What CHOICE do you have?
My good friend, Phyllis, wrote something a while back titled, “You Get to Choose.” For me, it was a game changer. Funny thing… it wasn’t profound; you’ve probably heard it before. What was significant was the WAY it was written that hit me square between the eyes, in a GOOD way! (Phyllis has a knack for doing that) I’m a little embarrassed that I haven’t let her in on the secret so Psssst, Phyllis. If you’re reading this, thanks!
The gist of her article was …
YOU GET TO CHOOSE YOUR CLIENTS; choose wisely.
KNOW who your peeps are before you try to reel them in. If you manage to catch any fish that aren’t what you were looking for, throw ‘em back; they’ll be perfect for someone else.
So for what it’s worth… here are MY top 5 factors, what I CHOOSE in my ideal client:
- Web developers need not apply: If you’re a developer, you don’t need my team. Besides, you’ll probably just irritate me because you’ll want to look over my shoulder and tell me how you’d code it differently. No offense, but if you know how to build a better mousetrap, you should be building it, not talking about it!
- Willing to learn: Let’s face it, even if you buy the most off-the-charts new car with every gadget imaginable you still have to drive it AND you have to learn which buttons to push and when. You’re going to have to learn how to “drive” your new website. I love to teach our clients how to “drive” their sites. It’s the COOLEST thing to witness that light bulb moment, to see people “get it,” to learn something new and realize they CAN do it! And on a related note….
- A little adventurous: Maybe same ol’ same ol’ isn’t going to get you there anymore and you need to try something new. It’s always a good idea to find out what’s working and what’s not. Just don’t try to copy what anyone else is doing – your business is unique, your challenges are unique and your offerings are unique. WHY would your solutions be the same as anyone else? This isn’t to say that you should never use any kind of templates or processes. Just be ready to put your own unique stamp on them!
- Not your first rodeo: You already have a site but are feeling “stuck.” Either you’ve outgrown it, you’re tired of being at the mercy of your webmaster or maybe you’re ready to rebrand/redecorate. Whatever the situation, if you’ve already put a site together, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is THIS time!Now don’t get me wrong, we help LOTS of website virgins. And, at the risk of sounding immodest, we’re pretty darn good at it! We walk a newby through the process and coach them along the way. BUT my husband always tells me that people who have been in a less-than-stellar marriage are the MOST appreciative spouses when they find the RIGHT person!
And the big-daddy factor for me ….
- Know where you’re going: You know who your audience is and what you want to say*. If you’re still trying to figure out what your calling is, you’re probably not a good candidate for the FOM development team. We’re ready to get your show on the road! I’ve found that projects with a target date of “asap” rarely make it to market. We’ll tell you if your target date is realistic or not, then we’ll help you along with milestones and deadlines. After all, the goal is to get your site LIVE, right?
* You don’t need to know HOW to say it, just know WHAT you want to say. Not everyone (I’m including myself here) can write persuasive and effective website copy. Having a pro who can wordsmith your copy is a BIG topic, one for another day!
Hey, we’re ALL tempted to take on that not-so-perfect client, or their juicy project, especially when cash flow is at low tide. But we can ALL benefit from reminding ourselves of Phyllis’ words… YOU get to choose!
After reading MY list, can you tell if my team is a good fit for you? Do your ideal clients know if they’re a good fit for YOU? Can you name YOUR top 5 (or 3 or 10) client factors?