Which Clients Do You Like?

I want you to think about some of your previous (or current) clients. Think about one particular good client and one you didn’t enjoy working with or didn’t end up working with.

Mine looks something like this:

Good, Great, Favourite Client

To date I have run two custom workshops and one round of private coaching, so not only are these clients an excellent income stream, they are easy to deal with, pay on time and generally don’t present me with any issues. Overval a very pleasurable experience.

Not So Good Client (didn’t quite happen)

Some how this client got my mobile number (which isn’t easily available) and basically wanted a proposal over the phone on the first phone call. I suggested, based on our limited conversation, that we would need 3 – 4 hours at my usual hourly rate of $440 and his comment was: “I’m thinking 3 hours and at that price really”. In the end, clearly, we didn’t go ahead. This didn’t bother me as we probably weren’t a good fit. As a side note I just checked out their Facebook page and nothing has changed – oh well! (hehe)

Now the major difference between these two clients is the process in which they found out about me and their process through our sales funnel.

The first client was referred to us by one of their clients who saw me speak at an event (speaking is an instant credibility builder). They subscribed to our newsletter, attended on of our courses and then we opened the discussion to run custom workshops for them. By the time we were discussing higher priced custom workshops or private coaching they had already experienced the value our company provides through our newsletter, website, courses and lower priced products. This client didn’t have to question themselves about our services or their investment. They knew it was right.

When we compare the first client to the potential client we can see that the potential client, who had no experience with us, didn’t understand or couldn’t see the value. They hadn’t been to our website, received our information or attended a course and hence they didn’t have the same level of belief in us as the other clients. It is difficult to experience this belief in a 10 minute phone conversation, particularly when your business model isn’t set up for phone consultations. They just believe that we were the stock standard consultants who provided lots of free information over the phone – well sorry – we aren’t!

This is why it’s imperative to your business success that you have a correct, proper and functional sales process and sales funnel set up. Then you need to ensure that everyone makes their way through this system. The beauty of this is twofold:

Firstly, it’s a self selecting process, where potential clients can very easily see if they are a good fit for your business. They can decide for themselves if they like your style, tone, approach and of course you. This way when they are ready to purchase (especially for private coaching) you can determine if you are a good fit for them and if you want to proceed.

Secondly, you are building your expert status and value each time they see something from you. Providing you are giving outstanding information that will be of interest to your clients and potential clients, you are building your BelieveMe bank (See Social Media Blueprint for more info on this) and your ability to charge appropriately for your products and services. So when it gets to the stage of discussing higher end products (such as selling your time for dollars) it’s not a question of value, but a question or times, dates and payment options for your services.

So, what is the sales process in your business? What is the step by step process people need to work through to be able to purchase from you? Are you providing value each step of the way? I would love to hear how this works in your business. If you aren’t sure where to start sign up for a copy of my free book and ecourse – Social Media Blueprint – 9 Steps To Getting Results Fast on Social Media – this will get you started.

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