How to Train Clients (Without Feeling Like a Jerk)
Melissa Morris
Streamline your agency, boost profits, and finally reclaim your time — without hiring more or working harder.
Ever find yourself responding to a “quick question” from a client at 9:43 PM on a Saturday... just this once?
And then, the next week, it’s a 7 AM text on a Tuesday.
And before you know it, you’ve got one client treating you like an on-demand consultant with zero boundaries.
Here’s the deal: Clients don’t push boundaries because they’re villains. They do it because the line wasn’t clearly drawn in the first place. And if it was, it likely wasn’t reinforced consistently enough to stick.
The good news? You don’t need to fire every client or go full “corporate robot” to get your time and sanity back.
Let’s talk about how to “train” your clients to respect your boundaries—without feeling awkward, confrontational, or guilty.
1. Boundaries Start Before the Work Starts
Most boundary issues start in onboarding. If you haven’t clearly stated your communication windows, response times, or scope of work before the kickoff call, clients will default to what’s normal for them—not what works for you.
Use onboarding to set expectations:
Spell it out in your welcome materials and say it out loud during your onboarding call. Clarity is kindness.
2. Reinforce Boundaries Consistently (Yes, Even When It’s Uncomfortable)
If you answer an after-hours email once, that becomes the new norm. Clients don’t know your internal battle of “Should I respond now or wait ‘til morning?”—they only see your behavior.
Here’s a boundary-building script you can steal:
“I see your message came through last night. I don’t typically check messages after 6 PM, but I’m on it now!”
You’re reminding them of the boundary without scolding them. It’s professional, polite, and sets a tone for next time.
3. Make Your Processes the “Bad Guy”
If saying “no” feels uncomfortable, let your process do the talking.
“All requests go through our task portal to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.”
“We reserve Mondays for strategy and planning, so let’s book a call for Tuesday or later.”
Blame the process, not the person. That way, you’re not rejecting them—you’re just following the system that keeps everything running smoothly (which, by the way, they benefit from).
4. Lead With Confidence
The truth is, most clients actually want boundaries—they just don’t want to feel like they’re breaking the rules or being brushed off. When you’re confident about how your agency operates, they’ll trust it too.
Setting boundaries isn’t rude. It’s what allows you to do your best work, meet deadlines, and show up fully (instead of burned out and reactive).
Need help defining, communicating, and enforcing boundaries in a way that feels good and professional?
Let’s tackle it together.
👉 Book an Intensive with me and we’ll map out how to build boundary-respecting client relationships, streamline communications, and stop the constant interruptions.
You’ll walk away with tools, strategies, and structure that take the awkwardness out of “No, we don’t work weekends” conversations.
Here’s to building a business that works for you—not one that eats into your evenings.
Talk soon!
– Melissa Founder & Principal Consultant, Agency Authority
Helping agency owners streamline operations, increase profits, and get their time back
MELISSA Q&A
Each week, Melissa will answer common questions she receives from agency owners. Have a question for Melissa? Just send a DM and ask away!
This week's question: What’s the best way to course-correct a process that was built too fast (or with bandaids)?
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