Who is Your Perfect Client -

Home
>
Marketing
>
Who is Your Perfect Client

Who is Your Perfect Client

When I started my coaching practice I believed that I could coach anyone. My marketing wasn't targeted. Taking a few clients that were "wrong" for me cured me of that. I began to define my "perfect client" and then started to notice flags that told me that someone didn't fit my definition.

Have you ever had a premonition that someone wouldn't be a good client for you? Today the person I hired to paint my house dropped by to pick up his check. He asked me about a neighbor to whom he had given a quote. He said, "She seems like a nice lady but something is telling me she'll be a problem."

He went on to say that she wanted a guarantee that the paint wouldn't peel. He said with all the plants around her house and her irrigation system he didn't feel comfortable doing that. Although he would like the work and was confident in his ability to do a great job for her, he decided to pass on the job.

Bob has owned his own painting business for 25 years and really knows who his "perfect customer" is. He sees warning signs that tell him when the work will cost him more than he will make.

Large businesses often take all customers as long as they believe they have the ability to pay. They don't use a screening method. I remember thinking while I was at AT&T that some customers were more of a headache than they were worth.

One customer I remember started her weekend early on Friday afternoon and came back to her office after lunch inebriated. In that condition everything annoyed her so she would start calling us for immediate service on her equipment or adjustments on her bill. She knew all the numbers to call (including the president of the company!). If she didn't get attention she called the person's boss. She sounded pretty normal on the phone so she was taken very seriously. She consistently drained resources.

Do you get an inkling that a prospective client will be a problem? What are the warning signs? I know for example that people who believe they know everything and never make a mistake are not good clients for me. I listen for that when I talk to potential clients.

Also if someone comes to me for a marriage issue, I know that is not my area of expertise. I could coach the person but because I don't work in this area much it takes me longer to get up to speed on it. Better to refer that client to someone else and to find the lawyers and other professionals that I have a specific business development program for and experience in coaching. It is more profitable for me and more satisfying for my clients.

One exercise I do with my clients is to ask them to rate their current clients as A, B, C and D clients. They come up with their own criteria for A (the dream client), B (the dream client in training) C (the average client) and D (the client from hell). The goal is to find a way to have only A and B clients in their practice.

Can you see that getting rid of C and D clients would give you extra time to work with the clients you enjoy? By doing this you aren't wasting precious time trying to please someone who needs lots of special attention.

Think too about the kind of referrals you will get from C and D clients. We attract people to us that are very much like us so C and D clients probably will refer C and D clients.

If you want to have a thriving practice with clients you enjoy working with the first step is to get very clear about your "perfect client". What makes him/her perfect and then what tells you that the prospect sitting in front of you or the one on the phone is that perfect client?

Take Action

1. Read Attracting Perfect Customers by Stacey Hall and Jan Brogneiz

2. What are your criteria for A, B, C and D clients?

3. Classify your current and past clients as A, B, C and D clients. What did you learn from the exercise?

4. Can you create a script with several questions for your staff to use so that you don't have to talk to any potential client that is clearly not an A or B client? Do you have a list of other attorneys, doctors, painters etc that they can refer the C and D clients to?

About Alvah Parker

Alvah Parker is a Business and Career Coach as well as publisher of Parker's Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. Parker's Value Program© enables her clients to find their own way to work that is more fulfilling and profitable. Her clients are managers, business owners, sole practioners, attorneys and people in transition. Alvah is found on the web at http://www.asparker.com. She may also be reached at 781-598-0388.

