Benefits of Working with Ideal Clients
By Keith Cook
If you are in sales, you probably have a horror story or two, about a client or deal gone bad. In today’s shaky economy, with the upcoming Presidential elections and the divorce and unemployment rate at an all time high, how do you position yourself to attract better, more ideal clients?
So let’s first begin by stating what characteristics or traits indicate a client that needs to be cut from the team. I know, I know, for those of you that are new to the game and have one or very few clients, this will seem like the worst thing to do for a start up business. But it will save you a lot of wasted time, while increasing your bottom line.
It’s important to decide what type of client you don’t want to work with so you can attract the clients you do. Decide on the traits and characteristics that turn you off. Decide what you refuse to tolerate.
Here are signs and traits of a client that may turn you off or you simply do not want to work with. If your client frustrates you, is boring, sucks the life out of you, leaves you feeling empty and drained, this probably isn’t an ideal client.
The same goes for a relationship, marriage, or partnership. Remember, as you interact with other people, you are building a relationship. If your spouse, friend or significant other affects you in these ways, it may be to your advantage to get assistance to improve the situation or get out of the situation.
Here’s an example why. This is a personal story. I hired a roofer to complete a job one week from the agreed upon start date. 3 days before the agreed upon completion of the job, the roofer contacted me and stated that his truck had been in the shop all week and he would not be able to start the job until the day the job was to be completed. Wrong answer.
A professional, an ideal client, someone of integrity, may have stated this, “Even though my truck has been in the shop all week, I’m on the job and looking to or will complete the job as agreed upon.” As the job drug on, I became more and more anxious to have the work completed. It was my first investment property and I needed to rent it out fast!
Due to the incompetence on the roofer’s part, my deadline was busted, the job was not complete and the roofer had a nerve to open his mouth and ask for more money to buy shingles to complete the job. Mind you, I paid him half “up front”!! That was not a good idea. And per our agreement, he would be paid in full when the job was completed.
Obviously, I was not a good client for him. With the mounting frustration, the roofer blew up at me and I had to let him go. Now, we all know a bad word travels 10 times further than a good one. So in this case, it’s better to discern, early on, whether the interaction is ideal or one that you should step away from.
Letting go of a draining or undesired relationship, can save you a lot of headache and having your name and reputation run in the ground. If someone leaves you feeling empty, exhausted, or you are dreading interacting with the client, you’ve just given that client, less than your best and both of you loose out on a favorable experience. You owe it to your clients to refer them to someone who can assist them.
You see, when a client goes out in the world and speaks of you to others, they are representing and referring you. So would you rather associate with a totally awesome, fantastic, exciting and furthering ideal client, or a client that should be fired. It’s also those ideal clients, those most excited and present with the results of your services, that will most likely tell and refer other ideal clients to you.
The less you allow undesired clients into your life, the more opportunities arise for you to meet more ideal clients. “Not for me clients” aren’t bad clients, they’re just not good for you. Provide them the opportunity to interact with someone who can assist them with their needs.
So here are some characteristics or traits of an ideal client. Your ideal client may be funny, exciting, courageous, rapid results oriented, optimistic, adds value to others, face their fears and keeps coming back to experience your services.
Below are some benefits to working with an ideal client. When working with an ideal client, you are looking for qualities that are attracting and resonate with you. This allows you to do your best work, you gain a sense of accomplishment and confidence. You feel as though you are peak performing which allows for a deeper, more personal connection with the client. You’ll develop a sense of self worth that what you’re doing really matters and is creating powerful change in the lives of many others.
It’s important to be more concerned with who your clients are instead of what they have. Money is only one factor to consider when you are deciding what clients to keep and which ones to delete. You want to surround yourself with clients that increase you and allow you to expand as a person. In time, you’ll experience an awakening that your true purpose and passions are being fulfilled.
30 Minute “Exploration” Session.
Totally agree! Two of my clients were responsible for 99% of my pain. They didn’t respect my advice, expected me to pick up all the pieces they dropped, pushed the boundaries of the law, did everything last minute, never returned calls, and then paid late. Since we parted I am so much happier. I will never expect my staff to deal with clients I wouldn’t want to deal with personally. There are so many great people out there who it is only a pleasure to help.
You are so right. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you cannot click with the client. You try and try, like changing your attitude, etc., but it doesn’t seem to work out. That is okay. Many think of this as a failure but I see it as an opportunity to learn what an ideal client is for me. I believe in separating as friends and moving on to new opportunities. Thanks for the post.