Flamingo Fix 019: Stop Absorbing Costs: The "Win-Win" Approach to Dealing With Clients Who Aren't Getting Results

Someone asked: "Who absorbs the cost of firing a good but not great fit client who isn't getting results, despite me going above and beyond?"

This question reveals more than it asks:

1. The belief that "good but not great" client relationships are acceptable

2. The assumption that someone must lose when things aren't working

3. The readiness to assign blame (notice the word "firing")

This is grey flamingo thinking. It reveals a trap we set for ourselves.

We've been taught there are only two options:

1. Keep serving clients who aren't getting results (and quietly resent them for the time and financial impact)

2. Fire them and feel guilty about it (while worrying about the financial impact)

This either/or choice is a prison we've built around ourselves. Feeling like you must choose between honoring yourself OR honoring your client

It's also a lie.

🦩The Pink Flamingo Way Forward: Creating Client Boundaries That Actually Feel Good to Enforce

What if no one absorbs the cost? What if there is no cost to absorb?

What if both parties could walk away feeling like winners?

This isn't pie-in-the-sky thinking. It's what happens when we shift from a "me vs. them" mindset to an "Us" approach.

It starts with asking yourself one question. It's a question that changes everything.

"What would create fairness for us both?"

Not "How do I win?" Not "How do I avoid looking or feeling selfish?"

Just: "What would create fairness for us both?"

Or you can take a step further and ask, “God, what is your version of fairness for us both?”

This simple shift changes everything that follows.

🦩The Pink System, Not Willpower Principle: Creating Processes That Do The Hard Work For You

Now, back to the question of, “Who absorbs the cost of a good but not great client?”

The real issue isn’t this specific client relationship.

"Good but not great" clients are a lie for grey flamingos.

"Good but not great" is normally a recovering people-pleaser's way of saying "this is a good person, but they are not a great fit for my services."

They are a bad fit client.

And that means you have no business working with them.

And so, the system matters more than the moment.

It’s about the system you’ve built that allowed a "bad fit" client to enter your world in the first place. It's about the system that allows a "bad fit" client to stay in your world.

That's the system that needs changing.

Grey flamingos build systems that perpetuate people-pleasing.

Pink flamingos build systems that prevent it.

Here's what to do right now:

Step 1: Get out of your head. Know the costs of the situation.

It is easy to think the costs are lower or higher than they actually are. Get specific about what you mean by "costs".

Ask yourself: “Where are we vs. where we expected to be? And what has that cost us both?”

• Time costs - How many additional hours beyond the original scope?

• Budget implications - What's the actual financial impact?

• Quality compromises – Am I cutting corners to make it work?

• Opportunity costs - What’s a better way to serve this client? What better-fit clients am I missing?

Most "bad fit" client relationships cost both parties in ways they haven't measured.

Step 2: Explore your options forward:

It's easy to want to keep going forward if you don't assess the cost of going forward based on current cost trends. So ask yourself:

• What happens if you both keep pushing forward? Do you fail to get a result? Do the costs double or triple? Do you "have to" work with them forever because you can't get a result?

• What are other paths forward that honor you both? Do you continue with specific, measurable adjustments? Do you amicably end the relationship with a fair resolution for both parties? Do you transition to another service? Do you refer to someone else?

Step 3: Have the conversation focused on facts, not emotions

• Present the facts

• Ask what would feel fair to them, not just to you

• Agree on a path forward that honors both parties

It can start something along the lines of this: "I'm concerned about our progress because we're currently at [specific point] when we expected to be at [intended milestone]. Based on our current pace, we're looking at [projected outcome]. I want to explore options that would feel fair to us both."

Reduce the risk of this situation happening in the future

The harder work is building systems that reduce the risk of this situation in the future:

Step 1: Create a results-oriented system that considers the responsibilities and needs of you, your team, and your clients

• Start with creating a simple, clear client journey to results that considers the roles, needs, and responsibilities of you, your clients, and your team.

• Then, establish performance baselines for that client journey using objective milestones and metrics. Milestone and metrics-based delivery are excellent "costs" reduction/mitigation/elimination strategies. That's how you position yourself to proactively spot and handle opportunities and issues that occur during delivery. For example, catching misalignment early, mitigating scope creep, etc.

Step 2: Set clear boundaries that protect you, your team, and your clients

• Brain dump the common positive and negative client situations (like this one) that often come up in your business. Think about everything from client preboarding to offboarding. You'll be surprised how much overlap exists between your team and your clients. (I'll talk about the mindmapping change management process behind this soon!)

• Next, devise the response plan you'll execute to handle each situation in a way that feels safe for you and fair for all involved. (Here's a 3-step process for doing this for each situation!)

• Then, communicate aspects of those response plans throughout your fulfillment process. For example, include relevant ones in your contract, kick-off calls, etc.

For example, in this situation:

• You can improve your client screening process (we have a whole process around doing this!) Saying no to "bad fits" makes room for "great fits". Bad fits often lack the capabilities needed to get results within your set time and budget scope. So, reduce the risk of this situation by not letting "bad fit" clients into your world in the first place.

• You can create a response plan that is triggered by milestone progression. You can then include milestone-based release clauses in your contract. No need to lizard-brain to people-pleasing or panic if the situation does arise.

Step 3: Deliver and monitor progress.

Deliver your services per your client journey. Regularly assess your metrics and checkpoints to catch misalignment and performance risks early. Handle accordingly.

🦩This Week's Pink Practice: One Tiny Action to Begin Your Boundary Journey Today

Open a document. Write down the single most concerning cost in your current "good but not great" client relationship. Not a paragraph. Just one specific cost.

That's it.

Awareness precedes change.

The choice is yours

You can continue operating from grey flamingo thinking, where someone must always lose.

Or you can embrace the pink flamingo way, creating systems that honor both your boundaries and your service heart.

The cost of staying grey is far higher than the momentary discomfort of going pink.

Choose wisely.

🦩Your Pink Flamingo Next Steps

1. Send Us An Email

Share one specific cost in your current "good but not great" client relationship, and I'll personally respond with a suggestion for finding your pink way forward. Send Us Your Email → epic@clientsuccessexperts.com

2. Join Our Monthly Implementation Sprints

Stop trying to figure out your processes and systems alone. For just $47/month, join our Pink Flamingo Implementation Sprints where you'll get personalized guidance on building your client fulfillment, sales, and team processes and boundaries. Work alongside other recovering people-pleasers who are building businesses that honor everyone. Join This Month's Sprint →

3. Book Your Curiosity Call

Ready for comprehensive support in building processes that feel both safe AND fair? Book a curiosity call today to see if we can help you design scalable sales, client fulfillment, and leadership processes that reflect the third way - neither "too nice" nor "selfish," but dignified service that honors everyone involved. Schedule Your Call →

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Grey flamingo leaders build "too nice" or "too selfish" systems that perpetuate burnout or hurt people. Pink flamingo leaders build systems that protect the leader, client and team. The pinkest flamingo leaders align their systems with divine design.