Why you shouldn't always accommodate special requests

Do you get clients who want a special price break, payment plan or a smaller program than you currently offer? Some people ask you to make exceptions and special arrangements for them to meet their needs. How should you respond?

It might seem reasonable if one person makes a request of you. You can accommodate one variation. No big deal right? Believe me I did this at the beginning. The reason I'm able to have higher standards now is because I lived through saying, "Yes, I'll give you a modified program or pay plan" and know the downward spiral that can create.

Three things happen:

1) Exceptions Wreak Havoc. It's easy to handle a one-time bending of your rules, but the more you say yes, the more you have to juggle. Additional variations of your offerings are what I call "desperate programs." These variations are hard to remember and become confusing. You might find yourself asking, "What did I promise her? What did I say here?"

It's a kind of sabotage that takes up a lot of room in your day and brain. Doing this to get clients creates stress and wreaks havoc on your team. They won't be able to follow what you are doing when you have no standards. You may not have a team now, but when you do, your team will struggle as a result of these exceptions.

2) Referrals Ask for Modifications. The people who you negotiated with will refer clients, who will also want to negotiate. Soon you won't have any standard programs and tracking the programs you do have will become impossible.

3) Resentment Builds. About 12 years ago, I had a client who took me off guard by offering me $1,000 for my $1,200 program. I was still building my nutrition practice, so I took her offer. From that moment on I resented it and it became very hard to handle. She was a lovely woman, but continued asking for concessions until it became unbearable.

To be very transparent with you, I found myself holding back from her. She was asking for way too much and didn't even pay the full price. This whole transaction didn't bring out the best in me. That's one of the biggest reasons I don't recommend making exceptions and accommodating special request.

The best course of action is to stay clean and stick to your planned programs. Have standards and boundaries around what clients you want to work with. Choose people who can afford you and those who will find a way to pay you.

Your Assignment:
Do you have specific programs defined? Do you stick to them or make tweaks based on what clients ask for? The more you stick to your standard programs, the easier managing your business will be. You'll never misquote a price again based on some special deal you offered a couple of clients. Make your life easier and avoid making exceptions to get clients.