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More Clients - the Online Marketing Newsletter
for Independent Professionals
from Action Plan Marketing
and Robert MiddletonIn This Week's Issue: If you want to work with clients who
pay you well and who are fun to work with, you've got to "raise
the bar."
Raising The Bar
This article came out of a conversation I had last week with
my coach, Christian. We were discussing how to most effectively
communicate the value of products and services. And we started to
kick around the concept of "raising the bar."This means that you are very clear about the kind of clients you
want to work with, and you let prospects know the qualities or
characteristics possessed by your ideal clients.I often recommend that, in your web site under a "Who We Work
With" page, you have a statement that goes something like this:I am most likely to succeed in working with you and your
company if you have the following values and goals:Then go on to list values, mindsets and philosophies that are a
match with yours. After all, if your values don't match, are you
really going to work well with them? Probably not.And letting your prospects know who you prefer to work with
does two things: it screens out those who are not a fit, and it
raises the bar for prospects wanting to work with you.Compare these two sentences.
"I will work with any company who has a problem with
management. We have a wide variety of training programs
that address all the key management issues. We can do
anything from a half-day program to a one-week workshop."or
"I help companies overcome their management problems
through the development of effective managers
and leaders. If you just want band-aid solutions, I can't
help you. Our programs are comprehensive and guaranteed
to produce measurable results."In sentence one, you come across as willing to do anything you
are asked to do. Actual effectiveness is beside the point. Aren't
you likely to be regarded as a commodity if the focus is on
how we can do management training as cheaply as possible?In the second sentence, you sound like you stand behind your
work and are committed to long-term results. In this case the
bar has been raised. Don't you think you'd attract a prospect
more willing to focus on in-depth issues and intended outcomes?So when you raise the bar, you are focused on the prospect's
issues, not on your services or programs. You also let them know
that they need to play at a higher level in order to work with you.Are you finding....
• You'll take on almost any clients because you need
the money?• It's very hard to say no to "sub-optimal" prospects?
• You don't produce the results you know are possible?
• You're not making as much money as you could?
• You're not having fun working with your clients?
These are all symptoms of failing to raise the bar. It may
be difficult to take this step, but when you finally do, your business
will go to a whole new level.More on "Raising the Bar" in Marketing Flashes below:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Marketing Flashes on "Raising the Bar"
* Clearly define your ideal clients. Do a "personality profile"
of the ideal client and put it in writing. Think of every characteristic
that would define such a client. Look to both external selectors
and internal selectors. They are equally important.* Take a stand for values. We often don't think about this. We
just want clients who will pay their bills. I recommend you go
deeper than that. What do you stand for in your life and your
business? Choose clients who are on the same page.* Insist on profitability. You also have to be practical. You need
to charge fees that will ensure your viability and long-term success.
Some clients may be great to work with, but will leave you struggling
to pay your mortgage.* Know who to turn down. An associate recently told me:
"I won't work with clients that make missiles." He said that the
"karmic burden" would be too high. Create a clear policy about
who you'll turn away, and stick to it.* Let go of clients. You have to keep raising the bar on yourself,
and that means letting go of less-than-ideal clients so that you
have room for the ideal ones. You really can't have it both ways.
Hang on to the wrong clients and the right ones will never come.Until next week, all the best,
Robert Middleton
ACTION PLAN MARKETING
Helping Independent Professionals Attract More Clients~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
210 Riverside Drive
Boulder Creek, CA 95006
831-338-7790© 2004 Robert Middleton, All rights reserved. You are free
to use material from the More Clients eZine in whole or in part,
as long as you include complete attribution, including live web
site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear.
The attribution should read:"By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit
Robert's web site at http://www.actionplan.com for additional
marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional
service businesses."* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
