While there are a number of reasons that I chose to go into business for myself, one factor that really drove me to become an entrepreneur is that I want to do business with people that I genuinely like and have a mutual respect for.
I feel so strongly about this that I dedicated an entire article on my blog last month about the importance of doing business with people that you like, even if you can't afford to be choosy.
I feel so strongly about this that I dedicated an entire article on my blog last month about the importance of doing business with people that you like, even if you can't afford to be choosy.
There's so much hype these days about achieving a work/life balance. I completely agree with this philosophy, but I also feel that if you truly love going to work each morning, it's not really work anymore. The clients that you choose to take on can play a huge role in making your work enjoyable--or pure hell. This is why it's absolutely critical that you take the time to vet your potential clients as much as they vet you.
As a new business owner that is eager to start generating revenue for your business, it can be so tempting to take on any client that comes your way. I can totally relate to this as I've been in that position before. However, I strongly urge you to really think things through before on boarding a new client.
Let me give you an example of why I think the vetting process from the business's perspective is so crucial. I run a company that's in the business of web development, search strategy, and marketing design. With that being said, I get a lot of inquiries from prospective clients that want to revamp their websites. Many of them are simply reaching out to several web agencies with nice looking portfolios and are requesting quotes to give their old and outdated websites a new look as quickly as possible.
I'm going to stop you right there and tell you that this is usually not the type of client that we are looking for at New York Ave. Sure, many of our clients are price conscious, but price is not usually the leading reason why someone wants to do business with us. Instead, it's the partnership approach that we take with each and every client that sets us apart from the competition. This is where vetting potential clients upfront really makes a difference.
In order for us to be able to enter into a successful partnership with a client, I always make a point to gauge the potential client's fit through a series of observations. Here's some questions that I like to ask myself when talking to a prospective client:
Does it seem that the prospective client is just shopping for price?
If the client has an existing marketing partner, what does he or she like or dislike about this relationship?
Does the prospective client give the impression that he or she already knows everything there is to know?
How well do you think the prospective client would respond to feedback and direction?
Walking through this series of questions can give you some valuable insight into what a working relationship would be like with the prospective client. Talking about the client's likes and dislikes with an existing marketing partner will tell you a lot about how he or she approaches working relationships and if meeting the client's expectations is realistic.
I also think it's critical to determine whether the prospective client would be open to your feedback and willing to take your recommendations. Like most entrepreneurs, I enjoy a partnership where the client and I share a mutual respect. While the client may initially have one idea or strategy in mind, it's my job to encourage the client to think outside of the box and offer some alternative solutions. When my client and I share a mutual respect, we value each other's thought processes and understand that taking a partnership approach will yield the best results for us both. This is why I will never be just an order taker or choose to work with clients that are not willing to respond to direction.
The truth is, though, that not many service providers are willing to back off during the vetting stage because they don't want to risk losing the business to a competitor. Instead, they're willing to make some compromises to what their ideal client relationship would look like and jump on the opportunity. I think this is why there are so many unhappy client relationships, if you could really even use the word "relationship" in this type of scenario.
Like me, I'm thinking that you also started your business because you're not only passionate about what you do, but you also want to create enjoyable client experiences. I really don't think that you can have a positive outcome if you don't take the time to vet prospective clients and have an understanding on the front end of what they hope to accomplish with your services. When you take on a client that does not share the same partnership mindset that you do, you're doing yourself a disservice and are setting yourself up for failure.
I encourage you to not be afraid to turn away business if you determine that it's not going to be the best fit for your company. You may even find that turning away business causes that prospective client to earn more respect for your business, creating a second chance to win this business when the client is truly ready to move forward.
As a new business owner that is eager to start generating revenue for your business, it can be so tempting to take on any client that comes your way. I can totally relate to this as I've been in that position before. However, I strongly urge you to really think things through before on boarding a new client.
Let me give you an example of why I think the vetting process from the business's perspective is so crucial. I run a company that's in the business of web development, search strategy, and marketing design. With that being said, I get a lot of inquiries from prospective clients that want to revamp their websites. Many of them are simply reaching out to several web agencies with nice looking portfolios and are requesting quotes to give their old and outdated websites a new look as quickly as possible.
I'm going to stop you right there and tell you that this is usually not the type of client that we are looking for at New York Ave. Sure, many of our clients are price conscious, but price is not usually the leading reason why someone wants to do business with us. Instead, it's the partnership approach that we take with each and every client that sets us apart from the competition. This is where vetting potential clients upfront really makes a difference.
In order for us to be able to enter into a successful partnership with a client, I always make a point to gauge the potential client's fit through a series of observations. Here's some questions that I like to ask myself when talking to a prospective client:
Does it seem that the prospective client is just shopping for price?
If the client has an existing marketing partner, what does he or she like or dislike about this relationship?
Does the prospective client give the impression that he or she already knows everything there is to know?
How well do you think the prospective client would respond to feedback and direction?
Walking through this series of questions can give you some valuable insight into what a working relationship would be like with the prospective client. Talking about the client's likes and dislikes with an existing marketing partner will tell you a lot about how he or she approaches working relationships and if meeting the client's expectations is realistic.
I also think it's critical to determine whether the prospective client would be open to your feedback and willing to take your recommendations. Like most entrepreneurs, I enjoy a partnership where the client and I share a mutual respect. While the client may initially have one idea or strategy in mind, it's my job to encourage the client to think outside of the box and offer some alternative solutions. When my client and I share a mutual respect, we value each other's thought processes and understand that taking a partnership approach will yield the best results for us both. This is why I will never be just an order taker or choose to work with clients that are not willing to respond to direction.
The truth is, though, that not many service providers are willing to back off during the vetting stage because they don't want to risk losing the business to a competitor. Instead, they're willing to make some compromises to what their ideal client relationship would look like and jump on the opportunity. I think this is why there are so many unhappy client relationships, if you could really even use the word "relationship" in this type of scenario.
Like me, I'm thinking that you also started your business because you're not only passionate about what you do, but you also want to create enjoyable client experiences. I really don't think that you can have a positive outcome if you don't take the time to vet prospective clients and have an understanding on the front end of what they hope to accomplish with your services. When you take on a client that does not share the same partnership mindset that you do, you're doing yourself a disservice and are setting yourself up for failure.
I encourage you to not be afraid to turn away business if you determine that it's not going to be the best fit for your company. You may even find that turning away business causes that prospective client to earn more respect for your business, creating a second chance to win this business when the client is truly ready to move forward.