One of the biggest mistakes that I see service business
owners make is taking on as a client anyone who has a 98.6
degree temperature who can pay them money. This is
especially prevalent with new service business owners, as
they are willing to do almost anything in order to land
that first couple of clients.
Invariably, what they quickly discover is that their
practice is full of a bunch of clients with whom they hate
working. Does this sound like you?
Turning away clients who aren't a good fit and waiting for
the right client can actually increase your bottom line.
How do I know that this works and how difficult it is to
remain true to the principle? Because, of course, I used
to be one of the biggest offenders of this strategy. It
was only after several not-so-positive experiences in bad
client selection that I decided to listen to what I had
heard to be true about waiting for the right client but had
never personally experienced.
During this time, the tapes in my head kept playing and
telling me that I was nuts for passing up business.
However, I resolutely hung on, trying with all my heart to
believe that adhering to this concept was going to work for
me. It was about a year or so into my business before I
discovered first-hand how well this principle does work.
I had been approached by a motivational speaker to help him
with his Internet marketing plans. We hit it off, and
because I didn't quite follow his description of his unique
presentation style, I requested that he send me a tape of
one of his performances. I received the tape a few days
later, and after watching it, quite frankly thought it was
one of the most unmotivational performances I had ever
seen. I knew that it would be a struggle for me to help
him with his marketing, since I didn't believe he was
especially talented in his chosen field.
This was a time in my business when I could have really
used the cash. The speaker and I had hit it off pretty
well, and he wanted to promote himself in the college
student activities circuit, which was my previous career
background. I went back and forth numerous times during
that weekend, trying to decide if I should agree to work
with him, thinking that I'd make the best of it and it
wouldn't be that bad. Finally, I had to have a very harsh
conversation with myself, saying that if I were this
indecisive, I needed to decline the offer and I needed to
suck it up, get over, tell him "no", and move on.
Long story short, I called and told him that I didn't think
we were a good fit. About 2 weeks later, I was called by a
prospective client who'd been referred to me about 6 months
earlier by a current client.
At the time of the initial referral, I was really busy and
didn't have the time or need to follow up with him. Now,
however, was the perfect time. We spoke and I discovered he
was doing some really cool things that were quite exciting
to me and that I had the perfect skills to help him elevate
his marketing. One additional conversation later, we
decided to work together and he remained my client for
about two years.
This experience was my light bulb moment, to quote Oprah
Winfrey. Had I decided to work with the unmotivational
motivational speaker who wasn't a good fit, I would have
had no room in my practice for the perfect client to come
along two weeks later. Talk about being whacked between the
eyes!
So, then, how do you determine who's the right, or ideal,
client for you? Make a checklist of your idea client
qualities, which will ultimately serve as your client
screening device. Here are some questions to get you
started:
1. What are their beliefs?
2. What values do they hold dear?
3. What is their work style?
4. What industries are they in?
5. What are the traits and qualities of great
colleagues/bosses/friends that made them enjoyable to work
with or be around?
6. Are there foundational issues that need to be in place
before someone is ready to work with you?
7. What traits and qualities of past clients have driven
you crazy?
Once you have answered these questions to your
satisfaction, bring up the most important issues in your
introductory conversations with prospects and put those
issues out on the table where they can't be ignored.
Discussing these issues with prospective clients is the
only way to ensure that they fully understand what it means
to work with you and what's important to you, and you get a
better picture of how well they fit your ideal client
profile. If your gut tells you that's it's a poor fit,
move along to the next prospect.
Whether you have to take it on faith or constantly talk
yourself into adhering to this belief, waiting for the
right client is absolutely the right thing to do and will
ultimately increase your bottom line.
----------------------------------------------------
Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Online Business
Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals
learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their
expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. To
claim your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing
Toolkit, visit her site at http://www.OnlineBizU.com . Ask
Donna an Internet Marketing question at
http://www.AskDonnaGunter.com .
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