Do you know when you have given control of your business away to your clients?  Probably not…

In this blog, I’m sharing with you 5 Tell-Tale Signs You’re Letting Prospects Run Your Business.

I have a funny story to share about I learned my prospects were running my business.  And subsequently ruining it!

Let’s face it as a small business in a highly competitive service market, every lead, every prospect, and every customer seems precious and worth their weight in gold.

I had a mentor tell me that sometimes the best deals are the ones you walk away from.   

This was a hard lesson to learn early in owning my fitness business.   

Every dollar mattered, and if I lost a prospect, or turned someone away, that was the difference in paying my electric bill on time or not.

In one of my YouTube Videos, Are Your WORST Clients Running Your Business I explained about our negative bias and making decisions about our business based on one person’s opinion… EVEN WHEN there are tons of other people who give you positive affirmations.

First, we must recognize when we’re letting this destructive behavior take over.

Here are the 5 Tell-Tale Signs That You’re Letting Prospects Run Your Business.  Some will be obvious … others I think will surprise you.  

And in business, you don’t want these types of surprises… trust me…

How do you think I came up with this list?  I lived it!!

1).  You change a policy based on one comment.   I had a group fitness program and one instructor liked to really pump up the music… which got the class really into it.   

One day when the full class was pumping to the music …. one client said to me, ”that music is really loud! she needs to turn it DOWN now!”  She didn’t say it quite that nice 🙂

So freaking out that others probably shared the same opinion, I rushed into the group fitness room and turned the volume down… then fixed the amplifier so it couldn’t go past a certain volume.

Eventually, fewer people started showing up for the class, and then the instructor left.  The revenue lost from that one comment was 10x greater than the revenue generated by the person complaining.

Didn’t make much fiscal sense!

2) Your revenue is going up but your PROFIT is not.   You should be closely monitoring your NET revenue… that’s the money left over when you pay all of the bills.   If you notice that more money is coming in yet at the end of the month you have less money in your pocket, it’s a clear indication you are pandering to prospects who want “special” considerations.  You know, a price reduction. A special service (only they will use) etc…  like my mentor told me. Sometimes the best deal is the one you don’t do.

QUICK question… it may seem a little off the topic, however… Are you asking for reviews from your current clients?   If not why not?  Post in the comments.   

You see if you get great reviews from your current customers you can often drown out all the chatter from prospects who are giving you grief.  Make sure you are asking for testimonials and reviews.

3)  Employees are leaving or not happy because you keep changing the direction based on number one above.  Employees like stability in the business and when you have happy employees you have happy clients. 

4) Sales conversions are down (not targeting the right people despite trying to be everything for everyone).  This means that you aren’t getting the right prospects to opt in for your business.  You need to do a better job of targeting your dream clients.

Last but certainly not least…

5)  Your business isn’t fun anymore…  If you are dreading going to work and seeing the clients in your business then you have given control away to them.   Your business isn’t yours anymore and therefore not fun.

Here’s the real life story about the hard lesson I learned.

I don’t want to upset anyone in my business, but the truth of the matter is that YOU CAN’T PLEASE EVERYONE… and your business isn’t for everyone.

I run a little Airbnb business renting out the rooms in my home while I travel.   I learned very early on that my best guests were those who booked online, read the descriptions, maybe asked a few questions, and booked.   They checked in without any issue (it’s all automated) and they left the place clean and tidy.  

Basically, people who respect the place, follow the rules and pay the listed price.   In the past (not anymore) Every time I’ve made an exception just to get a booking I’ve regretted that decision.   

Now, if I get any “special” requests… Like the lady who was interested in booking one of my rooms for a month.  She first asked for a reduction in the nightly rate because she was renting it for the entire month (even though she had already received a discount).  I obliged because I was afraid I wouldn’t get another booking.

Then a day later she sends an email… “I notice that you listed there is a cat in the house, I’m allergic to cats, does the cat go into the room I’ll be staying in”.  I responded that for the most part, the cat stays on the first floor and generally doesn’t go up to the room, but that it would be best that she keep the door closed.

Mind you… she still hadn’t confirmed her reservation at this point.

A couple of days later, she sent another message “I’m still VERY interested in your place, it looks absolutely perfect for me to stay.  Can you hold the dates while I confirm my travel plans?  I really want to stay there”

I obliged and blocked the dates (which means that no one else can book it).

A day later. “Are the pillows down or synthetic?  I’m allergic to down pillows, if they are could you change them out?”

SERIOUSLY, you can’t make this stuff up.

They were down pillows…  I actually considered getting different pillows, after all this was a full month booking… at a reduced rate.

Another day, another message, “Oh forgot to ask, is it ok if I use the kitchen to cook my vegan means… Do others use the kitchen and eat meat?  We’ll have to arrange times to cook if there is meat being cooked there as I just can’t be around it.”

And THAT was the last straw…

My response, “You know what… I don’t think my place is going to be a good fit for you.  Best of luck finding another place.”

Two days later another guest booked the room, with no special request and they paid full price.

My bookings haven’t gone down, but my satisfaction has gone way up!

I share tons of learning from my 30 years being an entrepreneur here on my blog and also on my YouTube channel (www.TomJackobs.com/YouTube) visit and subscribe.