{"id":1174,"date":"2025-05-21T12:20:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T12:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/?p=1174"},"modified":"2025-05-23T15:49:50","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T15:49:50","slug":"the-pumpkin-plan-how-to-get-rid-of-bad-clients-objectively","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/the-pumpkin-plan-how-to-get-rid-of-bad-clients-objectively\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pumpkin Plan &#8211; How to Get Rid of Bad Clients, Objectively"},"content":{"rendered":"<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#F6F6F9\" style=\"width:100%;margin:0 auto;background-color:#F6F6F9\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<div class=\"ck-section\" style=\"margin:30px auto 0px auto\">\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"width:100%;margin:0 auto;max-width:800px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"800\" style=\"background-color:#ffffff;border-radius:0px\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\">\n<div class=\"ck-inner-section ck-padding-left-mobile-friendly ck-padding-right-mobile-friendly\" style=\"padding:40px 36px 24px 36px\">\n<div style=\"margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\">\n<table class=\"ck-layout-block ck-layout-stack\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" bgcolor=\"transparent\" style=\"padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;border-radius:0px;overflow:hidden\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"ck-column ck-column-stack ck-column-1\" width=\"50%\" style=\"background-size:cover;background-position:center;border-radius:0px;vertical-align:top\">\n<div style=\"padding:0px 0px 0px 0px\">\n<table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"text-align:center;float:none\" class=\"email-image\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\">\n<figure style=\"margin-top:12px;margin-bottom:12px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:800px;width:100%\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.filekitcdn.com\/e\/oh4UyimtaVpDdq4v3xpjNZ\/EYj7oHsTocEWDETZgrRxx\" width=\"800\" height=\"auto\" style=\"border-radius:4px 4px 4px 4px;width:800px;height:auto;object-fit:contain\"><\/div><figcaption style=\"text-align:center\">\u200b<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding-left:20px\"><\/td>\n<td class=\"ck-column ck-column-2\" width=\"50%\" style=\"background-size:cover;background-position:center;border-radius:0px;vertical-align:top\">\n<div style=\"padding:0px 0px 0px 0px\">\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:16px;color:#4F4F4F;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5;text-align:right;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:8px\" class=\"\">\u200b<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ck-section\" style=\"margin:0px auto 0px auto\">\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"width:100%;margin:0 auto;max-width:800px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"800\" style=\"background-color:#fff;border-radius:0px\" bgcolor=\"#fff\">\n<div class=\"ck-inner-section ck-padding-left-mobile-friendly ck-padding-right-mobile-friendly\" style=\"padding:30px 36px 40px 36px\">\n<div style=\"margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\">\n<table class=\"ck-layout-block ck-layout-stack\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\" style=\"background-color:#ffffff;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;margin:24px 0px 24px 0px;border-radius:0px;overflow:hidden\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"ck-column ck-column-stack ck-column-1\" width=\"25%\" style=\"background-size:cover;background-position:center;border-radius:0px;vertical-align:top\">\n<div style=\"padding:0px 0px 0px 0px\">\n<table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"text-align:center;float:none\" class=\"email-image\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\">\n<figure style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:100%;width:100%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3MoBmGW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"kit-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.filekitcdn.com\/e\/oh4UyimtaVpDdq4v3xpjNZ\/uA4hGPkx4RtiEtZzM2dFZq\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" style=\"border-radius:0px;width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding-left:30px\"><\/td>\n<td class=\"ck-column ck-column-2\" width=\"75%\" style=\"background-size:cover;background-position:center;border-radius:0px;vertical-align:middle\">\n<div style=\"padding:0px 0px 0px 0px\">\n<h2 style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:32px;color:#000000;font-weight:700;line-height:1.25;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\" class=\"\"><strong>Your Blueprint for Client Clarity<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\">Hi Reader,<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\"><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Today&#8217;s Niblit:<\/strong> In <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3MoBmGW\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ck-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#FF630B\">&#8220;The Pumpkin Plan&#8221;<\/a>, Mike Michalowicz reveals how a simple grid on paper turned his floundering business into a profit machine. The \u201cAssessment Chart\u201d helped him identify that 80% of his headaches came from just 20% of his clients. He promptly removed these problem clients, freeing up resources that tripled his company&#8217;s growth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\"><strong>\ud83d\udd11 Key Insight:<\/strong> Most entrepreneurs rank clients by revenue alone, missing the hidden costs of difficult relationships. The Assessment Chart evaluates clients across multiple dimensions, from payment reliability to communication quality. It reveals which relationships truly benefit your business and which secretly drain your resources.