How to Find Clients that Fit Just-Right
How to Find Clients that Fit Just-Right
Here’s the story.
500 individually wrapped copies of The Way of the Accidental Entrepreneur arrived last Thursday, and on Friday the marvelous Margaret shipped a copy to all 380 folks who pre-ordered. Yahoo!
The books had been delayed a week by the printer because of a quality control issue and then for a few more days by snow in Boise. Maggie sent a note about the latter delay, inadvertently using “fowl” instead of “foul” to describe the weather.
One reader wrote back, “So, it’s stuck in Boise due to ‘fowl’ weather...are they gulls, storks, or eagles? Maybe a gaggle of geese?” (I’m thinking storks. That works well with the whole pregnancy and delivery metaphor.)
Another person shot back, “Those damn chickens!” Tee hee.
Yet another kind soul wrote, “Thank you for making me laugh, I needed that! I read ‘fowl weather’ and my brain had a hey-day with all sorts of pictures of raining chickens and ducks, and I was going to send you an email that said "Well that's just ducky!" or something equally silly. My computer is dying and stressing me out and I needed some fowl weather to make me laugh!!!”
All of this leads to this thought: Just-right customers and clients are the ones that benefit even when you mess up.
Think about it. What if the relationship you have with your clients and customers is so mutually beneficial that even your errors can deliver value?
This is not to excuse sloppiness or sanction broken commitments. It’s a given that you want to do your best. And it is also a given – at least in my experience – that things happen. Not everyone is going to like the hiccups it when you stumble, nor should they. But some folks will find that the value of their relationship with you and your business is greater than the sum of individual transactions. Those are your just-right customers.
Just-right clients and customers also tell you the truth about their experience. Real life relationships are not all sweetness and light. Sometimes we rub each other the wrong way; sometimes there is a failure to communicate. And the relationships that last are the ones in which each partner tells the truth of their own experience and is open to hearing the truth of the other’s.
It’s about growing together, thriving together, and – my favorite – laughing together over our mistakes.
How to Find Clients that Fit JustRight - To learn more about this author, visit Molly Gordon's Website.
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How do you know you have the right client base? When a typo in yet another email explaining why a product hasn’t been shipped generates chuckles and appreciation.
Here’s the story.
500 individually wrapped copies of The Way of the Accidental Entrepreneur arrived last Thursday, and on Friday the marvelous Margaret shipped a copy to all 380 folks who pre-ordered. Yahoo!
The books had been delayed a week by the printer because of a quality control issue and then for a few more days by snow in Boise. Maggie sent a note about the latter delay, inadvertently using “fowl” instead of “foul” to describe the weather.
One reader wrote back, “So, it’s stuck in Boise due to ‘fowl’ weather...are they gulls, storks, or eagles? Maybe a gaggle of geese?” (I’m thinking storks. That works well with the whole pregnancy and delivery metaphor.)
Another person shot back, “Those damn chickens!” Tee hee.
Yet another kind soul wrote, “Thank you for making me laugh, I needed that! I read ‘fowl weather’ and my brain had a hey-day with all sorts of pictures of raining chickens and ducks, and I was going to send you an email that said "Well that's just ducky!" or something equally silly. My computer is dying and stressing me out and I needed some fowl weather to make me laugh!!!”
All of this leads to this thought: Just-right customers and clients are the ones that benefit even when you mess up.
Think about it. What if the relationship you have with your clients and customers is so mutually beneficial that even your errors can deliver value?
This is not to excuse sloppiness or sanction broken commitments. It’s a given that you want to do your best. And it is also a given – at least in my experience – that things happen. Not everyone is going to like the hiccups it when you stumble, nor should they. But some folks will find that the value of their relationship with you and your business is greater than the sum of individual transactions. Those are your just-right customers.
Just-right clients and customers also tell you the truth about their experience. Real life relationships are not all sweetness and light. Sometimes we rub each other the wrong way; sometimes there is a failure to communicate. And the relationships that last are the ones in which each partner tells the truth of their own experience and is open to hearing the truth of the other’s.
It’s about growing together, thriving together, and – my favorite – laughing together over our mistakes.
How to Find Clients that Fit JustRight - To learn more about this author, visit Molly Gordon's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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