Firing a client is a delicate process that requires tact and professionalism. Let’s be honest, it’s just not an enjoyable experience, especially as a freelancer, where you have likely put in a lot of time and energy pitching to this client, landing them, working together, and now, firing them.

In this article, we put together eight steps to firing a client with tact and professionalism to not burn any bridges but also, do what is right for yourself and your business.

1. Signs It's Time To Let Go

Right, if you are reading this article, you’ve likely already started to experience some red flags or signs that it’s time to consider ending a client relationship. It’s very common for the scope of a freelance arrangement to change as the clients' needs change, but if you feel the change is too constant and too extreme or the client demands feel unreasonable, now is the time to consider if continuing in this partnership is good for you.

Other red flags include frequent missed payments or payment disputes, lack of respect for your expertise and boundaries or frequent communication breakdowns.If you are experiencing any of these issues, these are signs it’s time to let your client go.

2. Self-Assessment: Are You Taking the Right Step?

Before you fire off your termination email, take some time to consider the situation from your perspective. Ask yourself if you have exhausted all reasonable attempts to resolve issues or if the client's behavior is negatively affecting your well-being and other projects. And lastly, are you in a financial position where you can afford to lose income.

While you want to take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally, this is your business and your source of income. You might be in a situation where you need to rough it out a bit longer with the client until you set up other clients to replace lost income. And that’s ok! It’ll be hard in the short term but as long as you are taking proactive steps to eventually let go of this client, that’s all that matters.

3. Planning The Conversation

When firing a client, you need to really plan on what you are going to say, how you are going to say it and when. This conversation deserves its own time and agenda- don’t just lump it into your normal project work meetings.

In planning your meetings, pick a medium that feels comfortable to you. I work heavily online and typically only ever email with my clients but email seems way too impersonal and not very professional when you need to deliver bad news. So, I’ll ask for Zoom meetings and typically outline over email my key points I want to raise with the client so it is not a shock when we meet.

4. The Art of Delivering the Message

Listen, this is tough. Particularly when you like your client and for whatever reason (too much work, they aren’t willing to pay you more etc.) you need to end the relationship. In this type of conversation, be honest but diplomatic about your reasons. No need to tell your whole life story but you do need to provide some context and reasons on why you want to end the relationship.

I find using "I" statements helps avoid blaming the client and puts the focus on what is best for me. For example, you can say:

I’ve decided to go in a different direction with my business
I need something new and challenging
My rates are increasing to match my developed skills, I deserve more compensation
I have a new project that is exactly what I want and I need to devote more time to that

Be sure to offer appreciation for the opportunity you’ve had to work together and if possible, keep the door open for future opportunities (if you want that is). Try to keep the conversation concise and focused and advocate for your needs above all else. Remember, this is YOUR business, YOUR work, so don’t be shy in advocating for what you want and need.

5. Providing An Exit Strategy

Oftentimes, your freelance clients are relying on you and only you, so in good faith, you should try to offer to complete ongoing work or provide a reasonable timeframe for handover so your client is not fully left stranded. If the reason for letting go of this client is positive, you may even consider other freelancers or friends to recommend as potential alternatives for the client. This is a great way to help your client out and get more work to your fellow freelancers!

Lastly, remember, this is a business, so be sure to address any contractual obligations and remaining payments so everyone is on the same page about facilitating a smooth transition.

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6. Handling Reactions

When you have this conversation with clients, they can react in a few different ways. If you have been working with a client a lot and you have a pretty established relationship, they too might be seeing the signs it’s time to dissolve your relationship and are very accepting and understanding of your interest in moving on.

If they really like you and don’t want you to leave, they may even start negotiating or compromising with you to get you to stay. And then you would need to decide if your needs are now being met with this new arrangement or not.

Worst case scenario, the client is defensive or angry, which is a pretty powerful sign you are making the right decision to end the relationship. If there is silence or lack of response, again, another sign you are doing the right thing moving on!

7. Moving Forward

Once you finally fire a client, you might be amazed at how good you feel about yourself, your work and the situation as a whole! I don’t fire clients regularly, but when I do, I feel like I have more time and energy to focus on my more positive client relationships.

I also consider different opportunities with higher-paying clients or more fulfilling projects that are in better alignment with what I am trying to achieve for my business. And lastly- and most importantly!- I just FEEL an improved overall work-life balance and joy in what I am doing in my work. Which no amount of money is worth taking if you are sacrificing your joy in life.

8. Preventing Similar Situations

Yay, your last step, congrats! It may have been a really easy or very difficult road for you to get to this point depending on how the client firing went, but either way, you are here. Now is the time to take a more 30,000 foot view and see what learnings you might be able to take away from this client.

As you start landing new clients, be sure to have clear communication of expectations and boundaries so you and the client are on the same page from the start. I can’t say how important it is to thoroughly vet potential clients and examine your contracts and project scopes very carefully. I like to do social media audits and see what kind of vibe and values the client is promoting on their website, social media, LinkedIn, etc. If it feels right to me, I move forward, if not, no way.

Speaking of, the best guiding principle of running your freelance business is to trust your instincts and set limits. It may take time to learn how to do that in your freelance journey, but trust me, you’ll appreciate being able to do so especially when you start getting a high quantity and quality of clients.

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Meet The Writer!

Hi! My name is Nadia Ibrahim-Taney and I help people design happy and fulfilling careers through authentic career coaching. My expertise includes career exploration guidance, resume writing, interview prep and LinkedIn profile optimization. My pronouns are She/ Her/ Hers and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I focus on how diverse identities impact and influence folks holistically and professionally. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or at Nadia@beyonddiscoverycoaching.com

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Freelancers: 8 Steps To Firing A Client