Tag: Bad Clients

  • They Advertise Their Own Idiocy

    They Advertise Their Own Idiocy

    The people who display it think they’re signaling that they’re forward-thinking and reasonable. What they’re actually signaling, to normal people, is that they’re insufferable and ridiculous.

    More importantly, they’re signaling that they can be safely ignored.

    Where I live in Collin County there are a lot of Teslas. There are plenty of reasons for that.

    If you know, you know.

    But there’s a specific subset of Tesla owners worth noting.

    These are the people who bought the car when Elon Musk was their hero, then lost their minds when he committed the unforgivable sin of being friendly with Trump, even briefly.

    Now their cars are covered in stickers that say things like “Elon sucks” or “F Elon.”

    Originally, they bought the Tesla to signal that they were doing something noble for the environment. Just read the personalized license plates they put on their cars. More signaling.

    Electric cars have some real advantages, but they also have serious drawbacks. They aren’t scalable to the level required for universal adoption, and pretending otherwise doesn’t make it true.

    But that’s beside the point.

    Once again, these people think they’re signaling one thing when they’re actually signaling something else.

    They’re signaling that they care far too much about what other people think, and that they assume everyone else cares just as much about what they think.

    They don’t.

    Nobody cares if you bought a car from Elon Musk.

    The useful part is this: you can treat this as free information.

    Life is too short to deal with bad clients and bad customers. When someone advertises this level of performative nonsense, believe them.

    If one of these people shows up, or rolls into a meeting in one of those cars, take the hint.

    Don’t tell them why. Don’t go bragging about it on social media. There’s a slight chance you might be wrong about them. The risk is worth taking, in my opinion.

    More importantly, you don’t want to engage in the same behavior they’re displaying.

    Just move on.

    Which, incidentally, was another signaling phrase a few years ago.

    PS- You’re probably not ready to buy or sell land today. And that’s fine. But the time to start preparing for anything is long before it’s actually time.

    I offer a free, no obligation analysis on any non-residential property. It includes actual comps (with real prices) near your tract, along with other things like planned development, utility info, market trends etc.

    Even if you’re not ready to sell (or plan to never sell), can it hurt to have current market info?

    And all that is before considering that you’ll be working with a regular guy who talks straight and isn’t trying to flatter you into getting your business. Just real info and integrity and a willingness to listen.

    Can anything bad happen by just talking?

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  • Sometimes They Even Get Severance Pay (sort of)

    Sometimes They Even Get Severance Pay (sort of)

    I was talking yesterday about how the only sane way to do business is to only work with good clients. You have to get rid of the bad ones who waste your time.

    They picture some dramatic moment where you slam a folder shut, stand up from the table, and announce you won’t be treated that way.

    The truth is a lot quieter — and a lot simpler.

    I’m pretty good at reading people, so it doesn’t happen often. But if I list a property and realize the seller is a flake, or dishonest, or just likes wasting people’s time?

    If the property isn’t under contract, I fill out a termination form, sign it, email it over, and tell them it’s not working. Two seconds later, the contact is deleted from my phone.

    But what if it is under contract?

    Well, a closing ends the relationship too.

    In that case, the smartest way to fire a bad client is to finish the deal, get paid, and then never work with them again.

    That’s it.
    No drama.
    No speeches.
    Just a clean exit.

    (even if it “costs” you a little)

    A while back, I had a couple of those deals where everything looked normal until the closing table.

    Then the buyer pulled a last-minute stunt — trying to back out of a standard cost he’d already agreed to.

    It’s always the same type of personality: someone who waits until the very end, when everyone’s time is spent, and tries to squeeze one last thing out of you.

    Not because they need to.

    Because they want to see if they can.

    (if you’re in my business you’ve seen it too, and know what I’m talking about…but no need to name it)

    A lot of people think the “strong” move is to dig in and refuse to budge. And yes, if I had pushed back, I probably would’ve “won.” The deal would have closed anyway and I’d have walked out with the full amount.

    But here’s the part most people never account for:

    The second he pulled that stunt, I knew I was never speaking to him again after that day. If we close, great. If we don’t, I’m pulling the listing.

    And he might get sued by the buyer.

    Not my problem.

    If there’s even a 20–30% chance that kind of person blows up the deal, the expected value drops fast.

    Option A:

    Fight it out, maybe get $8,000, maybe get $0 — and never deal with them again. Other than maybe testify against them in court later.

    Option B:

    Pay a small amount out of pocket, guarantee the deal closes, walk away with (say) $7,000 — and never deal with them again.

    It’s not a hard choice once you strip out the ego.

    You don’t build a strong business by letting bad clients take up space.

    You don’t build sanity by keeping people around who nickel-and-dime you.

    And you don’t build a reputation by escalating pointless standoffs.

    The smartest operators I know — in real estate, development, legal, construction, you name it — all do the same thing:

    They protect their pipeline, not their pride.

    A good client pays you in money, time saved, referrals, easier deals, smoother communication, and less chaos.

    A bad client takes far more than they ever give.

    So no, I don’t hesitate.

    If covering a small cost gets the deal closed and gets the wrong person out of my world forever, that’s not weakness.

    That’s strategy.

    You don’t have to win every little battle.

    You just have to win your time back.

    Once you understand that, firing bad clients becomes easy — even when it means paying them to leave.

    PS- You may not be ready to sell today, but wouldn’t it be smart to be prepared ahead of time?

    I offer a free opinion of value on any property, along with market info etc. And no time wasting, no pestering you to hurry up, none of that.

    Is it ever a bad time to start talking to a pro who will treat you the right way?

    (and will have time for you because he doesn’t let bad actors mistreat him?)

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