It’s the oldest story in marketing: One day, a client is head over heels in love with your work. The next week, that client puts in his notice. This satisfaction switcheroo can be enough to give even the most experienced professional whiplash.

Shortly after my company launched its business-to-business content personalization platform, we were thrilled to land a major brand as one of our first customers. We made it our mission to help this client start chugging down the tracks, but the train unfortunately never left the station.

We created and implemented a strategy, overcame roadblocks, monitored our progress, and even updated our platform to address concerns and solve problems, but we still lost the client. There were no clear signs of a souring relationship, but that doesn’t mean the client was completely satisfied.

It’s not unusual for clients to pivot from love to hate in the blink of an eye. They aren’t suddenly going to start sharing their deepest, darkest secrets, so it falls to marketers or sales reps to be proactive rather than reactive.

Read Between the Lines

Conflicting messages are a fact of life in the business world. Clients don’t mean to send mixed signals, but this sort of polite deception is human nature.

In truth, everyone lies from time to time, and it starts from an early age. Research has found that 80 percent of 4-year-olds lie. People stretch the truth because they don’t want to offend anyone or would rather avoid an uncomfortable situation. Instead of admitting they’re unhappy with your work, they'll say everything is fine and then silently drop you.

This might seem like a frustrating situation, but clients have no obligation to explain the reasoning behind their decisions. Rather, it’s our duty to do everything we can to ensure they remain customers.

Signs of an At-Risk Client Relationship

Relationships are inherently complex — particularly those between firms and clients. You might share the same vision for achieving their goals, but things can still fall apart without any obvious warning signs. Pay attention if you notice the following red flags:

1. Radio Silence

When clients stop returning phone calls and emails — or if they become inconsistent in their communications — consider it a warning that something is wrong. Try to handle any issues or disputes in person or by phone even though it might feel confrontational. 

My company conducts frequent scheduled check-ins with clients during which we discuss current and upcoming projects. We also ask, "How are you feeling about everything?" That sort of honesty works well and often elicits equally candid responses.

2. A Lack of Clear Stakeholders

Before you begin any project with a client, figure out who will be your primary contact and advocate within the organization. Once you've established that relationship, never go behind his or her back. If issues arise that need input from other company officials, give your contact a heads-up to avoid undermining that trust.

3. No Measure of Success

Sometimes clients hire a marketing firm without defining what success looks like to them. This lack of a defined strategy or specific goals has been one of my company’s biggest challenges when it comes to client relationships. 

We've been able to address this by combining strategic consulting with content designed to educate potential customers. This also helps us identify individuals who might be a good fit for our services long before they chat with our sales team.

4. Running on Empty

Even if your clients have strategies, they might not give you what you need to be successful. When clients aren’t willing to help you help them, your risk of failure skyrockets. In these cases, proceed only if you think you can thrive without their help. 

In broad terms, marketers must create and implement strategies that meet client goals and expectations. Instead of waiting for clients to tell you how they feel about your partnership, take a proactive approach. You’ll begin to establish a reputation for being responsible and reliable, and your clients will know you’re looking out for them.

It can be an incredible challenge to notice unhappy clients before their discontent becomes a relationship-killer. What are your favorite ways to be proactive about client dissatisfaction?

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Sean Schroeder is the CCO of Blue River and co-founder of the Mura Platform. A former graphic designer and front-end developer, Sean is a self-confessed app junkie currently consumed with creating content-driven experiences that help businesses attract and create their ideal customer.