The Desert of Arizona
Partly Cloudy 70 Degrees – 12:32 p.m.
When I look back at my experience in the service providing bidniz, I can trace most of my great experiences to the simple act of client selection.
There is a direct correlation between the quality of the client and my overall happiness.
Now with the platform model, it’s not rocket science to bring good clients towards you. The harder part is to make sure everyone ELSE doesn’t take up your time and focus.
It’s not that they’re not good people, it’s that they don’t provide an opportunity for you to do your highest and best work.
I endured a lot of those folks early on simply because I didn’t want to say no.
I didn’t like the confrontation. It’s not like it was a fist fight or anything. But even that small possibility of uncomfortableness (what will they think when I reject them!) was enough to flip on Jason’s “Yes Machine.”
That’s when I discovered the power of process. The power of process “tricks” Jason’s “Yes Machine” into not perceiving any threat to his comfort.
One example of the power of process is to just have a response ready to go that you can send out in a situation like this.
No attachments, no aversions, as good old Lester Levenson says…
Anywho… here’s a response I pulled out from the Copy Bank you could use in this situation. There’s a lot of copy in there, all written by me, that’s ready to go. Cut, paste, edit, send.
SUBJECT: Working with you
Dear [NAME],
Thank you for your interest in my services. After hearing about your situation and the goals you are trying to achieve, I don’t think I’m going to be a good fit for you.
Feel free to ask any questions you may have, but I do take my commitment to my clients very seriously. Because of that, I only work with clients for whom I’m confident I can deliver maximum results. Given the details of your situation, I don’t think I would be the best choice for you.
If you would like me to supply names of colleagues or others in my industry I feel might be a good fit for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Sincerely,
[SIGNATURE]
Don’t be afraid to be clear. It provides a service to everyone, even the folks you’ll never work with.