A few years ago I was working with some clients on their brand promise, a statement about the value they give their customers. I repeated one component of it back to Carol, the co-owner of a service business.
“No! We can’t promise that!” she gasped.
“Why not?” I asked. I was confused, since she had just told me a story of how this one activity had helped many of their clients. “This is something you do, isn’t it?”
“Well, we do it if they need it,” she said. “But, I’m afraid if we promise it to everyone, we’ll get taken advantage of.”
Aha! The Truth and with it, a Lesson:
You Cannot Deliver Your Full, True Value When You Work With the Wrong Clients!
This isn’t a service issue or a brand issue; it’s a client management issue. If you are working with people who don’t honor the value you give them, you may BE taken advantage of.
Monday I met with an interior designer who claimed a price change was having a terrible effect on her business. Because price is one of the main ways we communicate our value to our clients, we discussed it as a marketing issue.
She found one of her clients was interfering in her work and trying to do parts of it herself, seemingly to save money on the designer’s hourly fees. I quickly realized that, once again, it was not a pricing or marketing issue, but a client management issue. And the solution is simple:
Stop Working with the Wrong Clients!
Life is too short, and your business too important, to continue to work with those who are less than a joy to work with. If it’s too difficult to outright fire them, begin to phase out your work with anyone who isn’t a great fit for your value.
How to identify a “great fit?” These customers are evangelists for you; they appreciate you so much that they just have to share the good news about your services with others.
At a minimum, you and they both recognize that your product or service solves their problem, and they are quite willing to pay your full fees for the solution.
Start Working with the Right Clients!
I leave most of my meetings with a big smile and light attitude, because I just love my clients. The difference between now and my start-up days?
Well, besides the fact that I’m prosperous enough to be selective, the real difference is that I know exactly whom I want to work with, both demographically and psychographcially. That means I’ve made a list of qualities and …
I Only Work With Perfect Clients
Perfect isn’t a judgment; it means they’re a perfect fit for you. Exactly what they need is exactly what you deliver.[Learn more about how to attract clients who'll value you.]
Issues arise, occasionally, even with those who meet all the criteria on my perfect client list. That’s why I’ve gotten better at noticing issues and pointing them out right away.
Teach People How to Treat You
Many of us are conflict-avoidant, and I’m no exception. Those confrontational talk shows make my stomach ache!
However, I know that I can easily avoid confrontation if I’m willing to address minor issues immediately. Better yet, I go through my expectations of how we will work together before someone even hires me.
One of my clients sends a list of conditions to her clients before the first meeting, but I’ve encouraged her to review it, line by line, with people before they begin. That way you know it’s been read and understood by all.
When You Work with Perfect Clients:
- Your brand value increases: It’s easy to deliver more of your value when the recipients need and appreciate that value.
- Your work is a joy: What better feeling than facing creative challenges together with clients who are open to your ideas, suggestions and solutions?
- Your business grows organically: Imagine the money you save on marketing when your own customer base is communicating your value to others on your behalf. Happily, perfect clients tend to know other perfect ones too.
Are you working with the wrong clients? If so,why? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Stoppy photo by brainware3000
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At the time they were awful, but now I have a string of humorous memories:
* The guy who would keep me waiting for an hour, only to cancel our meeting. Often.
* The one who wouldn’t make the agreed-upon partial payment, because the project wasn’t complete. (That’s why it’s partial, duh.)
* The therapist turned coach who called me at home (boundary violation) and wanted to analyze dreams (not always bad, but this is a business meeting).
I’m grateful for the experiences, and I don’t attract those kinds of clients anymore, thanks to what I learned from them.
I read every single word that you have written, I appreciate what you say, really it’s a great articles, I like your style of written, every word you say has a meaning and I have attached to it represented an emotion which is right, I will continue to read your articles , your thoughts have a powerful effect on me.
Thank you
jehad
Thanks, Jehad. I’m glad you find value! Good luck implementing in 2010.