I’ve been around the sales room floor long enough to have heard comments like, “Buyers are liars,” muttered by disgruntled sales people whenever a client fails to do something he’s promised—like not faxing back that signed contract.

But Dr. Phil says you either teach people to treat you with dignity and respect, or you don’t. Laying the blame on “the client” means we aren’t taking responsibility for how we’re allowing ourselves to be treated. So here’s a saying you probably won’t hear a sales person utter:

“When something goes wrong in the sales process, it’s my fault.”

Focusing exclusively on another’s behavior only serves to keep you victimized. If you want things to change, you need to take action. Here’s my entire SitePoint series on Putting a Stop to Abusive Client Behavior:

1. Stop Client Abuse of Web Designers Now!
2. Stop the Abuse! 7 Steps to a Well-Trained Client
3. Stop Wasting Time with Prospects Who Aren’t Serious
4. Stop Giving Away So Much Free Information!
5. Stop Writing Proposals to Win Business
6. Stop Doing the Same Things and Expecting Different Results
7. Stop Waiting to Get Paid! How to Collect Even when Your Client Delays
8. Stop Getting Walked on and Set Some Boundaries Already
9. Stop the Slippery Slope of Scope Creep
10. Stop Making Endless Design Changes
11. Stopping Abusive Clients: The Complete Process

And on this blog:

• How to Fire an Abusive Client

And if you haven’t done so already, check out the webinar and free guide: 27.5 Must Ask Questions for Consultative Selling.

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