Procuring Clients vs Dating (there are similarities!)
January 26, 2010
Now before I start, I want to make it clear, I am not talking about dating your clients. Rather, this is my view on how finding and retaining clients as an online professional has similarities to finding and maintaining a relationship (like dating).
We’re on the same page? Great!
Don’t change yourself to suit your client
It does not matter whether you are a brand new business and still looking for clients, or you have been in business for awhile, you need to know who you are and what you want. Be aware of the image that your business projects!
We all know that person that changes their likes/dislikes, personality, etc to please a potential partner. The high maintenance girl that suddenly has a thirst for hiking, or the small town boy that develops a fascination with urban cafes. You get the idea. No one is saying that being open to new experiences and people is a terrible thing, but, more often than not, if you are changing your core beliefs or even interests completely to please someone other than yourself, then chances are you are setting yourself up for trouble down the road.
The same applies to business partners. Which clients interest you? What areas of expertise can you offer that are truly your strengths and add value? If you are absolutely disinterested in dogs, for example, would it be a good idea to develop a partnership with a Dog Grooming client? Probably not.
All business owners struggle with balancing client loads. Sometimes you have too few; sometimes too many! As a virtual assistant, I see on a daily basis, posts in VA community forums related to finding and retaining clients.
Especially when first starting out, I think it is easy to rush into an agreement with a potential client because your business needs the income. That’s why it is so important to know who you are, and what you want. Also, know your ideal client’s profile. Maybe you will connect with someone outside that idea profile, maybe not. But if you sacrifice your identity to make a buck today, I’m going to bet that you are going to regret it tomorrow.
What do you think? I’d love to hear from you!
Related posts:
Comments
Leave a Reply
-
Sponsored Links