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\">Imagine having a dashboard that highlights not just who pays the most, but who costs you the most in stress, time, and team morale. This chart functions like a business MRI, revealing relationship tumors you never knew existed while highlighting your healthiest client connections.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\">Why does this matter? Because without objective measurement, we naturally gravitate toward familiar clients or those with the loudest voices. When you can clearly see which relationships deliver genuine value versus those creating invisible costs, you transform how you allocate your limited time and energy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\"><strong>\ud83e\udd89 Nibble of Wisdom:<\/strong> What gets measured gets managed \u2014 and the right measurements reveal exactly which clients deserve your best attention and which should be shown the door.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\"><strong>\ud83d\udee0\ufe0f Practical Tip:<\/strong> Create a simplified Assessment Chart with revealing metrics that identify both ideal and problematic clients. Rate them on: <\/p>\n<ol class=\"unordered_list\" style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5;text-align:left\">\n<li class=\"list_item\"><span><strong>Stress level <\/strong>(do they make you cringe when they call?)<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"list_item\"><span><strong>Payment promptness<\/strong> (do they pay on time, or are you always chasing payments?)<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"list_item\"><span><strong>Alignment with your values<\/strong> (do they respect your boundaries and processes?)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\"><strong>\ud83d\ude80 Quick Action:<\/strong> Block 90 minutes this week to create your own Assessment Chart. List your top 10 clients on the left and your evaluation criteria across the top, then rate each client objectively using the 3 simple criteria above (or your own more extensive filters).<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\"><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Further Exploration:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"unordered_list\" style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5;text-align:left\">\n<li class=\"list_item\"><span>Consider which qualities matter most in your ideal client and how you might measure them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"list_item\"><span>Involve your team in identifying the best and most challenging aspects of each client relationship.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"list_item\"><span>Explore the concept of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mindtools.com\/aksic2i\/decision-matrix-analysis?from=search\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ck-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#FF630B\">Decision Matrix Analysis<\/a> as a way to make complex decisions more objective.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\"><strong>\ud83c\udfac Wrapup:<\/strong> The Assessment Chart isn&#8217;t just a one-time exercise \u2014 it&#8217;s a living tool that evolves with your business. By regularly evaluating your client relationships against clear criteria, you create a roadmap for strategic growth and client satisfaction.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\"><strong>\ud83d\udd17 Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"unordered_list\" style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5;text-align:left\">\n<li class=\"list_item\"><span>Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3MoBmGW\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ck-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#FF630B\"><em>The Pumpkin Plan<\/em> by Mike Michalowicz<\/a> on Amazon<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"list_item\"><span>\u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4dDofO6\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ck-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#FF630B\"><em>The Pumpkin Plan<\/em> on Kindle<\/a>\u200b<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"list_item\"><span>\u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3z2u3BH\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ck-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#FF630B\"><em>The Pumpkin Plan<\/em> Audiobook<\/a>\u200b<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"list_item\"><span>\u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YCcJxn\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ck-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#FF630B\">How to read <em>The Pumpkin Plan<\/em> for FREE<\/a>\u200b<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\"><strong>Charting success with you,<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#222222;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5\" class=\"\">Tom &#8220;clarity creator&#8221; Bernthal<\/p>\n<table class=\"ck-layout-block ck-layout-stack\" width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" bgcolor=\"#f9f9f9\" style=\"background-color:#f9f9f9;padding:18px 18px 18px 18px;margin:24px 0px 24px 0px;border-radius:0px;overflow:hidden\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"ck-column ck-column-stack ck-column-1\" width=\"35%\" style=\"background-size:cover;background-position:center;border-radius:0px;vertical-align:top\">\n<div style=\"padding:0px 0px 0px 0px\">\n<table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"text-align:center;float:none\" class=\"email-image\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\">\n<figure style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:200px;width:100%\">\n<div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.filekitcdn.com\/e\/oh4UyimtaVpDdq4v3xpjNZ\/2FXTkbpNBwAh35ubbC2sG7\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" style=\"border-radius:9999px 9999px 9999px 