--- title: Not Worth the Paper On Which It Is Written | The Sales Blog description: I recently heard a story about a company that sues their clients when they attempt to terminate the relationship. It doesn’t matter if this company isn’t performing up to their client’s expectations or needs. This company doesn’t care that they’re not creating the value their clients need from them. If they leave early, they get […] image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_128542712.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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It doesn’t matter if this company isn’t performing up to their client’s expectations or needs. This company doesn’t care that they’re not creating the value their clients need from them. If they leave early, they get sued. When I heard this story, I was incredulous. I mean, if a company sued a client for breaking the contract once, I’d assume it was under some rare circumstances. But I was wrong. This company routinely sues their clients, and their existing clients won’t consider changing firms until their contract with this firm expires. I can’t imagine signing a contract with this company knowing that this is their practice. If I were their competitor, I’d use all of the clients they sued as my references. Everyone has a contractual relationship. But if the contract is the basis of your clients doing business with you, then you are failing as a sales organization (and you are failing a business). A contractual relationship is a very [weak form of relationships](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2010/01/24/three-thoughts-on-business-relationships/). The strongest relationship you can have is one built on caring and creating value. Those are the relationships that stand the test of time. They’re also the relationships that [withstand competitive threats](http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2013/08/30/relationships-and-competitive-threats/). If your client does business with you only because you have a contract, your relationship isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2014](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2014) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on September 19, 2014 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2021-09-14T6:15:09 PM", "datePublished" : "2014-09-19 22:31:18", "description" : "I recently heard a story about a company that sues their clients when they attempt to terminate the relationship. It doesn’t matter if this company isn’t performing up to their client’s expectations or needs. 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