How to Find Clients Who are Tailor-Made for You
How to Find Clients Who are Tailor-Made for You
* Some seem fine in the store then end up constantly rubbing you the wrong way until you can’t wait to tear them off.
* Some require a lot of fussing and tugging—and never stay comfortable for long.
* Many fit fine, there’s just nothing particularly special about them.
* And then there are your favorite pants…a few pairs that seem to be tailor-made just for you. And you can't wait to put them on because you know both of you will end up looking good.
Getting dressed would be so much easier if you had a closet full of your favorite pants…and so would your business.
The trick is finding out who those perfect-fit clients are. Here’s one simple process for doing it:
1. Print out your client list—-everyone who has actually hired you to work with them--past and present.
2. Rate your clients--using A, B, C or 1, 2, 3 or will things fairly simple. Then jot down a few positives and negatives that immediately come to mind by the client’s name. Consider things like:
* Were they easy to work with?
* Did they know what they wanted from the start, or did they change their mind a lot?
* Were they knowledgeable or need a lot of educating?
* Did you look forward to doing the actual work? Why or why not?
* Were they enthusiastic about your work?
* Did they follow-through (if relevant) and implement?
* Did they get good results?
* Did you work with one person? A team?
* Did they balk at your estimate? Pay promptly?
* Did they volunteer a testimonial or refer others to you?
* Are there ongoing opportunities to work with them? Or just a one-off project?
* Would you be excited or reluctant if they called today and had more work for you?
3. Pick your ideal client. If none of your clients really get you jazzed then think about who you would LOVE to work with. Pick a specific person you know of and jot down all the reasons why.
4. Now analyze your notes. What consistently came up in the negative or positive columns? Overall, which projects and clients did you like the best? Why?
Which of those traits could be easily found in others? Do people in their industry or profession need (and want) your services? Or people with similar life experiences (e.g. working moms, people nearing retirement or who practice yoga)?
Finally, once you’ve identified some concrete traits to look for, then get busy finding more clients just like them…and soon you’ll be looking at a closet full of clients that are tailor-made for you.
How to Find Clients Who are TailorMade for You - To learn more about this author, visit Tracy Needham's Website.
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Clients are a lot like pants.
* Some seem fine in the store then end up constantly rubbing you the wrong way until you can’t wait to tear them off.
* Some require a lot of fussing and tugging—and never stay comfortable for long.
* Many fit fine, there’s just nothing particularly special about them.
* And then there are your favorite pants…a few pairs that seem to be tailor-made just for you. And you can't wait to put them on because you know both of you will end up looking good.
Getting dressed would be so much easier if you had a closet full of your favorite pants…and so would your business.
The trick is finding out who those perfect-fit clients are. Here’s one simple process for doing it:
1. Print out your client list—-everyone who has actually hired you to work with them--past and present.
2. Rate your clients--using A, B, C or 1, 2, 3 or will things fairly simple. Then jot down a few positives and negatives that immediately come to mind by the client’s name. Consider things like:
* Were they easy to work with?
* Did they know what they wanted from the start, or did they change their mind a lot?
* Were they knowledgeable or need a lot of educating?
* Did you look forward to doing the actual work? Why or why not?
* Were they enthusiastic about your work?
* Did they follow-through (if relevant) and implement?
* Did they get good results?
* Did you work with one person? A team?
* Did they balk at your estimate? Pay promptly?
* Did they volunteer a testimonial or refer others to you?
* Are there ongoing opportunities to work with them? Or just a one-off project?
* Would you be excited or reluctant if they called today and had more work for you?
3. Pick your ideal client. If none of your clients really get you jazzed then think about who you would LOVE to work with. Pick a specific person you know of and jot down all the reasons why.
4. Now analyze your notes. What consistently came up in the negative or positive columns? Overall, which projects and clients did you like the best? Why?
Which of those traits could be easily found in others? Do people in their industry or profession need (and want) your services? Or people with similar life experiences (e.g. working moms, people nearing retirement or who practice yoga)?
Finally, once you’ve identified some concrete traits to look for, then get busy finding more clients just like them…and soon you’ll be looking at a closet full of clients that are tailor-made for you.
How to Find Clients Who are TailorMade for You - To learn more about this author, visit Tracy Needham's Website.
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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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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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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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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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