Comments on: Picking the Wrong Clients? You Can’t Blame the Wreck on the Train*

By: Debra L. Bruce

Debra L. Bruce — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:59:26 +0000

Joan, thanks for your comment. Many of us only come to understand what our gut is quietly telling us about potential clients after making a few mistakes. Then we have to make extra effort to listen, because there is another voice screaming about our overhead, the recession, and other fear-mongering.

By: Debra L. Bruce

Debra L. Bruce — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:53:32 +0000

Deborah, what a good idea about how to use this article. I’m going to suggest to my clients to use it as an audit of their “client hiring” practices over the past year. Thanks for mentioning that!

By: Lana Karasevych

Lana Karasevych — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:06:09 +0000

Hi Jean, I like your approach very much. it is very important to set up your boundaries up front. That is how i work and also teach my clients doing business in holistic way as well.

By: Jean Gillis

Jean Gillis — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:27:32 +0000

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

By: Joan Bundy

Joan Bundy — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:33:09 +0000

Couldn’t have said it better myself! Trusting your “gut” is often the hardest thing for highly educated lawyers to do, but instinct is very important in weeding out problem clients before you reach the point of no return. Thank you for this helpful and enlightening article!

By: Deborah Kaminetzky

Deborah Kaminetzky — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:31:04 +0000

Great article! Many of us sit back and examine our firms in January – what went well and what didn’t. This article provides a ready made list of resolutions for the new year.

By: Jean Gillis

Jean Gillis — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:24:13 +0000

Thanks Susan-I always say it nice (you know that saying about honey vs. vinegar) as this stance can be taken the wrong way, which would likely mean that the prospect isn’t a good fit anyway.

By: Susan Cartier Liebel

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:58:22 +0000

I like it, Jean! You are sending a clear message that you are not going to take nonsense from your clients and they can decide to work with you or not, modify their behavior or not, but you’ve laid down the ‘law’. Great.

By: Jean Gillis

Jean Gillis — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:23:21 +0000

Excellent post! At my initial prospective client meeting, I explain that I take a holistic approach to how I service clients. I explain that for me “holistic” is a carryover from how I conduct my personal life–regular exercise, whole foods, no processed foods or toxins–a healthy, happy, rewarding lifestyle. And the same holds true for who I take on as a client-no toxins! The analogy has been working for me lately and I’ve gotten good feedback on it too.

By: Debra Bruce

Debra Bruce — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:25:12 +0000

Scott, Thanks for your comment. Sometimes turning down new business is the best thing you can do for the financial success of your firm.