Being able to manage your client base means attracting the right people and distancing from the wrong ones. Sales and marketing expert Anthony Kirby shares his one big tip on how to differentiate between the two and what elements you need to make an offer that attracts the right people to your business.
Dinner Date Clients
One of the major skills that service-based entrepreneurs learn as their business matures is client selection. Early on in your business, you may be tempted (or forced) to take on any client that is willing to work with you just to keep the lights on. But Anthony recommends being pickier about who you let in as a client.
“I've been very careful about who I let into my client base,” he explains, “because I want to only work with dinner date clients, and it's much easier and much more fun to do business.”
He boils his selection process down into one simple phrase: the dinner date client. “I always ask myself,” Anthony says, “‘Would I take this person for dinner?’” Meaning, does this client share your values, interests, and goals or are they trying to tell you how to run your business? Being able to trim draining clients from your base will drastically improve your company, not to mention your sense of enjoyment as an entrepreneur.
5 Keys to an Offer
On the flip side of that, you also want to be able to bring the right clients to the table so that everyone can grow and benefit from working together. This all comes down to the sales offer.
- Be Desirable - Are you giving them something they want or need?
- Be Distinctive - How are you different from what they’ve tried before?
- Be Progressive - Lead them logically to the next step
- Be Helpful - Is this the magic pill that the client is looking for?
- Risk Reversal - How are you giving them some value back for their time or commitment?
“Knowing those you could go to any offer,” Anthony says, “and if it hasn't got those five keys, that's where you've gone wrong.”
However, this isn’t about just selling them your service. You want to emphasize the value that you bring to the table. Do this, and the sale is actually the easy part. “What I really teach people is how to market in a very ‘ethical values lead’ way. So that when it comes to the sale, it’s very simple. And the client says, ‘Hey, how can I work with you?’ rather than, ‘Hey, will you work with me?’”
If you’d like to reach out to Anthony or check out his book, The Expert Blueprint, you can find him on theexpertblueprint.com where you can find his contact information and also get a free digital copy of the book.
