Quality Over Quantity Choose the Right Clients for Your Success — Christine Means Business
If you’re an entrepreneur, then you work with people in some shape or form.
Recently, I decided to reduce the number of people that I work with drastically, simply because it was getting really stressful for me. According to Human Design, I am a Generator, which means that I enjoy being surrounded by others, I love organizing different events, talking, sharing ideas, etc. But after that — I need my quiet time too.
Back when I was working with clients in my previous business “Sleep Like a Boss” there were times when I accepted clients who ticked all the boxes in terms of being a perfect client with their sleep issues but personality-wise, they were really high maintenance and that was stressing me out. And that was simply not what I wanted from my business.
You can choose the client you want to work with
If you feel the same, then I got some good news and that is that as an entrepreneur you can choose who you want to work with. And the way you do that is by being very clear in your messaging about what you want, who you want to attract, but more importantly by being clear who you don’t want to work with.
Part of this is obviously your branding, the way you look, and the way you present yourself to the world. For example, as of recently (this might change again in the future) I like to present myself in a very crisp black-and-white campaign, quite high-end, selective, a little bit more exclusive, and sometimes even unattainable and intimidating. But I do that by design because I love people who get that, those are my ideal clients.
Being selective in the entrepreneurial world can be scary, especially when you’re in a mindset of “I have to make this work”. Please understand, I absolutely get the feeling when your bank account is dwindling and you start to panic and go back to selling your soul and taking on loads of clients who don’t actually fit your criteria. I get that feeling because I was like that as well. But not anymore, this is just a no go today. And clients that I work with are very, very similar.
You need to do what feels right for you
So know that this is possible for you too. It’s okay to say “no” to opportunities that just don’t quite fit, that you just don’t feel. You need to do what feels right for you because that’s the only way you’ll be able to move forward as an entrepreneur. In order to get there, you need to be able to communicate this clearly.
I hold a high standard in my business and so do my clients, and in order for me to deliver that I really need to be careful and make sure I work with people who communicate well and set clear expectations without any confrontation. This doesn’t only help me but it’s also helping the businesses that I consult to implement that type of communication in their business as well. I have to admit that this type of communication sometimes comes across as being too picky and there might be some “who does she think she is” along the way but you need to be able to get over that judgment and not care. It took me some time to get there but I am there. It takes maturity, which I think comes partly with age, it takes personal development, coaching, and all of that jazz.
But, as a result, today I am very clear — I only work with people who know who they are, what they like, what they stand for, what their values are, which makes everything a lot more transparent.
Be Selective and Clear about what you want
You have permission to be selective and to be clear about what you want. Whether that is serving as many people as possible or being extremely selective. Also, know that this can change over time, your services can change because you’re changing as well. In the last few years, I went from serving more the beginner-level business to the established level where it’s not even about “I need to make this work”, but more like “It’s already great. But there is more potential there and I want to make this even better.” That is where I come in.
So, ask yourself:
- Am I on the right track?
- Am I happy with who I’m working with?
- Is my messaging honest?
- Is it true?
Be brutally honest with yourself and find what works for you. No matter what your services are, you can find a business model that caters to your needs. But, the bottom line is — be aware of the number of people that you’re offering your services to, and what kind of people you offer your services to.
Originally published at https://www.christinemeansbusiness.com on February 9, 2023.
