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Are you settling for "okay" clients? I just got off the phone with John, a very successful PR consultant I met last year. John has an enviable business. His growing base of clients -- which includes some of the top names in his niche -- respect him. He attracts a steady stream of project work that he loves to do. And his fees are at the top end of the scale. In short, John has a dream business. But it wasn't always that way . . . When I met him last year he was ready to call it quits. At the time, he was eking out a living working with clients he didn't particularly like, on projects that were less than inspiring, and for fees that were lower than he cared to admit. I know a lot of professionals who are in the same position as John was then. Doing "okay", but not great. But okay wasn't good enough for John. "I'm tired of settling," he told me a year ago. "In my industry there are a few top-tier professionals who always seem to get the best clients and earn the top rates. I want to be one of those professionals!" In other words, he didn't want to work with "okay" clients anymore. He wanted to work with GREAT clients… clients he would enjoy working with… clients who had interesting projects and campaigns... clients who could afford (and would be willing) to pay the top rates. "If those are the kind of clients you want, John," I said, "then your first step is to draw a line in the sand." I suggested he put the same sign on his office wall that I did nine years ago: GREAT CLIENTS ONLY. "I know that seems gimmicky," I said. "But each day you'll see that sign and it will remind you of the caliber of clients you want for your business." Of course, there's more to attracting best-of-class clients than just hanging a sign. So over the next year, I worked with John. Together we came up with a new marketing message (his brand) that wowed the players in his niche market, created a system that consistently builds relationships with his ideal prospects, and put a simple game plan in place to regularly convert those prospects into new clients. This all took some work on John's part. And, frankly, it would have been easier if he just kept things the way they were and continued with the "okay" clients that were coming his way. But that would have meant settling for less than he knew his business could be. So John did the work. Made the changes. And today, a year later, he's reaping the rewards. John won't give me all his financial details, but he says his income has gone up and, more importantly, he's now working with several dream clients on fascinating projects and getting paid very, very well. I'm proud of John. He took a stand -- "Great clients only!" -- and made it happen. His story is a lesson to all of us. (Including me.) Are you settling for "okay" clients, "good enough" projects, and "so-so" fees? Why not go after the great clients in your industry or niche? It may take a little more work, especially in the short term. But isn't that worth it?
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How to land the most desirable clients in your industry or niche In my new coaching program, Great Clients Only!, I work with you one-on-one to create a system that consistently builds relationships with your best prospects, and converts them into new clients. I currently have 3 spots available in this program. Learn more here >> Follow me! Twitter: Twitter/steveslaunwhite If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend or colleague. ....................... Copyright 2010 by Steve Slaunwhite. For reprint rights, please contact the author. This e-newsletter published three times per month by Steve Slaunwhite, author of Start & Run a Copywriting Business, The Everything Guide to Writing Copy, and The Wealthy Freelancer. We also send one or two extra emails each month detailing programs and offers. Steve Slaunwhite Marketing Coach & Award-winning Copywriter FOR COPYWRITERS ONLY Voice: 905-846-2620 Office emaill: karen@forcopywritersonly.com Web: www.ForCopywritersOnly.com |