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    <title><![CDATA[Discussion on What to do when you lose a big client ]]></title>
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    <lastBuildDate>2013-05-24T03:07:31-07:00</lastBuildDate>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Loss of a Large Client]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3745693]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I wish I would have read this article while I was between consulting jobs for over 9 months a few years ago.  I found that you need three things to keep you going during slow times:1. passion for what you do2. strong belief in your technical ability3. stamina to hang in there until things turnYou may need to start another venture to expose yourself to a new market.  I tried photography during this slow period. smile]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[sales@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:37:36 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Ouch]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3744716]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[It sounds like you learned from the experience, at least.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3744716]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:20:55 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[It always looks greener]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3744730]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[In some ways, the prospect of losing income that you've come to rely on can be more terrifying than never having gotten it to begin with.Good luck, and thanks for the kind words!]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:20:03 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Loss of large client]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3744657]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[In my experience, the loss of our biggest customer was caused by two things.  The first was the failure of the salesforce to have counter and counter-counter bids for the contract they had negotiated for six years with no competition.  Two, a disgruntled former employee went to work for a competitor and clued their salesforce to the process.  Kiss a big contract goodbye and four employees filed for unemployment.]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[mjd420nova]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 02 Feb 2013 17:30:38 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Excellent advice]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3744616]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I wish I had this problem! Just started out in contracting, and seeking my first client. But not worried yet.I really appreciate these articles...they provide sound advice for my (hopefully soon!) consulting career. Keep up the good work!  Tom]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3744616]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[lenaria317]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 02 Feb 2013 06:41:46 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Another one...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3744596]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[&quot;Every bad occurance happens for a good reason&quot;]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3744596]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[fo128]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:42:41 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[This too shall pass]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743747]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[A lesson for both good times and bad.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743747]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:34:46 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Sincere and candid is right]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743746]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[It doesn't help to run from uncomfortable truths, does it?  I wonder why when we do face them we also feel compelled to chide ourselves.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743746]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:32:01 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Yep]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743765]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Some of the scariest times in my career came right before changes for the better.  Darkest before dawn and all that.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743765]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:30:14 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Thanks for the kind words]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743756]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[... and the encouraging story.  Nice to be the one they came back to, even if they had to experiment with someone else to appreciate you.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743756]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:29:19 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Agreed]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743745]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[And I'll point out that one of the articles I linked to does mention business contacts as the #1 method of finding new work: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/project-management/how-to-find-new-business/172]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743745]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:25:49 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Addendum]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743607]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I just want to add that I realize waiting for the next good thing to come along as being the catalyst for you having a happy day isn't always ideal - what it it takes a long time, do you wallow in depression?  But it really helps to know hat if you keep your head up, a bad situation will always fade away to a good one, just be persistent and patient with yourself.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743607]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[viProCon]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 06:11:50 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Losing clients sucks, must keep positive]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743606]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Those of us around long enough in life hopefully come to understand that success is not about what comes your way, but HOW YOU HANDLE what comes your way.  That means you celebrate the good stuff but be aware of and trained on how to handle the bad stuff . What do I mean by trained?  Well, most people don't handle bad situations instinctively well, it's something you have to teach yourself to do.  It starts by finding the good in all situations, look at the positive.  No, it's not a positive situation when a client is lost, but then you find a bigger client or what not and suddenly what was once a terrible thing paved the way for a thing that's even better than the original.  Those that have been through this cycle a couple of times tend to remember it, so then, they can be positive even beofre the next good thing comes along, so they stay posistive throughout.  This skill, if everybody could practice it always, would keep us all very sane in this fast paced world where, unfortunately, your feelings are amongst the last things considreed.  (PS:  Do I use too many comma's?) ]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[viProCon]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 06:08:18 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[What to do when you lose a big contract]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743486]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Chip, I agree with you on most points. However I sorely miss one most important step we all should remember: Rely On Your Network!  And I am not talking about social media but real life contacts, peolple you have done business with, colleagues and partners. Let them know you're in a fix and they usually will try to help you.I can testify to this, having lost a major, major contract last year. No personal reasons, just a very sudden and unexpected budget slash that sent me tumbling out into the snow. After getting to my feet again I sat stunned for a while and then started calling my network contacts. A couple of weeks later the first small things came in and now I'm up and running again.Make sure you have some real friends out there!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743486]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[26Alfred]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:53:35 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[The key here is: Don't Blame Yourself!!!]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743512]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Chip my friend you are again right on the money, especially about not blaming yourself and keeping a cool head after this happens. It did for me a year ago and this client represented almost 30% of my income! You have to do a sincere and candid &quot;post-mortem&quot; after stuff like this happens but one never gets anything from doubting ourselves.Keep going and find better and more creative ways to keep the pipeline full and don't try to oversell on your current clients.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743512]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[marcotekitup]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:34:23 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Move On]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743499]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Great article.  I learned through experience to do exactly what you suggested - don't panic, think about what you can do to improve your business, and most importantly MOVE ON.  Every time I've lost a big client, the following year has seen IMPROVED business!  It helps keep us hungry, and make changes to provide better service.  I've usually found, looking back, that clients that move on were the difficult ones - wanted discounts on their bills, didn't appreciate my efforts, and took up a disproportionate amount of my time.  Once they were gone, I had more time to commit to my other clients and to grow the business.  It makes for a few reduced cash flow months, but it can actually be good for your business long term.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743499]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[mitch_mccarley@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:16:37 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Just happened]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743476]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Very good article and I experienced this very thing in 2012.  Lost two major clients of over six years, as desperate consultants had been hitting them hard and promising the Moon if they'd go with them.Panic set in and I went through a lot of what was outlined in the article.On Christmas Day one of the clients called me and they were losing $40k a month in revenue after firing me in June and going with someone else.  They are now back.The second one has called me and setup an appointment this week to discuss my taking the account back over.  I guess the Moon wasn't that good.  It did wake me up that I have to concentrate on getting the front door open wide again, because the back door can get larger in a slow economy.  If you are a good consultant, you also have to keep the faith and stay positive. Learn from these bumps because it would be very easy to go into a tailspin from this.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743476]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[XoomXoom]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:06:22 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[That varies by consultant]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743473]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Some consultants, myself included, have recurring business as the norm.  While that's very nice, it can make us a little complacent about finding new business.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743473]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:37:58 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[That's true]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743455]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Another cause can be the economy we're in.  A lot of companies are simply shrinking their expenditures across the board.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743455]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:35:50 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[The loss of a major client is usually not your fault...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743471]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Two major events at a client can and do tend to put you and your consulting business on the outside looking in.  One is an acquisition, where the acquiring company has its own stable of consultants to call upon.  The other is a change in management, when pretty much the same thing happens but on a smaller scale.  In the former you are not likely the only vendor to be affected by the acquisition or merger.  In the latter, a new manager, probably from outside the business, is being brought in to make things happen and that typically means this new manager will bring in their trusted consultants and not rely on you.  Either way, it is always dangerous to have more than 50% of your revenue tied to one client.  Best not to get stuck in that situation if you can avoid it.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-401554-3743471]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[timwessels]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:15:24 -0800</pubDate>
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