With Halloween almost upon us, we’ve picked a Dear Boom missive that reads like the opening of a horror film.
A creative writes: “I’ve been working with a client for nearly two years. Every job starts as ‘something really simple’. The brief changes halfway through. Finished projects come back from the dead. And somehow, I always end up agreeing to one more thing. I’ve been calling it a learning experience. But I think I’ve had enough now.”
“The good news is, I’m ready to leave. But then I try to write the email. I’ve softened the latest draft so much it now sounds like I’m not trying to move away at all. I want to leave professionally, wish them well and experience the enormous pleasure of never receiving another ‘quick question’ from them on a Sunday evening, ever again.”
So how do you make a clean exit when you’re very good at saying yes and bad at saying goodbye? We put the question to our community on Instagram and The Studio. A couple of you suggested calling in an exorcist (Keiron Lewis helpfully notes you’ll need it authorised by a bishop), but most had rather more practical advice…
1. Goodbye or renegotiation?
A few of you asked whether a break-up is actually necessary. Designer Nicholas Robb suggested explaining the problem in plain language and proposing a fix, such as fixed briefs or higher fees, arguing that you have nothing to lose. Illustrator and animator Csaba Klement suggested updating your contract so that changes cost money: “If they won’t sign, your exit is clearly on them.”
These sound like good options in some situations. But we’ll believe our correspondent when they say they’ve firmly decided to leave. After all, if you’d be secretly disappointed when they said yes, any negotiation won’t be a win, but a potential own goal.
2. Check your contract
As illustrator Charlotte Goodman-Brooks points out, when you break up with a client, check your contract first. If there’s a notice period, honour it.
If there’s no contract, though, creative director and consultant Paul Leon suggests you owe nothing beyond finishing what you agreed to. “I’d do my last project and walk away,” he says. “You don’t have to explain anything; you don’t have to metaphorically pour petrol on the bridge and set it on fire, unless you really want to make a point.
3. Explain, but don’t litigate
The biggest split in our discussions was over whether to give reasons at all. Designer Matthew Gallagher argues you don’t owe anyone an explanation. “Merely let them know that your schedule is booked and you won’t be able to take any more work from them,” he recommends. “It gives them a heads-up, and you can move on by being gracious and without having to burn any bridges.”
Photo retoucher and creative artworker Sandrine Bascouert, however, takes the view that the truth can be one last service to a client who’s been surrounded by yes-people and has no idea they’re a nightmare. “You don’t have to be harsh or rude,” she says. “Just tell it like it is, keep it short and make it clear there’s no coming back.”
Illustrator Lucila Solier Feiguin agrees. “You should probably give them the reasons, at least broadly speaking (‘due to X/Y/Z the situation has escalated beyond the agreed budget and contract multiple times, which has made me take a step backwards to reassess’),” she says. “Try focusing on the facts and what kind of consequences those had.”
4. Writing the exit email
Now for what some might consider the biggest challenge: emailing the client. Designer Jessica Rebelo knows exactly where our correspondent is coming from. “I’m a people pleaser and have been there, accepting a lot of work, sometimes for very little money,” she admits. “It’s tricky!”
Lucila’s tip is to put yourself in the shoes of “the boss” when you write the email, and allow yourself to state your boundaries. Then, crucially, don’t undo them in the sign-off. “Don’t add anything like ‘but we could work together again’, or you’ll be basically telling them that your boundaries mean nothing,” she warns.
A good exit email needs to tick three boxes. The client needs to clearly understand you won’t be taking on further work. You need to define an end point: when you’ve caught up with the work you owe them, and you’re done. And finally, a sincere good wish—but one that acts as a full stop, rather than a signal for further chat.
Madalena Studio did exactly this last year. “We said that our business focus was moving in a different direction and, whilst we had personally enjoyed and greatly appreciated working with them and their team, that they might be better finding a partner who was more aligned with their needs,” the studio explains. “We politely gave them a four-week notice period, wished them well and sent their files over at the end.”
Hand-painting illustrator Lee Gruber took a similar approach when ending a retainer. “I gave a month’s notice, kept scope firm, and offered a handover with a clear end date,” he says. “I even offered alternatives to fill my role.”
5. The happy ending
Here’s the part our correspondent will enjoy most. After all that agonising, how did Madalena Studio’s client of four years respond? Quite simply: “I am aligned on this.”
It often goes like this. You spend all that time pent up, dreading your reaction, and then nothing happens. It’s anti-climactic for sure. But on the plus side, it leaves you to get on with your life, and that has to be a good thing.
The final part of this horror story? Make sure the sequel never gets made. As Paul stresses, solid contracts, terms, and work schedules protect you next time. Designer and founder Brian Winkeler goes further, telling every new client his agency has two set-in-stone rules. “We don’t work with jerks,” he says. “Anyone who can say ‘No’ must be part of the process.” Do that, and your next horror story might never make it past the trailer.