9999px;width:200px;height:200px;object-fit:cover\">\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"text-align:center;float:none\" class=\"email-image\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"center\">\n<figure style=\"margin-top:12px;margin-bottom:12px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:800px;width:100%\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.filekitcdn.com\/e\/oh4UyimtaVpDdq4v3xpjNZ\/2CrcobkpKHMN2FyPFwC39G\" width=\"800\" height=\"auto\" style=\"border-radius:4px 4px 4px 4px;width:800px;height:auto;object-fit:contain\"><\/div><figcaption style=\"text-align:center\">Tom, Chief Niblr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding-left:30px\"><\/td>\n<td class=\"ck-column ck-column-2\" width=\"65%\" style=\"background-size:cover;background-position:center;border-radius:0px;vertical-align:middle\">\n<div style=\"padding:0px 0px 0px 0px\">\n<h2 style=\"font-family:Charter, Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;font-size:32px;color:#000000;font-weight:500;line-height:1.25;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\" class=\"\">Thank you!<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-family:Verdana, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#4d4d4d;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:8px\" class=\"\">Thank you for joining the Niblits community. If you have questions, suggestions or want to chat, hit reply.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Verdana, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#4d4d4d;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:8px\" class=\"\"><strong>\u200b<\/strong><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Check%20this%20out...&amp;body=I%20just%20joined%20a%20free%20daily%20newlsetter%20called%20Niblits.%20They%20send%20you%20one%20key%20idea%20from%20popular%20books%20to%20grow%20a%20little%20smarter%20every%20day.%0A%0AIt's%20a%20quick%203-minute%20read%20and%20I%20thought%20you%20might%20like%20it%20too.%0A%0AYou%20can%20check%20it%20out%20here%3A%20%20https%3A%2F%2Fniblits.com%0A%0A\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ck-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#FF630B\"><strong>Share Niblits with friends<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family:Verdana, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:20px;color:#4d4d4d;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5;text-align:left;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:8px\" class=\"\">If you&#8217;d like to get access to more books and ideas, <a href=\"https:\/\/join.niblits.com\/products\/tips-are-welcome\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ck-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#FF630B\">tap here to see how you can help me<strong> <\/strong>grow Niblits faster<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ck-section\" style=\"margin:0px auto 40px auto\">\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"width:100%;margin:0 auto;max-width:800px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"800\" style=\"background-color:#fff;border-radius:0px;border-top:solid 1px #F2F2F2\" bgcolor=\"#fff\">\n<div class=\"ck-inner-section ck-padding-left-mobile-friendly ck-padding-right-mobile-friendly\" style=\"padding:40px 40px 40px 40px\">\n<div style=\"margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\">\n<p style=\"font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;font-size:15px;color:#656565;font-weight:400;line-height:1.5;text-align:center\" class=\"\"><span style=\"font-size:12\"> <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/preview.convertkit-mail2.com\/preferences\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ck-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#808080\"><span style=\"font-size:12\">Update your profile<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:12\"> | <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/preview.convertkit-mail2.com\/unsubscribe\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ck-link\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#808080\"><span style=\"font-size:12\">Unsubscribe<br \/>\u200b<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:12\">113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div role=\"presentation\" style=\"text-align:center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/kit.com\/features\/email-marketing?utm_campaign=poweredby&amp;utm_content=email&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=dynamic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"text-decoration:none\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.convertkit.com\/assets\/images\/kit-badge-light.png\" alt=\"Built with Kit\" style=\"width:157px;height:36px\" width=\"157\" height=\"36\">\u200b<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your Blueprint for Client Clarity Hi Reader, \ud83d\udca1 Today&#8217;s Niblit: In &#8220;The Pumpkin Plan&#8221;, Mike Michalowicz reveals how a simple grid on paper turned his floundering business into a profit machine. The \u201cAssessment Chart\u201d helped him identify that 80% of his headaches came from just 20% of his clients. He promptly removed these problem clients, freeing up resources that tripled his company&#8217;s growth. \ud83d\udd11 Key Insight: Most entrepreneurs rank clients by revenue alone, missing the hidden costs of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1178,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"0","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"niblit":[],"class_list":["post-1174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1174"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1175,"href":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1174\/revisions\/1175"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1174"},{"taxonomy":"niblit","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niblits.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/niblit?post=1174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}