests that increasing rates can naturally filter out less ideal clients: “[09:07]...once you fire a client, raise your rates, because usually at the start you have these lower rates and then you start more as demand goes.”
Maintaining Team Culture and Support
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Jay underscores the importance of protecting team morale by not tolerating disrespectful clients: “[06:16]...your team needs to know that you have their back and that you won't stand for that no matter what.”
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He warns that allowing disrespect can rapidly deteriorate organizational culture, making it imperative to prioritize team well-being over maintaining certain client relationships.
Niching Down for Greater Success
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Daniel Murray advises focusing on "dream clients" that closely match your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): “[07:08]...having that in upfront process and knowing these are your dream clients.”
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By niching down, businesses can scale more effectively, avoiding the pitfalls of overextending resources to accommodate unsuitable clients: “[07:08]...the business scales way faster than if you try to get more squeezed from all these different people that are fringe ICP.”
Referring Clients to Other Vendors
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Jay shares a strategic approach to handle service gaps by referring clients to trusted vendors: “[08:07]...we have a list of vendors that we refer to...creating a list...can turn into a real valuable thing for your overall business.”
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This practice not only ensures clients receive the services they need but also strengthens professional networks without compromising on service quality.
Strategies for Maintaining Healthy Client Relationships
Both hosts agree that proactive management and clear communication are essential for sustaining fruitful client relationships. By setting boundaries, clearly defining scopes, and maintaining transparent communication, businesses can minimize the need to fire clients and foster more sustainable partnerships.
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
The episode concludes with light-hearted banter about ideal Super Bowl halftime performers, but the key takeaway emphasizes the importance of making strategic decisions that prioritize business health and team well-being.
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Jay humorously cautions against indiscriminately firing clients: “[12:12]...hope everybody doesn't go off and just fire all their clients after this episode.”
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Both hosts encourage listeners to implement the discussed strategies to enhance their business operations and client management.
Notable Quotes with Timestamps
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Jay Schwedelson: “[00:13]...if you want to be in the bathroom, fine, just don't tell us about it.”
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Daniel Murray: “[01:19]...as a marketer, I think it's a fun time. As a football fan, it's not a fun time.”
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Daniel Murray: “[03:15]...if the time to value doesn't equal, then it's time to get rid of them.”
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Jay Schwedelson: “[04:11]...we were doing a very bad job of management of expectations.”
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Daniel Murray: “[05:18]...have things in your contract that say, let's say you get X number of revisions you have, here's the scope is clear.”
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Jay Schwedelson: “[06:16]...your team needs to know that you have their back and that you won't stand for that no matter what.”
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Daniel Murray: “[07:08]...knowing these are your dream clients.”
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Jay Schwedelson: “[08:07]...creating a list of kind of companies and people that you can refer in each of the different buckets...”
Conclusion
This episode of the Bathroom Break series offers invaluable insights into client management, emphasizing the importance of setting clear expectations, valuing team well-being, and strategically focusing on ideal clients. By implementing these strategies, marketers and business owners can foster healthier, more productive client relationships while ensuring sustainable business growth.
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