Sometimes I’m a little slow on the uptake. No, I’m not saying I’m stupid. Just saying that I need to process things and then “suddenly” I have a revelation. Like last week.
I’ve always been critical of online business gurus who offered their 5 Step Blueprint for Getting Rich Quick. So working with people that develop programs and services for the online business world makes me a little gun shy of marketing their products / services too aggressively. After being around the online block for awhile, though, I see things a little bit differently. Yes, there are plenty of gurus who really don’t offer much real value. But you may be someone who has something truly beneficial to offer. Do you want your work to really make an impact, or are you OK with it sitting on someone’s (literal or metaphorical) shelf? The key is in finding your ideal client.
Talking with clients recently, we’ve come to the startling conclusion (ready for this brilliant insight?) that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make ‘er drink. Put another way, some people are only starters — they start things but never finish, while others are finishers — they cross the finish line — maybe not always in first place, but they almost always finish.
You can have the best intentions, market with authenticity and heart, and have the best program on the market, but if you don’t get your product / services into the hands of your ideal clients, you’re going nowhere. I see it all the time. People who are tired of their corporate job, or can’t find a job, or just want to take the leap and follow their dreams, decide to start an online business. They do their research, pick a couple of gurus to follow, and they think that if they plunk down the big bucks that they, too, will soon be rollin’ in the dough.
[Insert soundtrack of needle screeching across a vinyl record] WAIT! Many (ok, most) clients don’t want to really, truly, take responsibility for building their own businesses. They want someone else to tell them what to do — which is why they hire us. But more importantly, when things don’t work out, they want someone else to blame. “I paid $XXXXXXX for her program and I have nothing to show for it!” Don’t get me wrong. Of course all entrepreneurs need to study, to watch and learn, and they need guidance. And sometimes they (we) need to sign up with the big dawgs and pay the big bucks. But, ultimately, to succeed, THEY HAVE TO TAKE ACTION!
This is the part where we get back to Ideal Clients. What I’ve realized is that it’s not enough to choose your clients based on people that you like, who have a good idea, who have a clear understanding of what it takes to be an entrepreneur, and who can afford the risks. The key is in finding people who will actually take what you teach them — and run with it.
No matter how good you are, or how great your teachings or your coaching or your product is, your success depends on your clients’ success. Not everyone who buys your product or services is going to be successful — and that’s OK. But you also want to try to spend most of your energy with clients who are finishers. How do you know that? You do your best to ask the right questions and find out their track record. If they have a history of being a starter, steer them toward one of your lower cost products that may help them get unstuck, and you can feel good about taking a reasonable amount of their money in exchange for offering them a good, solid solution. If they’re a finisher, welcome them and treat them like gold. The finishers are the key to your success!