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Head-PlayStation-Marketing-Share-How/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B66ECD82E-54D6-43D0-BB54-57452B34E952%257Dcid=1276623602ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNGdegEzjW1W0YgJepKt5VltRaNYDAHead of PlayStation bMarketing/b to Share How Sony Changed the Game b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Dille is a 20-year bmarketing/b veteran with over 15 years in the gaming industry, including playing a pivotal role in the launch of the original PlayStation b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Veteran-Retail-Executive-Joins-Whole/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BC2C060E1-6979-445A-BBCB-FFB805274CFE%257Dcid=1276603612ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNGu_KnKp53YGMFg49WiOeUHa8yoDAVeteran Retail Executive Joins Whole Bakers as President, Sales b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr14 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1McAuliff is a well known and successful retail, sports and entertainment bmarketing/b executive. For the past 20 years, McAuliff has generated millions in b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/New-Marketing-Coaching-Consulting-Firm/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B37D0BC2E-0EA3-4B32-8A13-AEBEE00DA5FC%257Dcid=1276563292ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNHLWmj9mhHptzBRdJvAEj6SYHqjQQNew bMarketing/b Coaching and Consulting Firm for Physicians b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr17 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Concierge physician Deborah Harding, MD and bmarketing/b consultant Adam Dudley announced today the launch of their Concierge Practice Profits LLC that will b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Research-Markets-Help-Your-Company/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B034F7C35-24F2-4106-92D0-1B8CAF0F116C%257Dcid=1276553954ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNHuMhzIQ0uGgxEY4Zm5jHkNGlMzbwResearch and Markets: Help Your Company Distinguish Itself With b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr17 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1You are a successful entrepreneur with a brain for business, but you#39;re indecisive about bmarketing/b and need a guide that will help your company distinguish b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.necn.com/Boston/Business/2008/12/01/Web-tips-Making-a-big-deal/1228137820.htmlcid=1273809014ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNFc4ZGAg9AesUnBdlCx7QvXnkNhdgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=eOzJ2P5_PBAJimgurl=www.necn.com/files/2008/12/01/120108_webted_730a.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2NECN/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Consumers-Benefit-a-Frenzy-Around/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B3EA6E82C-6D99-450C-B19E-D86692E11361%257Dcid=1273809014ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNGNYWnlVBH1ZK01ubKh7mc-ymkPAgConsumers Benefit from a Frenzy of Around-the-Clock Online Shopping/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr8 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1What#39;s different this year is how early the season started, and the intensity of promotional activity fueled by social bmarketing/b. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.digitalresponsemedia.com/news-1-email-marketing-news/black-friday-prompts-spike-in-email-marketing-activity-462.aspxcid=1273809014ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNFy_8N1aWU40uNj_yWJBMGM83rGQQBlack Friday prompts spike in email bmarketing/b activity/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrDigital Response Media/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122817819658170827.html%3Fmod%3Dgooglenews_wsjcid=1273809014ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNFGDNxFlg8JvOERC3G58vwePmEB7gOnline Retailers Dangle Free Shipping, Discounts/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWall Street Journal/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://wcco.com/consumer/cyber.monday.shoppers.2.877539.htmlcid=1273809014ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNFaFSa65xqPM4rfne1ikCOH_3p8qACyber Monday Shopping Off, Ready For #39;Stare Down#39;/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWCCO/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.mlive.com/grpress/business/index.ssf/2008/12/meijer_more_than_triples_cyber.htmlcid=1273809014ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNFsiI311rO3W2HdPFBJJqGIwTNW0wnobrThe Bay City Times - MLive.com/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://blogs.siliconvalley.com/gmsv/2008/12/retailers-announce-plan-to-rename-every-day-in-december.htmlcid=1273809014ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNG_oytPRhXAVn26x16KIlNUTCZ-YgnobrGood Morning Silicon Valley/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1273809014hl=ennobrall 1,158 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20081202/NEWS/812019917/1058%26title%3DSnowmass%2520Village%2520prefers%2520marketing%2520to%2520lower%2520tax%2520ratecid=1276794142ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNFAgj-TBL0qyX6YndPWOG7fWnvTuQSnowmass Village prefers bmarketing/b to lower tax rate/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAspen Times,nbsp;COnbsp;-/font nobr42 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Considering cutting its sales tax below the 10 percent threshold, council had eyed its 2.5 percent bmarketing/b tax. Cutting the tax by 0.5 percent would have b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/IMG-Names-Jim-Tucker-Vice/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B343657B6-9A34-473C-BE62-D2975769E698%257Dcid=1276638631ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNGohcJAX-fHXJX0FDc9j_b25gsSIQIMG Names Jim Tucker Vice President, US Business Development/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1With more than 10 years of experience in corporate sponsorship and expertise in developing, negotiating and implementing integrated bmarketing/b programs for b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20081202/GJBUSINESS02/712029980/-1/FOSBUSINESScid=1276796528ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNFBwHxCim6Gb0kEq-b0QTFXZwx9qAPSU Chapter of American bMarketing/b Association honors four alumni/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fFoster's Daily Democrat,nbsp;NHnbsp;-/font nobr34 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Four of Plymouth State#39;s most successful business degree graduates have been honored by PSU#39;s chapter of the American bMarketing/b Association. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/MedTouch-Clients-Awarded-More-Awards/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B0839D7E5-0AE2-47E4-A238-7CC279A47B4F%257Dcid=1276761704ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNE2BTcZoAFb1f3wIn99dqL7nAto_wMedTouch Clients Awarded More Awards: Award-Winning Sites Continue b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1quot;We#39;re excited to receive this award,quot; said Kace Ragan, Director of bMarketing/b for St. Dominic#39;s. quot;Our objective in redesigning our site was to strategically b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/client/e3if0caf66d857a98ef75c536573359246f%3Fimw%3DYcid=1276540131ei=mvc0ScTiL6Te6APW1On4BAusg=AFQjCNEGaDrnqSGMFSfbvxKpNuw0Yk-K8QEconomy Puts Mobile bMarketing/b on Hold/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAdweek,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr18 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The service was provided free as part of a Black Friday mobile bmarketing/b push. Consumers had been invited to come to JCP.com to sign up for the call, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

marketing - Google News