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Dear Reader,

"How to snag a client" using deception and power plays isn't an ethical strategy. It's manipulation. When someone assumes they know better, slaps a label on it and blocks anything to the contrary, preventing a real conversation, that says a lot.

This happened to me on the weekend. Someone (the author) liked my comment and then called me a "know-it-all" before disappearing (aka blocking me). It's a prime example highlighting a bigger issue: SME founders being misled by so-called solutions that never deliver.

The Snag-and-Run Approach

There are people in business who promise the world to land a client, only to struggle when it's time to deliver. The problem?

They fail to ask the right questions before making the sale.

SME founders attempt to maintain sole control of operations as the business grows, rubbing shoulders and being seen by the right people - all to keep the momentum of successful leads and revenue coming in.

There are those who prey on the discombobulated. While a business founder hastens to regain their composure, such trickery appears to be the most fitting rescue from their disoriented predicament.

When Assumptions Make an Ass of You

The judgemental assumption of labelling a business owner "unprofessional" for responding to emails at 9pm. Let's not forget that professionalism is defined by standards set within a business, not external opinion.

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One supermarket that stays open 24 hours isn’t the benchmark for all supermarkets to do the same. A market stallholder doesn't have to have the same return policy as a department store. A business that operates "late" doesn’t mean it’s disorganised. Yet these assumptions are accepted as truths far too often- why?

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The Smug, The Subtle and The Manipulative

Then comes the below-the-belt blow, a self-proclaimed "expert" subtly implying they have secret knowledge too valuable to share. The playground antics:

🤫 “I know something you don’t know.”​
🤫 “If only you knew what I knew.”

If someone is truly there to help, they share knowledge. They don’t dangle it like bait. If they actually understood business, they’d realise that vague, backhanded hints don’t build trust - they raise suspicion.

This is exactly why business owners need policies and procedures in place before outsourcing support.

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Protect Your Business From Underdeveloped Hunters

The real solution isn't blindly following so-called experts. It's knowing what your business needs before handing over control. That's what HouseRules is about:

• Creating structure so you're not swayed by bad advice.
• Setting standards so you dictate professionalism on your terms.
• Minimising risk so you don't fall for gimmicks masked as solutions.

This is broken down further on Medium using a working example to get started with your own HouseRules.

You're not prey, so don't allow underdeveloped chancers to lead you in circles.

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Until next time

Cas