Is the Client Right for You?

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Here’s the thing

As a professional services provider you have to be able to walk away from a prospect if the situation is not right for you.

In this market. Are you crazy?

I assure you, I’m not. The reason you need to be selective in your choice of clients is because what you do for a living takes a LOT of energy. Clients either increase or drain your energy.

A client who is not right for you can deplete your energy in all aspects of your business. You can end up spending much more time than you planned putting out fires that keep cropping up. You may start to doubt yourself or the value of your services. This can lead to action paralysis which, for the business owner, is akin to getting the plague.

Great clients are a source of continued energy. This is the sweet spot that will keep you in business for a long time.

How to know if the client is right for you

  1. You share the same values
  2. They demonstrate integrity during the prospecting phase
  3. They are transparent about what they want to achieve
  4. They want and need what you are offering
  5. They have money to pay for your services
  6. They are emotionally mature

Trust your gut

Some people have a built-in radar that guides them, letting them know when to steer away from something or someone. If you weren’t born with this kind of internal navigation system, you can develop it. Just pay attention to the clues you are receiving and learn to identify when you are experiencing stars-in-your-eyes syndrome. That’s when the opportunity looks so good you’ll do almost anything to get it.

Trust your gut and protect your energy. You will end up with a much happier situation for yourself and a much more satisfied client.

Filed Under: Build Your Business, Get More Clients, Professional and Personal Success

5 Powerful Client Attracting Questions

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The secret to attracting top clients is simple… get to know what they want and need and then speak to them in language they use themselves.

To do that you need to know your target market (who you serve) and your ideal client extremely well.

Here are 5 questions that will help you:

1 – Who is [in] your target market?

2 – What do they need and want?

3 – What words do they use to describe their needs and wants?

4 – What emotions are they experiencing because of what they want and need?

5 – What are the characteristics of your ideal client? (don’t overlook this one!)

These questions are powerful because they help you get a deep understanding of why people will buy from you.

Do this first and then create your products and services.  If you do things the other way around (or don’t do this part at all) you might be disappointed with the reaction you get to what you are offering.

You also will use the answers to create website copy, marketing materials, social media content and networking conversations.  Write down your responses and then put them in a file.  Revise them regularly as you grow your business.

 

Filed Under: Build Your Business

Shocking

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You’ve worked for a corporation.  You’ve learned the system.  Now you have your own business.

You are about as far as you can get from where you were.  Running your business takes a different set of mental muscles than the ones you developed working for a firm.

This is a shock to your system.  And like any shock – it’s not comfortable.

What to do?

  1. Accept that the discomfort you are feeling is normal.  You are learning a new set of skills and a new way of thinking.  Your brain hurts.
  2. Make a plan and act on it.  This accelerates the change from corporate to small business thinking.  Besides – you know you need to do it to build your business.
  3. Get support. This is critical. Isolation is a killer for small business people who are used to being in a team setting. Check out every networking group in your area and choose one or two. Participate in them fully. Be helpful. It all comes back.
  4. Hold on to all the great professional skills you learned before.  You will need them all as you build and grow your business.

Bottom line… the more you do the more you change.  You’ve got great skills.  You are learning new ones.  Put them together and you’ve got a smarter, stronger, more capable and magnetic you.

 

Filed Under: Build Your Business

Make Your Website More Engaging

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Do you want a more engaging website?  So who doesn’t, right?

Watch this super clever, fun video and learn 7 great tips for doing just that!

http://www.zurb.com/article/759/7-tips-for-a-more-engaging-website

Use what you learn here to tweak your own site or have your designer/developer watch it.  Try implementing just one of the ideas you learn in this video and watch the response you get to your site.

As always:  Learn, do, assess, adjust, repeat… and grow!

Filed Under: Build Your Business